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A number of women and children and five or six old men came out to look at them as they approached. "Sit down and let us talk," the leader said as they reached the village, and set the example by seating himself by a large fire. Godfrey and Luka at once did the same. "The Ostjak and his friend have come very far," he said. "A long distance," Luka replied.
A man holding a large torch made of strips of resinous wood stood in the bow of the boat, and on either side of him stood an Ostjak holding a long barbed spear. In a short time there were swirls on the surface of the river. These increased till the water round the boat seemed to boil.
The stove for cooking spoke for itself, and as there was firewood, meat, flour, and some rough furs, there seemed all that was necessary for a journey. When they returned the chief asked Luka: "Is that Ostjak canoe?" "Yes; but it is built much larger than our canoes generally are, as it was for long journey." Presently the women brought a large bowl of reindeer milk and some fried fish.
We will land at the next Ostjak huts we come to, and see if they are disposed to be friendly with us." "They will be friendly," Luka said confidently. "Why not? They are peaceable people, and they know that did they touch strangers they would be punished. There are Russian soldiers at Turukhansk. The Ostjaks are very poor. You have things to give them, and you want nothing of them."
There may be some Laplanders about, and there is a Russian place called Kola about twenty miles up a river a little way past the island, and the natives might take us there if they came upon us, for they would not understand either Ostjak or the Samoyede dialect, and I don't suppose they would talk Russian. Anyhow, we may as well be on the safe side.
"Now I will drop the anchor over." The anchor was one of Ostjak manufacture. It consisted of a long, flat, narrow stone weighing about six pounds; to each of the flat sides were lashed two pieces of fir, about an inch and a half in diameter. They projected a few inches below the stone, and were cut off just below a branch of about an inch in diameter and eight or ten inches long.
The liquor was drunk with delight by the Ostjak men and women, but Godfrey could not touch it, for some of the fish had already been boiled in the water, which the Ostjaks had not thought it necessary to change. At night he went out again with them in the boats for a short time to see them spear salmon.
The boat was hauled ashore and carefully examined. Three or four of the skins were found to be old and rotten; the rest had evidently been renewed from time to time. "We will take this if you will put in four good skins," Luka said to the owner. "It will be six roubles if we put in fresh skins," the Ostjak said.
It was finally agreed that they should keep on for at least eight hundred miles beyond Yeneseisk, and then haul up their boat and camp at some Ostjak village, and there remain through the winter. "We will get at Yeneseisk whatever you think the Ostjak will prize most knives and beads for the women, and some cheap trinkets and looking-glasses. Some small hatchets, too, would probably be valued."
"A long way from the east," Luka said, pointing in that direction. "Who are you?" "Ostjak," Luka said, knowing that the Samoyedes would have heard of that tribe, but would know nothing of his own. "Who this?" the native asked, pointing to Godfrey. "A friend of Ostjaks," Luka said, "come to hunt and shoot. I come with him." "This Samoyede country," the native said; "not want Ostjaks here."
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