22 
O S T 
lifts, Dutch, and German, languages. M. Oftervald alfo 
pubiiftied an edition of the Geneva French verfion of 
The Holy Bible, with arguments and reflections, in folio. 
His eldell fon, John Rodolph Ostervald, became 
paftor of the French church at Baft], where he worthily 
fuftained the honour of being a defcendant from lb excel¬ 
lent a man, and publifhed a treatife held in much eftima- 
tion by French Proteftants, and entitled “ The Duties 
of Communicants,” umo. JEncy. Brit. 
OS'TER WICK, a town of Pomerelia : ten miles fouth- 
fouth-eaft of Dantzic. 
OS'TER WICK, a town of Weftphalia, in the princi¬ 
pality ot Halberftadt, on the life, containing feveral 
woollen manufactures s thirteen miles weft of Halberftadt, 
and fifteen riorth-eaft of Goflar. Lat. 50. 59. N. ion. 10. 
33. E. 
OS'TERWITZ, a citadel of the duchy of Carinthia : 
four miles eaft of St. Veit. 
OSTERZE'LE, a town in the kingdom of the Nether¬ 
lands : nine miles fouth-fouth-eaft of Ghent. 
OSTHAMMA'R, a feaport-town of Sweden, in the 
province ot Upland, formerly a ftaple-town, on a fmall 
rocky ifland called Gold Sheor, in the Aland’s Haft’, near 
the coaft. It is thirty miles north-eaft of Upfal. Lat. 60. 
15. N. ion. 18. 19. E. 
OS'THAN, or Ostein, a river of France, which runs 
into the Chiers three miles above Montmedy. 
OS'THEIM, a town of the duchy of Wurzburg: two 
miles weft-north-weft of Volckach. 
OS'THEIM, a town of Germany, in the margravate 
of Anfpach: four miles eaft of Waftertrudingen. 
OS'THEIM, a town of Germany, in the county of 
Henneberg: eight miles fouth-weft of Meinungen. 
OS'THEIM, a town of Bavaria, in the territory of 
Rothenburg: five miles fouth of Rothenburg. 
OS'THEIM vor de RHCE'NE, a town of Germany, 
in the county of Henneberg: fix miles louth-weft of 
Meinungen. 
OST'HOFEN, late a town of France, in the depart¬ 
ment of Mont Tonnerre : two miles north-north-weft of 
Manheim, and five north of Worms. 
OS'TIA, a town of Italy, fituated at the mouth of the 
Tiber, about twelve miles to the weftward of Rome. It 
was built by Ancus Martius, the fourth king of Rome; 
and was called OJlia Tiberina, in the plural number, i. e. 
the Two Mouths of the Tiber, which were feparated by 
the Holy Ifland, an equilateral triangle, whofe fides were 
each of them computed at about two miles. The colony of 
Oftia was founded immediately beyond the left or fouthern, 
and the port immediately beyond the right or northern, 
branch of the river; and the diftance between their re¬ 
mains meafures fomething more than two miles on Cin- 
olani’s map. In the time of Strabo, the fand and mud 
epofited by the Tiber bad choked the harbour of Oftia; 
the progrefs of the fame caufe has added much to the fize 
of the Holy Ifland, and gradually left both Oftia and the 
port at a confiderable diftance from the fhore. Its port 
was one of the moft ftupendous works of Roman magni¬ 
ficence, and it was a long time one of the belt towns on 
the coaft; but, having been deftroyed by the Saracens, 
and the harbour choked up, as mentioned above, it has 
not been able fince to recover itfelf. Though it be an in- 
confiderable place, and but poorly inhabited, by reafon of 
the badnefs of the air, yet it is the fee of a bifhop, who 
is always deacon of the cardinals, and crowns the pope. 
The Old Oftia, where are the ruins of the ancient harbour, 
is beyond New Oftia, towards the fea ; the latter is but a 
little clufter of houies, built round the cathedral, with 
a fmall caftle. It is twelve miles fouth-weft of Rome. 
Lat. 41.46. N. Ion. is. 13. E. 
There were falt-works in Oftia, called Salinee OJtienfes , 
as early as the time of Ancus Martius (Livy); from 
which the Via Salaria, which led to the Sabines, took its 
name (Varro). It gave name to one of the gates of Rome, 
which was called OJlienfis (Ammian). 
