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A NEW ACCOUNT OF SAMOIEDIA, AND THE SAMOIEDES. 53t
*¢ having read thefe prefent letters and taken a copy thereof with thine own hand, thou
“¢ haft to deliver the original of thefe letters patent to thefe Samoiedes, {in order that
*¢ they may be of fervice to them with refpect to the other waywodes or officers who
“¢ may fucceed thee in the employ wherewith thou art invelted.”” Given at Mofcow, in
the Year 7192, (1684) the gth of July. ‘The original is figned by the hand of
the * Diack Procophei Wofnizin, and collated by the fub-diack Alexei Ferfanow.
In regard to + Puftofer, of which in this ordonnance mention is made, it muft be ob-
ferved, that in conformity to information extratted from the archives of the chancellary
of that town ; the nation, the defcendants of which inhabit that country at prefent,
before it embraced Chriftianity, (two or three hundred years ago, according to the
tradition of the country,) bore the narne of Tfhudi, which in the Ruffian language
fignifies Fins.
The Samoiedes who lived in the marfhes or neighbouring deferts, giving fome in-
quietude to the Ruffian colonies, they built the fmall town of Pultofer, for the purpofe
of placing themfelves ina ftate of defence again{t {trangers who might land from the
fea on that fide, according to their old traditions. For the fame purpofe in 7156 (that
isto fay 1648,) 50 foldiers were eftablifhed there with their wives and children, fent
from Cholmoger in the neighbourhood of Archangel. At prefent there is alwaysa
company of foldiers there from the garrifon of Archangel itfelf. And in fpite of the
barrennefs of the country, and the fmall number and wretchednefs of the inhabitants,
the induftry of thefe people renders the poft of waywode of the Puftofer a very lucra-
tive appointment for the officers invefted therewith.
Puftofer, the only place in the country of the Samoiedes to which the name of a town
is given, although properly fpeaking it to be no more than a village, is fituated a hundred
werlts or thereabouts from the frozen ocean, a fhort diftance from the ftraits of Wei-
gatz. The air in this quarter is fo cold, and the ground fo poor, that it produces no
fort of grain, or fruit; but the lake whence it takes its name abounds in fifh. Thisis
the fum of what is remarkable in this country, unknown to the reft of the earth.
The religion of the Samoiedes is very fimple. ‘Thofe who pretend that the light of
human reafon is fufficient of itfelf to form a fyftem of religion, are obliged to al-
low, that a fimiliar fyftem, conceived and arranged by men ina pure ftate of nature,
fuch as that of the Samoiedes, could be no other than very obfcure, and very imperfect.
Accordingly their belief is reducible to the {mall number of following articles.
They admit the exiftence of a f{upreme Being, Creator of all things, eminently good
and beneficent : a quality which according to their mode of thinking, difpenfes them
from any adoration of him, or addrefling their prayers to him, becaufe they fuppofe
this Being takes no intereft in mundane affairs, and confequently does not exaét nor
need the worfhip of men. They join to this idea, that of a Being eternal and invifible,
very powerful, although fubordinate to the firft, and difpofed to evil; it is to this Being
that they afcribe all the misfortunes which befall them in this life. Neverthelefs, they
do not worthip, although much in fear of him. If they place any reliance in the coun-
fels of Koede/nicks or Tadebes, it is only on account of the connection which they
efteem thefe people to have with this evil Being, otherwife, they fubmit themfelves with
perfect apathy to all the misfortunes which can befall them, for want of knowing the
means of avoiding them.
* Dignity which according to the ufage of that time, anfwered to that of Chancellor or Secretary of
State.
4 Puftofer is derived from the Ruffian word Puffo a defert, and Oferoa lake.
- : a tee The
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