Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-20
THE LENA DELTA.
Houses, Food nud Means OF Travel I'm
siberia,
[From Lieut.. s;huctze's Reportl

| [From Lieut.. S;huctze's Reportl
| Tho winter hut, or balbgan, is a structure
about sixteen feet. So iare and seven to eight
feet in height, covered with mud and sod
The inclined sides Of plank rest against
frame supported at each corner by stout
post set into the ground, the roof or covering
%" his frame beirg also log, or heavy, rough
.ewn plank. Near the small door, and
orally little to the right OF it, the semi
.'r ''r chimney, made of sticks covered
| " nd rises from tho large, square, mud
ii. = 'aro, situated so that the heat is radiated
toward the six hunks, which raised
above the wooden or mud floor, are
ranged along the sides of the hut,
| two on each wal, except the 'front.'
where the store of fire-wood is kept. There
are usually three windows or square holes in
the sides over the hunks, which, in summer
are closed with Aah skins stretched over q
frame and in winter with blocks of ice six
inches in thickness Tho entrance is pro-
tected by one or two long, tunnel-shaped log
structures or storm-doors, on either side of
which small storehouses for fish are located
Besides these there are usually one or two
square log storehouses detached from and
| near the dwelling house. In winter these
huts are almost showed under, care being
taken, however, to keep the snow cIear of the
Ice windows. The most conspicuous objects
in village are the chimneys, which rise two
or three feet above the snow-covered roof 1t
is customary among the natives in order to
avoid the trouble of entering hut when one
wishes to make short communication to his
neighbor, to simply step upon the roof and
1 use the chimney as a speaking-tube. The
l summer hut, called urassa, is generally cone
shaped, roughly and hurriedly build of drift
wood, covered with sod. There is fire.
place in the centre, but no chimney, and the
smoke finds egress through hole at the top
of the structure.
The food of these people consists princi-
pally OF fish, which are either cooked in large
copper ket les or eaten raw, both in summer
and winter. Reindeer meat is considered q
luxury, it being generally hard to obtain
owing to the lack of effective firearms. The
geese, which they kill during the moltine
time, they string upon wooden frames OF
scaffolding, and eat them usually after they
have been exposed undrawn to the sun dur
ing the entire summer. They obtain brick
tea, of which all are very fond, tobacco, anG
horse.hair for making and repairing ish-n Is
from tho traders who travel among them dur
ing the winter. Sometimes they also manage
to get little -four which, mixed with water
they boil, making sort of mush of it.
lhe natives do their summer travelling il
small, trimly-built dugout canoes, Thes,
they make from logs or driltwood, using al
AK and gouge in working the sides and bot
tom down to n thickness of one quarter of al
inch. After being properly followed out the
boat is placed over fire and stretched h.
sticks, or compressed by washings into thu
required wedgcshape. They are oxtremel,
sharp forward, the widest part being yer,
near the stern They are then usually black
ened on the outside and any cracks or othe
leaks stopped with pitch, which Is extracted
from dritwood. In the bow forked sticl
is placed in which the n-hcaled spear uset
in killing raindeer alitually rests Tt,
little boats, worked with Il double-pated pad
die, are very swift, and are generally larg
enough to carry two persons comfortably
The womcn are transported from lace tC
place IN larg', rudely reconstructed, clinker
built boats, Which they themselves prope
with oars resembling spade in shade
Into these are packed the children, dogs
tish-nets md the few household utensils
necessary for summer travel into the delta
, the men in their canoes forming sort o
escort to the noisy throng in the large
! boats.
For winter travel 1ce sleti' are used, th'
reindeer one occasionally meets at Buikot
belonging to the inhabitants farther south
who use Il EN- for transporting their fish I,
kunaebsurt aud Bulun The dog slels ar
!. usually about fourteen feet long aud twent
inches wide. Th runners are irch, on,
Lalf inch thick and three inches in width
. the bed of the sled made of thin boHrdS
: resting on cross-pieces tenonod and lashe
/, to the middle of four uprights on either side
, 10 these uprghts, or stanchions. the run
= ners are also lashed, the runner receiving
= small point or tenon of the stanchion, whic
is thus kept in place. To the wooden boy
at the forward end the line to which the dog
are hitched is fastened.
For long journeys the team is general
thirteen to fifteen dogs, htched in pairs
4 with leader. Whips are not used, til
.. changes of direction, etc, being governed
Q the leading dog, who Is controlled by wor
= of mouth, supplemented occasionally b
e application of the brake. For checking tn
! sliding of the sled on smooth ice, or for stoE
J. ing, brake in the shape of large clut
. with sharp-pointed iron shoe, is carried b
# the driver. The sledge-dogs, owing t" tn
: scarcity of food (hsh), are ofteu in pitiabl
i condition during the summer, and the native
d not infrequently share in their suffering jut
= previous to the beginning of the fishing sei
!. son, iu October especially when reindet
# have been scarce.