world, persecutes sectaries within its own pale, with
temporal punishments here upon earth and with threatenings of
eternal in another world. Especially in former times a great many
sectaries have been sent to Siberia, and therefore there are
sometimes to be found there peculiar colonies enjoying great
prosperity, exclusively inhabited by the members of a certain sect.
Such is the Skopt colony at Selivaninskoj, in connection with which,
however, it may be remarked that the nature of the religious
delusion in this case accounts for the severity of the law or the
authorities. For, on the ground of a text in the Gospel of Matthew
interpreted in a very peculiar way, all Skoptzi subject themselves
to a mutilation, in consequence of which the sect can only exist by
new proselytes; and remarkably enough, these madmen, notwithstanding
all persecution, or perhaps just on that account, actually still
gain followers. A large number of the Skoptzi were Fins from
Ingermanland, with whom I could converse without difficulty. They
had, through industry and perseverance, succeeded in creating for
themselves a certain prosperity, were hospitable and friendly, and
bore their hard fate with resignation. They would not themselves
kill any warm-blooded animal, for it was "a sin to kill what God had
created;" which did not hinder them from catching and eating fish,
and from selling to us, who in any case were lost beings, a fine fat
ox, on condition that our own people should slaughter it. Their
abstinence from some kinds of animal food had besides the good
result of inducing them to devote themselves to the cultivation of
the soil. Round about their cabins accordingly there were patches of
land growing potatoes, turnips, and cabbage, which at least that
year yielded an abundant crop, though lying under the Arctic circle.
Farther south such plots increase in size, and yield rich crops, at
least, of a very large potato. There is no proper cultivation of
grain till we come to Sykobatka, situated in 60 deg. N.L., but in
a future, when forests and mosses are diminished, a profitable
agriculture will be carried on far to the northward.

[Illustration: OSTYAK TENT. (After a Photograph.) ]

[Illustration: TOWING WITH DOGS ON THE YENISEJ. The boat _Luna_
with the Swedish Land Expedition of 1876 on board. (After a
drawing by Hj Theel.) ]

Along with the dwellings of the Russians, the tents of the natives,
or, as the Russians call them, "the Asiati