OS '] 1 
OS'TIAKS, a people of Siberia in Alia, fubjeft to the 
Ruffians, and comprehending three tribes. Before the 
Ruffians conquered Siberia, it was under the dominion of 
the Tartars, who gave the name of Onfchtaik, fignifying 
“ lavage,” to the nations who inhabit it, as a mark-of 
their contempt: hence they were called Oftiaki. The 
Oftiaks are divided into three very diftinft people, both 
in defcent and language; viz. the Oftiaks of the Oby, of 
the Marym or Narym, and of the Yenifley. 
The Oftiaks of the Oby are held to be the moft nu¬ 
merous of the three tribes; but accurate ftatements of the 
amount of their population are wanting. The Oftiaks 
of the Southern Oby call themfelves AJt/ah.c, from the 
river Oby, which in their language is called Yak; the 
northern, Khondi Khai, People of Konda, becaufe they 
withdrew from that river towards the north. 
The Narym Oftiaks, who are alfo called Morafes, are 
about the upper parts of the Surgut, in the diftri&s of the 
Oby quite to the Narym, and about the mouths of the 
rivers Ket and Torn. 
The Yenifley Oftiaks, though they refemble the two 
other nations of that name in appellation and mode of 
life, yet fpeak a language fo entirely different from that 
of the Oftiaks, as well as from all the Siberian tongues, 
that they might rather be taken fora race of a particular 
nation, though not the ftnalleft indications of their origin 
have been hitherto difeovered. Thefe dwell about the 
inferior Yenifley, near and between the Samoyei'es. 
When the Ruffians, in the feventeenth century, had ex¬ 
tended their conqueft hither, thefe Oftiaks not only im¬ 
mediately fubmitted, but alfo affifted the Ruffians to fub- 
due the neighbouring nations. 
The Oftiaks are the moft numerous nations of Siberia, 
where the population, on account of the rigour of the 
climate, is not very great. Thefe people feidom exceed 
the middle fize, and are not remarkable for their beauty ; 
their complexion is yellowifh, and their hair generally a 
deep-red 5 yet they are not ill made. They are in a ftate 
of great barbarifm ; and get their living chiefly by hunt¬ 
ing and fifhing, as none of them cultivate the foil. They 
have neither horfes, oxen, nor ftieep ; their live ftock con- 
fifts of rein-deer, which they employ in draught. Their 
drefs is generally formed of the fkins of different animals 
and furs. They wear ffiort trowfers; their ftockings are 
made of flein, which go all over the feet, and ferve them 
for boots, which they ftrengthen by placing the /kin 
double for the foie. They have a fort of jacket next their 
- fkin ; and over all they put a long coat with clofe fleeves, 
which has a hood that entirely covers the head, and' 
only leaves out the face; and, in very cold weather, they 
even wear another over this. Cojiume of the Ruffian Em¬ 
pire; 1804. 
In the winterthey build theirhuts in woods and fore/Is, 
where they find the greateft plenty of game, and dig deep 
in the earth, to fee lire themfelves from the cold, laying a 
roof of bark or ruffies over theirhuts, which are foon co¬ 
vered with fnow. In fummer they build aboveground 
on the banks of the rivers, to enjoy the convenience of 
fifhing; and make no difficulty of forfaking their habi¬ 
tations. They have a fort of princes among them, in one 
of whofe houfes fome European travellers found four 
wives. One of thefe had a red cloth coat on,and was let 
off with all forts of glafs beads. There was no other fur¬ 
niture than cradles and chefts, made of the bark of trees 
fewed together. Their bed confifted of wood-fhavings, 
almoft as foft as feathers. 
Their religion is pagan ; and they have fome little idols, 
reprefenting men and animals, made of wood and earth, 
all of which are drelied in filks, in the manner of Ruffian 
ladies. In general, however, they are ill made, every man 
being his own carver. They place them on the tops of 
hills, in groves, and in the pleafanteft places their coun¬ 
try affords, and fometimes before their huts; yet they 
have no fet time for performing religious wor/hip, but ap¬ 
ply to their gods for fuccefs in their occafioual under- 
4 takings* 
