386 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[CHAr. 
inhabitants have had time to think of something else than the 
satisfaction of the wants of the moment, are here completely 
wanting; but further south the villages are larger, and the 
houses finer, with raised roofs and high gables richly ornamented 
with wood-carvings. A church, painted in bright colours, 
generally shows that one of the inhabitants of the village has 
become rich enough to be at the expense of this ornament to 
his native place. The whole indicates a degree of prosperity, 
and the interiors of the houses, if we except the cockroaches, 
which swarm everywhere, are very clean. The walls are orna¬ 
mented with numerous, if not very artistic, photographs and 
lithographs. Sacred pictures, richly ornamented, are placed in 
a corner, and before them hang several small oil-lamps, or small 
wax-lights, which are lighted on festive occasions. The sleep¬ 
ing place is formed of a bedstead near the roof, so large that it 
occupies a half or a third of the room, and at such a height 
from the floor that one can stand upright under it. There 
a tropical heat commonly prevails, the occupant of the bed 
accordingly enjoying an almost constant sweat-bath, which does 
not prevent him from going out immediately into the open air 
at a temperature at which mercury freezes. Food is cooked in 
large baking ovens, which are fired daily for that purpose, and 
at the same time heat the cabin. Fresh bread is baked every 
day, and even for the poor a large tea-urn (samovar) is an almost 
indispensable household article. The foreigner is certain to 
receive a hearty and friendly welcome when he crosses the 
threshold, and if he stays a short time in the cabin he will 
generally, whatever time of the day it be, find himself drink¬ 
ing a glass of tea with his host. The dress everywhere closely 
resembles the Russian : for the rich, wide velvet trousers stuck 
into the boots, a shirt showily embroidered with silver thread, 
and a large caftan often lined with fur; for the poor, if not too 
ragged, the same cut, but the cloth inferior, dirty, and torn. 
During winter, however, for going out of doors, the Samoyed 
