CH. IV.] SETTLEMENTS AT TPIE MOUTH OF THE YENISEJ. 193 
as Goltschiclia, although, as the map reproduced here shows, 
uumerous dwelling-houses were to be found built along the river 
bank and sea-shore beyond the mouth of the Yenisej and as far 
as to the Pjasina. They have long since been abandoned, in the 
first place in consequence of the hunting falling off, but probably 
also because even here, far away on the north coast of Siberia, 
the old simple and unpretentious habits have given way to 
new wants which were difficult to satisfy at the time when 
no steamers carried on traffic on the river Yenisej. Thus, for 
instance, the difficulty of procuring meal some decades back, 
accordingly before the commencement of steam communication 
on the Yenisej, led to the abandonment of a swiovie situated on 
the eastern bank of the river in latitude 72° 25' north. 
The dmovies at the mouth of the Yenisej formed in their 
time the most northerly fixed dwelling-places of the European 
races.^ Situated as they were at the foot of the cold tundra, 
exposed to continual snowstorms in winter and to close fogs 
during the greater part of summer, which here is extremely 
short, it seems as if they could not offer their inhabitants 
many opportunities for ODjoyment, and the reason why this tract 
was chosen for a residence, especially in a country so rich in 
fertile soil as Siberia, appears to be difficult to find. The 
remains of an old simovie (Krestovskoj), which I saw in 1875 
while travelling up the river along with Dr. Lundstrdm and Dr. 
Stuxberg, however, produced the impression that a true home 
life had once been led there. Three houses with turf-covered 
1 The most northerly fixed dwelling-place, which is at present inhabited 
by Europeans, is the Danish commercial post Tasiusak, in north-western 
Greenland, situated in 73° 24' N.L. How little is known, even in Kussia, 
of the former dwellings at the mouth of the Yenisej may be seen from 
Neueste NacJirichten ilher die ndrdlicliste Gegend von Sihirien zwischen den 
Fliissen Pjdssida wid Chatanga in Fragen und Antioorten adgefasst MU 
Einleitwng und Anmerhungen vom Herausgeher (K. E. v. Baer und Gr. v. 
Helmersen, Beitrdge zur Kenntniss des russiscJien Reiches, vol. iv. p. 269. 
St Petersburg, ISil). 
0 
