a people of Siberia in Asia. They live upon the banks of the rivers Obi and Yenisey, and on those of some other rivers which fall into these.

These people are very poor, and very lazy, and in the Ostiack summer-time live molly upon fish. They are of a middle size, with broad faces and noses, and yellowish or red hair. All their garments from top to toe are made of fish skins, for they have neither linen nor woolen; and indeed they might almost as well go naked. Their greatest diversion is hunting; and they go together in crowds, with a weapon like a large knife fastened in a stick. In summer they take and dry the fish which serves them in winter; and when that season begins, they go into the woods with their bows and arrows, their dogs and nets, to kill sables, ermines, bears, reindeer, elks, martens, and foxes. Part of the furs of these is paid as a tax to the emperors of Russia, and the rest are sold at a fixed price to the Russian governors, but sometimes they are allowed to dispose of them to private persons.

They chiefly live upon venison, wild-fowl, fish, and roots, for they have neither rice nor bread. They drink for the most part water, and it is said they can very well relish a draught of train oil. They are immoderately fond of tobacco, and of swallowing the smoke, which soon intoxicates them. In the winter they build their huts in woods and forests, where they find the greatest plenty of game, and dig deep in the earth to secure themselves from the cold, laying a roof of bark or rushes over their huts, which are often covered with snow. In summer they build above ground on the banks of the rivers, to enjoy the convenience of fishing, and make no difficulty of forsaking their habitations. They have a fort of princes among them, in one of whose houses some European travellers found four wives (a). One of these had a red cloth coat on, and was set off with all sorts of glass beads. There was no other furniture than cradles and chests, made of the bark of trees sewed together. Their beds consisted of wood shavings, almost as soft as feathers, and their children lie naked upon them in cradles. They can neither read nor write, nor do they cultivate the land; and seem totally ignorant of times past. They have neither temples nor priests; and their boats are only made of the bark of trees sewed together. Their religion is Pagan; and they have some little brazen idols, tolerably well cast, representing men and animals, made of wood and earth, all of which are dressed in silks, in the manner of Russian 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 pleasantest places their country affords, and sometimes before their huts; yet they have no set time for performing religious worship, but apply to their gods for succours in all their undertakings. As they have no regular priests, every old man may devote himself to that service, and the office is frequently performed by the masters and heads of families. Strahlenberg says, that when he was among them he saw one of their temples, which was built of wood in an oblong form, like a great barn, covered at

(a) They may have as many wives as they please, and make no scruple of marrying their nearest relations. They purchase a wife of her relations for three or four rein-deer, and take as many as they please, returning them again if they do not like them, only losing what they gave for the purchase. Upon the birth of their children some give them the name of the first creature they happen to see afterward. Thus the child has frequently the name of an animal, and you hear a man call his son perhaps Sabatiski, or my little dog; others call their children according to the order of their birth, as First, Second, Third, &c.