Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-02
CHAPTER XVII.-THE CHAMAN,

| perpen dicUlarly everywhere; in certain
| places the rocks of schist veined with red
clay even slope over the stream. But at
the spot where the Omolon flows into the
Kolina. the right bank suddenly becomes
level. It is occupied by the settlement of
| Zalivina, in which with Cossacks and Rus
| SLAMS (the descendants of exiles. or Cossacks
from the ostrog Of Anadirsk driven back by
| the Tchouktchis) are mingled, living in
| perfect harmony, Yakoutes and Youkag-
! hiris
Upon the Kolima floated mists from the
! Arctic Ocean, which was then being soIidi-
! fed by the action Of the cold. These mists
! had already moderated the temperature a
| trifie. when the warm wind" began to blow,
/ bringing with it more than thirty degrees of
/ heat.
! Let US penetrate into one of those huts
| built OF the floating wood deposited upon
! the banks of the periodical spring inunda-
| lions. Its walls were composed of beams
| placed one above another, the interstices
/ being filled with moss and moistened pot
! ter's clay. 1t was surrounded by sIoping
bank Of earth to protect it against the cold.
It's roof WIS covered with earth well >eaten
down.
! The interior was divided into several small
apartments by few low partitions
! In the main apartment, corner was oc-
cupied by the tchouvale, kind Of Yal5oute
| chimney formed of willow branches twist
| ed together basket fashion and plastered
within and without with potter's clay; a
| hole cut in the roof gave passage to the
smoke
This apartment was at once the kitchen
and the sitting-room. The entire family
worked and took their meals there Two
openings Of loot square on the southern
I side of the hut CLOSED in summer with eel
| skim were now filed with plates of ice from
five to six inches thick. which allowed slen.
| der threads of light to make their way into
| the interior.
Upon one Of the wide benches fastened tc
the partition was lying a sick young girl.
! About her were two native women, and two
| women of Russian origin. Que of whom was
accompanied by her husband.
The women Of Russian origin differed
| from the Yakoutes in having regular fea
! lures and vigorous constitutions; they Wera
| taller and had hair of golden hue. one Of
| them being even pretty. They also differed
| from the natives in their costumes. While
the dark Yalzoutes, with dropping eyes
were clad in garments of softened reindeer
skin, the hair on the inside and the leather
dyed red with the bark of the alder tree, the
Russian ladies wore cotton garments. As
coquetrY is always present in women, the
reindeer garments of the Yakoutes were
trimmed on the sleeves with fine strips o.
beaver or river otter skin.
| The native women also wore pantaloons
| Of reindeer hide and, over all, sort of tunie
! or kamley of Unframed reindeer skin tx
which the smoke had communicated a vel
! lowish tinge. The two Russian ladies, who
as well as the Russian, were present as Wis,
! itors, had chintz tunics with fur about the
| shoulders, Their heads were covered will
| pointed fur caps which descended upon then
| cheeks.
The Russian was wrapped, above his
leather breaches, in large pelisse, anG
wore enormous boots over deer skin socks
| huge knife hung from his belt. beside 8
pewter pipe with very short stem and 6
bark box, containing finder steel anC
native tobacco made Of the leaf of the tim.
yane mixed with larch wood, reduced tc
powder.
A kettle placed over the fire contained
fish for the dogs.
Upon the table was set choice food, as ii
for fete; superb piece of reindeer meat,
smoked reindeer tongues, frozen fish,
strouganina, youkoula and tchir (the tchi1
is very fat and highly esteemed fish, the
flesh of which is preserved by drying it anc
| pounding it together with little suet)
| There were also custards garnished with
red caviar, and little pates made of the floul
| CT the makarcha root and filed with minced
| fish entrails. A box held an ample supply
| of tea.
| The hut belonged to one of the most i'm,
! portant natives, a descendant of the ancient
| chiefs. who had, notwithstanding, lost 9
| portion of his authority over his tribe.
hf&f&g had nnr vet rHsruTnei with lis
| sledges loaded with the SPOTS OF the sum
mer chase. No one equalled him in pursu
! ing the reindeer over the great lakes anC
in Strengthening then in the water, where
they believed they had found refuge The
season before last he had killed a hundred
Of them. His return was expected at the
time of the passing Of the herring. Schools
| of these fish had assembled the Kolimd, and
the jewellers upon its banks had taken mora
than thousand of them at each haul of the
net; nevertheless, Metek was not yet in the
bosom of his family.
The sick young girl wore, over other gar
ments of more simple nature, mantle OF
cotton tissue of variegated pattern, furnish
ed with cape from which hung martens
tails. Her black hair was arranged in Ions
twists. and was kept back from her forehead
by band.
She frequently suffered from strange
nervous malady, to which all the inhabitants
of the north of Siberia are more or less sub
ject-the miryak. Now, she was prey tt
violent commissions.
IF her father were only herei" said the
eldest of the Yazoute women to the visitors
She was the young invalid's mother. "Wha
is your advice in regard to the child, Anas
tact Ivanitch?"
Have patience N said the Russian, seat
ing himself. Your daughter is certainly
under the malign influence of Agrafena o.
Diigansk!"
The sorceress Agrippine (Ogropono), the
remembrance of whom yet torments anC
troubles all Siberia, lived in a past century
Woe to him who had not for her all the con
sideration she exacted! Transforming her
self into black crow, she pursued hin
while hunting and travelling raising against
him violent wind storms, causing his bag
gage to fall into the water and even going
so far as to make him lose his reason. A
eighty years Of age. the eyes OF the sorceress
were still as bright as the morning star. ar
her voice had that clear sound which ICE
cends forth when struck
Another fit seized upon the young I
when she heard the name of the sorceres
of Diigansk uttered.
At that moment. these words were pro