Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-07
LIFE IN SIBERIA.
Habits of the People Living in thc
Lena Delta.

Lena DSAaSAs
The following extracts from the official
report of Lieutenant Schuetze, one ofthe
officers who went to Siberia TO search for
Lieutenant Chipp's party and bring home
the remains of the jeanette heroes, will be
found of general interest:
The delta of the Lena river is vast
plain of tundra formation, cut up into
small islands by the ramitications of the
river. There are occasional patches of
high land. called borchia, or mud hills.
Beside these, in various parts of the delta
one meets curiously-shaped hills, usually
resembling the Indian mounds in the
Mississippi valley, and which are termed
bulgunlack by the natives. The larger
mass of the water flows To the sea through
the east and northeast branches, those to
the north and west being without eXcep-
ton smaller and very shallow. Moreover.
salt water is met close to the mouth of
the western arm of the delta, whereas to
the east the water far cut in Borchia bay
is fit to drink. The land in the northwest
is much higher than the rest of the delta.
and is not traversed by any branches of
the river. 1t contains, however, many
lakes of considerable size. which are well
stocked with fish. To this part of the
delta the nomad Tungusi often came in
the early winter with their reindeer, on
account of the superior feeding grounds
and abundance of fish in the lakes. The
southeast arm is probably the only branch
navigable for vessels of more than four or
five feet draught. Through this the
steamer Lena, of Nordenskjold's expedi-
ton, entered the river after unsuccessfully
trying to force a passage through one of
the northeastern branches.
The numerous islands composing the
delta are of course undergoing constant
changes, old ones being cut away by the
swift currents ana new shoals and islands
being in constant process of formation
The mainland on this part of the
coast is mountainous. The villages, or
winter habitations, in the delta usually
consist of from four to six huts, called
baligans, and are situated at the west,
north and southeast mouths of the Lena
Here, in October, November and early
part of December, fish OF the salmon
species are caught in great numbers with
horsehair gill nets set under the ice.
The catch is largest at the Buikoff, or
southeast mouth of the river There are
only about three hundred inhabitants in
the delta, though in winter many natives
come from the south and other points
along the coast to participate in the fish
catch.
The villages are, as a rule, deserted by
the natives in the spring, when they
separate into small parties for the pur
pose of hunting. They then live in the
cone shaped SIMMER huts (urassa) which
are scattered over the delta, and wander
from place to place in search Of reindeer.
The reindeer is generally killed with
Il spear while in the act of crossing
from one island to another. few
of the natives, however, possess
miserable fintlock rifles of small cal
iber, the barrels being made in Vat
tsk, and which they use in hunting
deer Wild geese and ducks are killed
luring the noting season-June, July,
and August-and their eggs gathered
for food Fish are scarce in the delta
during the summer, but in June and July
many are taken in the river proper at
Kumachsurt, Bulun. and further south,
the greater part being traded to the Cos
sacks, who transport them to Yakutsk.
Natives may also be met with during the
summer months along the coast near Ole
neck, and on the shores Of Borchia bay
Near the mouth of the Olenecl there was
formerly settlement Of Russian peas
ants (Chrishian), but after years of in
termarriage with the natives none of pure
Russian blood can now be found there
In summer the tundra on this part of the
coast is almost impossible, but the wan
dering fungus can be found herding his
reindeer here, in order to avoid the mos
quitoes, which infcst the wooded regions
in the south At the same time dill
gent search is kept up for the marketable
mammoth tusks He remains here till
late in the fall, when he seeks the pro-
c elton Of the forests
The tree limit on the Lena is on the
island marked Tit Arrii (tree island),
about ninety miles distant from the north
coast. The inhabitants to the northward
of this are confined to the use Of drift
wood for fuel and building purposes. As
stated, huts are scattered all over the
delta Fox traps built of driftwood are
numerous in the delta and the mountains
in the vicinity They are visited three or
four times during the winter. Some of
the natives own from $50 to 200 traps
each
Next to these the most noticeable OBJ
iects in the delta are the numerous
graves, OF rather collins which one meets
Everywhere travelling in the wilderness.
The old ones consist simply of hol-
lowed out log, in which the body was
Il