NOVA ZEMBLA. 
273 
had been seen at a distance. On the 29 th, and after¬ 
wards, the Hollanders had friendly communication 
with some Samoyedes. By means of a Russian sailor 
belonging to one of the ships, “ who had much trouble 
to understand them/' information was obtained that 
eastward of Nova Zembla was a sea of no great extent, 
which being passed, there was another extending far. 
These Samoyedes being questioned, if they were sub¬ 
ject to the great Czar of Muscovy, replied that they 
knew nothing of him. They spoke, however, of Pe- 
troza and Pitzano, places which belonged to the Rus¬ 
sians, as known to them. 
Among a wandering unsettled people like the 
Samoyedes, it would naturally happen that some 
might be made to acknowledge themselves subject 
to the Russians, and others remain long in perfect 
ignorance of any such claim to their obedience. De¬ 
scriptions of the Russian empire say that the Sa¬ 
moyedes, or Ostiaks, inhabiting near the river Ob, were 
compelled to swear fidelity and allegiance to the 
Russian empire in the following manner:—A mouthful 
of bread was presented to each man on the point of a 
knife, and the man, receiving it kneeling, was required 
to say, or repeat, “ If in the course of my life I become 
unfaithful to my Czar, if at any time I do not pay my 
