Heaven-wide from it and has nothing in common with it, except a
small number of borrowed words (chiefly names of articles from the Polar
nomad's life), which the Ostjak has taken from the language of his northern
neighbour. With respect to their language, however, the Samoyeds are said
to stand at a like distance from the other branches of the stem in
question. To what extent craniology or modern anthropology can more
accurately determine the affinity-relationship of the Samoyed to other
tribes, is still a question of the future."
At the present day, the Samoyeds dwell in skin tents. They dress
principally in reindeer-skins, and the women's holiday-dress is
particularly showy. Their boots, also of reindeer-skin, are beautifully and
tastefully embroidered. In summer, the men go bare-headed: the women divide
their hair into tresses, and use artificial plaits, ornamented with pearls,
buttons, &c. Like the man, the woman is small, with coarse black hair, face
of a yellow colour, small and sunken eyes, a flat nose, broad cheek-bones,
slender legs, and small feet and hands. She competes with the man in dirt.
Nordenskiold places the Samoyeds in the lowest rank of all the Polar races.
The women have perfectly equal rights with the men.]
Tuesday (4) we turned for the harborough where Loshaks barke lay, whereas
before we road vnder an Island. And there he came aboord of vs and said
vnto me: if God sende winde and weather to serue, I will goe to the Ob with
you, because the Morses were scant at these Islands of Vaigats, but if he
could not get to the riuer of Ob, then he sayd hee would goe to the riuer
of Naramzay, where the people were not altogether so sauage as the Samoyds
of the Ob are: hee shewed me that they will shoot at all men to the
vttermost of their power, that cannot speake their speech.
Wednesday (5) we saw a terrible heape of ice approach neere vnto vs, and
therefore wee thought good with al speed possible to depart from thence,
and so I returned to the Westwards againe, to the Island where we were the
31. of Iuly.
[Illustration: SAMOYED ARCHERS. After Unschoten.]
[Illustration: SAMOYEDS. From Schleissing's Nou-entdecktes Sieweria,
worinnen die Zobeln gefangen werden. Zittan 1693.]
Thursday (6) I went a shoare, and tooke the latitude, which was 70 degrees
25 minutes: and the variation of the compasse was 8 degrees from the North
to the West.
Loshak and the two small Lodias of Pechora departed from this Island, while
I was on shoare taking the latitude, and went to the Southwards: I
maruailed why he departed so suddenly, and went ouer the shoales amongst
the Islands where it was impossible for vs to follow them.
