The Democratic advocate., 1881-05-14
Siberian Natives.


the Lower Amur. The length of terrific
ry over which the Gilyaks wander extends
from the mouth of the river to village
called Tombofsk or CORN, situated $50
miles from Nikolaefsk [ tried to learn
their numbers, but was not successful,
their arithmetical ideas being very vague.
I asked, for instance, Gilyak, who had
been chief man of village in which the
missionary was killed, what was its popu
lation, to which he replied that they had
sixty men, more women, and the children
they had not counted Mr. Collins, TWEEN
ty years ago, gave their villages as thirty
nine, with an estimated population of l.
690 The Gilyaks differ both in language
and in many of their habits from all the
other tribes of the Amur. In form they
are diminutive, usually below rather than
above five feet, tEeir eyes elongated, the
color of the skin like that of the Chinese,
hair black ard not luxuriant, with little
on the face. In intellect they are very
low. They do not learn the Russian Ian
guage, nor do the Russians learn theirs;
and / believe they have no written signs
whatever. Their diseases are rheumatism
and diseases Of the eyes brought on by
hunting in the snow. In hereditary cases
it is no doubt aggravated by their filthy
manner of living. They are said never
to wash, and though constantly on the wa
ter they never, if possible, get into it. A
telegraphic engineer told me that he one
day gave Gilyak piece of soap, which
he put in his mouth, and after chewing it
to lather, pronounced it every good.
Their habitations are better than might
be expected. The walls are of timber
and mud, aud around three-fourths of the
interior of the wall is broad divan, with
fues heated by fire at either end. On
this they sleep. In the centre Of the bull
ding is platform, under which, in winter,
the dogs have their habitation, and some
times also a bear Suspended from the
roof are sledges, fishing tackle. hunting
weapons, and hundreds of pieces of dried
fish, from which medley is emitted an odor
anything but like that Of spring nosegay,
Their mode of travelling in summer is by
boats, which they propel with oars pulled
not together, but alternately. In winter
they travel by dsgs and sledges. They
eat surprisingly little, and subsist almost
entirely on fish. A piece of salmon foot
long aud two inches thick will suffice Gil
yak, was told, for day, aud when travcll-
ing the same amount serves for dog. They
have little notion of Supreme Being.
"What is your religion?" Iasked of Gilyak.
'We have none, he replied. To another |
said, "To whom do you pray2 "To the
skies, he answered. They are common
ly said 10 worship the BEAR and some
members of this tribe have a cage in
which bear is confined and fed. From
time to time he is brought out to be made
sport of, and once year each village takes
it in turn to provide one of these animals,
which is killed with much ceremony and
eaten. | asked them more than once
whether it was true that they worshipped
the bear, but this they always denied. So
far as they have any religion at all, it is
that Of Shamanism, the chief feature OF
which seems that when they have any evil
to depreeate or advantage to crave they
have recourse to Shaman priest, who
performs certain ceremonies and ineanta-
tions, there being usually connected there
with the drinking of Chinese brandy to
the intoxieatiOn of the whole party. They
make rough idols of wood, which they use
at their ceremonies, and in sickness they
are worn about their persons as charms.
| asked one Gilyak to sell me his gods, but
he at first hesitated, saying that he found
them very useful in sickness. He changed
his mind, however, and after my leaving
his house sent some after me for sale.
One feature of their religion struck me as
noticeable, which was that they did not
call in the aid of Shaman at times OF
/ joy or thanksgiving, as at wedding, but
only when they had something to get or
something to fear, as in sickness or at
death | visited two Gilyak villages, and
was much interested in this miserable
people.
Both Gilyaks and Goldi are alike in
that they purchase their wives aud prac-
tisc polvgamy 4 Gilyak will sell his
daughter for eight or ten dogs, sledge,
and two cases of brandy; or if she have
agood nose" she may fetch little more.
A rich Goldi, in providing wife for his
son, will pay from f5 to f2O for girl five
wears old She will then be taken to her
father-in Jaws house, brought up with her
| future nuSDduu, anu NhSh lAiO 5iAA 40 e'SA'S
or thirteen, and the husband eighteen, the
marriage will take place. Weddings,
however, are expensive things, for all the
relatives expect to be invited, and they
sometimes drink several gallons of Chinese
khanshin, The drinking of this, am
told, causes not only intoxicatiop, but
among these people violence akin to mad
ness. 1t is sold by weight, and costs 1Od.
per Russian pound; but its importation is
strictly forbidden by Russian law. Should
Goldi who has many wives desire to be
baptized, the Russian missionaries compel
him to elect one, and be economically mar
ried to the object of his choice; the rest,
by happy arrangement, being returned
to their respective fathers at half-price
Notwithstanding these matrimonial draw
backs, however, | heard that among these
interesting people there are no unmarried
ladies.
1t has been noticed by travellers that