The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-01-07
THE NATIVES OF SIBERIA


Leaving the city of Omsk on his
Journey to the eastward, the Siberian
traveller sees for the first time the gen
uine steppe in the full sense Of the
terrn-a country level as the sea, with
mot hillock or even gentle undulation
to break the straight line Of the hori-
~zon, and not a patch of cultivation, a
tree, a bush or even a stone to diver
rsify the monotonous expanse. Tray
ersing such a region is, need scarcely
say, very weary Work-alI the more as
there are no mile-stones or other land
marks to show you the progress you
are making. Still, it is not so over
whelmingly Wearisome as might be
supposed. In the morning you may
watch the vast lakes, with their rug
;ged promonotories' and well wooded
hanks, which the mirage. creates for
your amusement. Then during the day
there are always one OF two trifiing in
cldents which arouse you little from
your SOmnOlence. Now you descry a
couple of horsemen on the horizon Or
encounter long train of camelS,
marching along with solemn, stately
step, and speculate as to the contents
of the big packages with which they
are laden. Now you observe the car
caSS of a horse that has fallen by the
wayside, and watch the dogs and, the
sfeppe eagles fighting over their prey.
Now you perceive--mOSt pleasant sight
AT ala group of haystack-shaped
>tents'in the distance, and you hurry on
ito enjoy the grateful shade of Kirg-
2 2liz kibitka and drink of the refresh
Ing koumiss.
One of these aouls, or tent villages,
In which we put up for the night, con-
sisted of about twenty tents, all con-
rstructed on the same model and scat
tered in sporadic fashion without the
least regard to symmetry. Close by
>ssas a watercourse, which appeared on
some maps as a river, but which was
ait shat time merely a succession of
pools containing a dark-colored liquid.
As we more than suspected that these
pools supplied the inhabitants with
water for culinary purposes, the sight
was not calculated to Whet our appe-
titles. For want of something better to
do we watched the preparations for
dinner.
The dinner itself was not less prim-
Tive than the method of preparing it,
The table consisted Of large napkin
spread in the middle of the tent, and
the chairs were represented by cush-
tons, on which we sat cross-legged.
There were no plates, knives, forks,
spoons Or chop-sticks. Guests were ex-
.pected all to eat out of common
wooden bowl, and to use the instru-
.tnentS with which nature had provided
7them. The fare was, copiOus, but not
varied, consisting entirely of boiled
su2utton without bread or other substi-
'azate. and a little salted horse flesh
FhrOWn in as an entree.
To eat out of the same dish with half
a dozen Mocha mmedans who accept
their Prophets injunction about ablu-
tons in "a highly figuratiyely sense is
rnOt an agreeable occupations; but with
these Kirghiz something worse than
this has to be encountered, for their
#xaNRrite method of expressing their es-
teen and affection for one with whom
they are eating consists in putting bits
esf mutton and sometimes even hand
'atlIs of hashed meat into the mouth of
HEse guest with their dirty fingers. On
S1EcT occasions as these it required no
Eietle effort to subject our feeling of
nausea to a sense Of kirghiz polite
Ness
AS Il drink tea is not greatly used in
the steppe, the Kirghiz buying the
cheapest kind of what is called ''brick
tea''-tea which is hard pressed into
E1ioads so that it resembles bricks
otherwise they always have koumiss,
q l!quor made of fermented mares
milk.
The Kirghiz kibitka is circular tent
made Of felt spread over a light wood
en- frame. This frame is easily taken
Apart and put together, and is so light
as to form load for a single camel
Tae broad pieces Of felt are easily
stretched over it, so that the whole can
he put UP in about ten minutes. On
'2sRe side is door covered with flap
OF felt, and the fire is built in the mid
<fle,. the smoke escaping through an
opening in the roof. The interior OF
tine tent is decorated with pieces of
ribbons Of various kinds, used to fast
en down the felt, and around the sides
the Kirghiz place and hang all theil
valuable goods, consisting of carpets
silk mattresses and cloths, and some
I~