among the reindeer. A
Russian informed me that he now owned but two hundred,
while some years ago he had a thousand; and this statement
was confirmed by the other Russians. Men too are attacked
by this disease. Two or three days before our arrival a
Samoyed and his wife had eaten the flesh of a diseased
animal, in consequence of which the woman died the
following day, and the man still lay ill, and, as the
people on the spot said, would not probably survive. Some
of the Samoyeds are considered rich, for instance the
'eldest' (starschina) of the tribe, who owns a thousand
reindeer. The Samoyeds also employ themselves, like the
Russians, in fishing. During winter some betake themselves
to Western Siberia, where 'corn is cheap,' and some go to
Pustosersk.

"The nine Russians form a company (artell) for
whale-fishing. There are twenty-two shares, two of which
fall to the holy Nicholas, and the other twenty are
divided among the shareholders. The company's profit for
the fishing season commonly amounts to 1,500 or 2,000 pood
train oil of the white whale (_Beluga_), but this season
there had been no fishing on account of disagreements
among the shareholders. For in the Russian 'artell' the
rule is, 'equal liability, equal rights,' and as the rich
will never comply with the first part of the rule, it was
their arrogance and greed which caused contention here, as
everywhere else in the world.

"Neither the Russians nor the Samoyeds carry on any
agriculture. The former buy meal for bread from Irbit.
The price of meal varies; this season it costs one rouble
ten copecks per pood in Pustosersk. Salt is now brought
from Norway to Mesen, where it costs fifty to sixty
copecks per pood. The Samoyeds buy nearly everything from
the Russians. There were many inquiries for gunpowder,
shot, cheap fowling-pieces, rum, bread, sugar, and
culinary vessels (teacups, &c.). The Samoyed women wear
clothes of different colours, chiefly red. In exchange for
the goods enumerated above there may be obtained fish,
train oil, reindeer skins, walrus tusks, and furs, viz,
the skins of the red, white, and brown fox, wolf, Polar
bear, and glutton.

"The Russians in question are 'Old Believers,' but the
difference between them and the orthodox consists merely
in their not smoking t