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LE ROX’S NARRATIVE OF FOUR RUSSIAN SAILORS. 597
in the ftove; to give it vent the door is opened, and three or four windows which are
a foot long, and half afoot broad, made inthe planks of which the houfe is conftruét-
ed: thefe windows can be fhut when defired very clofely, in frames purpofely. contrived
in which they are moved. Whena fire is kindled, the f{moak never finks lower than
thefe {mall windows which I have noticed, fo that a perfon may remain feated without
being fubject to much inconvenience from it, and when the apartment has been cleanfed,
whether by the door or the windows, they can be drawn to. Without being totd, one.
may eafily conceive that the upper part of the room down to the windows, mult be as
black as though built of ebony; on the other hand, from the windows to the floor is
comparatively clean, and preferves the appearance of the natural wood, of which the
houfe was built.
. Satisfied with having found this hut, which fhortly they improved by expelling from
it the damp, and neceflarily foul air, they managed to pafs the night in it as well as they
could. Early in the morning of the following day, they hied themfelves back to the
-fea fhore, to inform their companions of their good fortune; and bring from the fhip
provifions, and neceflary arms; in fhort, whatfoever it contained which could be ufeful
to them for paffling the winter on this ifland.
It were a more eafy tafk to conceive the anguifh of thefe unfortunate beings than to
exprefs it, when upon treading back their fteps to the place where they landed, they
perceived nothing but an open fea, entirely free from the ice, with which it was covered
on the preceding day, and to their heavy misfortune no fhip in fight. A terrible ftorm
which happened during the night had occafioned this dreadful calamity. And whether
the pieces of ice with which it was enclofed had broke, and dafhing againft the veffel
with violence had crufhed it ; whether it had foundered at fea; an accident which often
occurs in thofe parts; or whatfoever other diftrefs it had encountered, it never more
was feen ; and as no intelligence refpecting its company was ever after obtained, it is-
highly probable they met with fome mifchance. From this circumftance, thefe unfor-
tunate men faw plainly, that they had no hope remaining of getting from the ifland ;
and with heavy hearts they returned to the hut from which they came.
Their firft care and attention turned, as may be naturally imagined, upon their fupport
and fhelter. The twelve charges of powder which they had, in a little time produced
them as many rein-deer, which luckily for them abounded on the ifland.
As the rein-deer is met with in the North of Europe, in Lapland, and in Afia, in
fimilar latitudes, I conceive I fhall not be departing widely from my fubject in giving a
defcription of it.
The rein-deer refembles the ftag, and the eland ; it is for the moft part of an afb
grey, although fome are met with of a reddifh colour. It is more ftout and larger than
the ftag, but its feet are fhorter, and proportionately thicker. Its antlers are whitifh
and plain, and are more branching than thofe of the ftag; thofe of the eland are
more like them. When the rein-deer runs, the joints of its feet make a clicking which .
of itfelf is fufficient to diftinguifh it from the ftag. The Lapiander, the Samoiede, and
the inhabitants of a part of ‘Tungufi, break in the rein-deer, which is called by them as
well as in Ruffia by the name of Olen, and train it to draw them in their fledges; the
Tungufians call it Oleni. ‘The rein-deer ferves all the purpofes of a horfe, is tolerably
ftrong, and poffeffes an incredible {wiftnefs. Its food is mofs, which is found in abun-
dance in all the Northern Countries. Its provender is every where to be met with,
and cofts its mafter nothing, it even helps itfelf, digging through the fnow with its feet
to get to its fodder, It has been affirmed that the sein-deer cannot fubfif! away from
; its
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