The expression of relations) show a
very limited affinity or none at all. The circumstance that the Samoyeds
for the present have as their nearest neighbours several Finnish-Ugrian
races (Lapps, Syrjaeni, Ostjaks, and Voguls), and that these to a great
extent carry on the same modes of life as themselves, has led some authors
to assume a close affinity between the Samoyeds and the Fins and the
Finnish races in general. The speech of the two neighbouring tribes,
however, affords no ground for such a supposition. Even the language of the
Ostjak, which is the most closely related to that of the Samoyeds, is
separated 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. But after I
perceiued them to be weatherwise.
Friday (7) we road still, the winde being at Northnortheast, with a cruel
storme. The ice came in so abundantly about vs at both ends of the Island
that, we rode vnder, that it was a fearefull sight to behold: the storme
continued with snow, raine, and hayle plenty.
Saturday (8) we rode still also, the storme being somewhat abated, but it
was altogether misty, that we were not able to see a cables length about
vs, the winde being at Northeast and by East.
Sunday (9) at foure of the clocke in the morning we departed from this
Island, the winde being at Southeast, and as we were cleere a sea boord the
small Islandes and shoales, it came so thick with mistes that we could not
see a base shotte from vs. Then we took in all our sailes to make little
way.
At a Southeast sunne it waxed cleere, and then we set our sayles, and lay
close by the wind to the Southwards alongst the Islands of Vaigats. At a
west sunne we tooke in our sayle againe because of the great mist and
raine. Wee sounded at this place, and had fiue and twenty fadomes water,
and soft black oze, being three leagues from the shoare, the winde being at
South and by East, but still misty.
Munday (10) at an East sunne we sounded, and had 40 fadomes, and oze, still
misty: at noone wee sounded againe, and had 36 fadome, still misty.
Tuesday (11) at an Eastnortheast sunne we let fall our anker in three and
twenty fadome, the mist still continuing.
Wednesday (12) at three of the clocke in the morning the mist brake vp, the
wind being at Northeast and by East, and then we saw part of the Islands of
Vaigats, which we bare withal, and went Eastsoutheast close by the winde:
at a West sunne we were at an anker vnder the Southwest part of the said
Vaigats, and then I sent our skiffe to shoare with three men in her, to see
if they might speake with any of the Samoeds, but could not: all that day
was rainie, but not windie.
Thursday (13) the wind came Westerly, so that we were faine to seeke vs
another place to ride in, because the wind came a seaboord land, and
although it were misty, yet wee followed the shoare by our lead:
