ne of the Russians, as in 1875, to drink tea in his
cabin. This consisted of a lobby, and a room about four metres
square, and scarcely two metres and a half high. One corner was
occupied by a large chimney, at the side of which was the very low
door, and right opposite the window opening, under which were placed
some chests, serving as tea-table for the occasion. Along the two
remaining sides of the room there were fastened to the wall sleeping
places of boards covered with reindeer skin. The window appeared to
have been formerly filled with panes of glass, but most of these
were now broken, and replaced by boards. It need scarcely surprise
us if glass is a scarce article of luxury here.

We had no sooner entered the cabin than preparations for tea
commenced. Sugar, biscuits, teacups and saucers, and a brandy flask
were produced from a common Russian travelling trunk. Fire was
lighted, water boiled, and tea made in the common way, a thick smoke
and strong fames from the burning fuel spreading in the upper part
of the low room, which for the time was packed full of curious
visitors. Excepting these trifling inconveniences the entertainment
passed off very agreeably, with constant conversation, which was
carried on with great liveliness, though the hosts and most of the
guests could only with difficulty make themselves mutually
intelligible.

Hence we betook ourselves to the skin tents of the Samoyeds which
stood apart from the wooden huts inhabited by the Russians. Here too
we met with a friendly reception. Several of the inhabitants of the
tents were now clad with somewhat greater care in a dress of
reindeer skin, resembling that of the Lapps. The women's holiday
dress was particularly showy. It consisted of a pretty long garment
of reindeer skin, fitting closely at the waist, so thin that it hung
from the middle in beautiful regular folds. The petticoat has two or
three differently coloured fringes of dogskin, between which stripes
of brightly coloured cloth are sewed on. The foot-covering consists
of boots of reindeer skin beautifully and tastefully embroidered.
During summer the men go bare-headed. The women then have their
black straight hair divided behind into two tresses, which are
braided with straps, variegated ribbons and beads, which are
continued beyond the point where the hair ends as an artificial
prolongation of the braids, so that, including the straps which form
this continuation, loaded as they are