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528 A NEW ACCOUNT ‘OF SAMOIEDIA, AND THE SAMOIEDES.
is their having all of them their teats flat, {mall, and foft at all times, even. when virgins,
with the end of them as black as coal. It might be conceived that this accidenet were
the refult of their premature marriages, if it were not certain that this attribute is Comes
mon to the Laplanders ; notwithftanding the latter never marry earlier than at fifteen
years. Some other reafon therefore muft be fought, either in the natural conftitution,
or the food of thefe people.
Their tents, compofed of pieces of the bark of trees fewed together, and covered with
rein-deer fkins, are conftruéted in a pyramidal fhape, on poles of a moderate thicknefs.
An opening is contrived at the top of this tent for the purpofe of leaving a paflage for
the {moke, which when clofed increafes the warmth. From this it is plain that the tales
of their fubterranean dwellings are fabulous. As the folding up of thefe tents is to them
an eafy matter, they tranfport them from place to place by means of their rein-deer :
this manner of conftruéting an habitation is incontrovertibly the moft fuitable to the
wandering life which they are obliged to follow; for the ground producing abfolutely
nothing fit for their fuftenance, they are obliged to change their abode frequently in
fearch of the wood they have occafion for, and to find mofs for their rein-deer.
This as well is one of the reafons which, joined to their intereft in hunting, reftrains
them from remaining together in any great number ; for feldom will more than two or
three tents be found in the fame neighbourhood, and as their deferts are of an immenfe
extent, they can change their refidence as frequently as their neceflities require, without
injuring one another.
In fummer they prefer the neighbourhood of rivers, to profit from the fifhery with
more facility ; but they always keep at a great diftance from each other, without ever
forming a fociety.
After providing food, which is a care the men are charged with in every family, while
the women are employed in fewing cloaths together, keeping the fire, and looking after
the children, there is nothing farther that they feel intereft in; they vegetate in tran-
quillity, amufing themfelves after their manner, ftretched on rein-deers’ {kins fpread
round the fire in their tent, ‘The fweets of idlenefs fupply the place of the paffions
among thefe people, and neceffity alone has power to roufe them to activity. This love
of idlenefs is one of the principal features by which the uninformed man, left to nature
alone, is recognized.
Hunting in winter, and in fummer fifhing, fornifh them plenteoufly with food. They
are equally fkilled in both thefe exercifes; and as the rein-deer forms all their wealth,
they endeavour to take and keep as many of them as they can. Thefe animals are the
better fuited to the natural lazinefs of thefe people, from their requiring no care for
their fodder, which they find themfelves in mofs under the fnow. Further, whatever
animal they meet with in hunting they deem proper for food, not difdaining even the
carcafes of fuch as they find dead. However revolting this tafte of the Samoiedes may
appear to us, inthis matter they are not much behindhand with the Chinefe, who, civi-
lized as they are, it is well known feed on carrion.
The Samoiedes however refrain from eating dogs, cats, ermines, and the fquirrel,
without my being able to learn the caufe of their exceptions. As for the flefh of the
rein-deer, they eat it always raw: it is with them a luxury to drink the blood of thefe
animals quite warm: they even pretend that this drink ferves as a prefervative again{t
the {curvy ; but they are unacquainted with the practice of milking them, as many
writers have afirmed without foundation. .
They eat their fith alfo quite raw, of whatever defcription it may be, but other kinds
ef food they prefer cooking ; and as they have no fixed hours for their meals, they have
always
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