had no difficulty in opening the
conversation with them. He told them that he and his companion wanted to
go down the river to Yeneseisk, and wished to buy a boat, a good one.

The women said that some of the men would be in that evening, and that
the matter could be arranged.

"They will be glad to sell us a boat," Luka said to Godfrey. "They are
very poor the Ostjaks; they have nothing but their tents, their boats,
and their clothes. They live on the fish they catch, but fish are so
plentiful they can scarce get anything for them, so they are very glad
when they can sell anything for money."

The Ostjak men arrived just before it became dark. They wore high
flat-topped fur caps, a dress something like a long loose blouse, and
trousers of fine leather tucked into boots that came up to the knee.
Most of them had bows and arrows in addition to their fishing gear.
Godfrey felt no uneasiness among these men as he would have done among
the Buriats in the east, for they were now at a distance from any
convict settlements, and these people would know nothing about the
rewards offered to the natives in the neighbourhood of the mines for the
arrest of prisoners. A present of some tobacco, of which Godfrey had
laid in a large stock, put the Ostjaks into an excellent temper. Fish
were broiling over the fire when they returned, and the two travellers
joined them at their meal. After this was over and pipes lighted the
subject of the boat was discussed. The Ostjaks were perfectly ready to
trade. They said they would sell any of their six boats for three
roubles, and that if they did not think any of these large enough they
would build them a larger one in three days for six roubles.

Godfrey had exchanged twenty roubles for kopecks at the first village
they had passed after reaching the river, as he knew that notes would be
of no use among the native tribes, and without bargaining he accepted
the offer they made. After passing the night stretched by the fire they
went down with the men in the morning to inspect the boats. They were
larger than he had expected to find them, as the fishing population
often shift their quarters by the river and travel in boats, taking
their family, tent, and implements with them.

"What do you think, Luka?"

"They are large enough," Luka said, "but they are not in very good
condition. I should say that farthest one would do very well; but let us
have a look at the state of the skins."

The bo