he is considered merely in the light of an elder, (starchina), and such is his official appellation. The government communicates to him all its intentions and orders; it receives through him from the people of his wataka, the yasak, the appointment of which is left to his judgment, according as he chooses, to impose it on the different families of his wataka. He also stands in a peculiar position, with respect to the government of the tribe, who pay absolute obedience to his commands, while he, as the hereditary chief, administers justice, watches over the public security, and in years of famine, procures means of subsistence for the population.

In discharging this duty he is sometimes obliged to give up all his own store of provisions, and even to kill his reindeer, while, at the same time, he makes the rich contribute to the support of the poor, and should these supplies prove insufficient, he heads the most courageous men of his tribe, in an expedition to a neighbouring district, demanding with arms in his hand, relief for their suffering families. The Russian government is frequently called upon to put down these lawless forays; but the natives, so far from deeming them as unlawful, view them

as warlike expeditions, and all who join in them are very highly thought of, and loved among their tribes.

The amount of respect and obedience paid to the chief, is in proportion to his personal qualities, and the sagacity, prudence, and energy which he displays in the government of his clan.

Each wataka consists of several hundreds of tchoums, or tents, inhabited by separate families.

Obdorsk is the residence of an Ostiak prince, who bears the same name as the town. From time immemorial the supreme chieftainship over the Ostiaks has been preserved in this family, and handed down from generation to generation. The Empress Catharine the Second, far from infringing upon their dynastic prerogatives, sent a diploma sanctioning the dignity, and accompanied the document with a present of a kaftan of red cloth and a pair of boots with pointed long toes. Ever since, on all important occasions and gala days, especially on the arrival of the Governor-General, or any other imperial official, when presentations take place, the Prince Obdorsk makes his appearance at the levies in this costume, and bearing the imperial diploma in his hand.

Yet, with all this, the Prince retains the simplicity of the native character. His everyday dress is like that worn by the rest of the Ostiaks; differing neither in make nor material -which is reindeer fur. Nor is his habitation superior to the common yourta, or tent; except at Obdorsk, his capital, where it is constructed of logs of wood, and is spacious and lofty, as it is here that he receives the orders of the government, and any officials who visit the place.

The natives show respect for individuals, by the same ceremonies as exist among the other tribes in Southern Siberia. A man, whether Ostiak, Samoied, or Kirghies, testifying respect for a high personage, does not take anything during a meal with his own hands, but waits till he is served by others. When eatables are brought in, persons appointed for the purpose cut up his meat and even put it in his mouth, bit by bit, with their fingers. Should the guest thus honoured happen to spit, etiquette requires that the spit should instantly be wiped up. Reindeer's head, in a raw state, is a standing dish, and considered a great dainty; it is always placed before the principal guest, or the person most honoured in their society.

The Prince of Obdorsk has not attained a higher degree of civilization than the rest of the natives; it even appears that he is, in common with the lowest of his countrymen, fanatically averse to any attempt at improvement. The following is characteristic of him:

Not many years ago, the Governor of Tobolsk intimated to the Prince that he might send his son to Tobolsk, where he should be placed in the Gymnasium, and by the education he would receive, might be made instrumental in communicating civilization to his whole tribe. But scarcely had the project been mentioned, through an interpreter, to the Prince, than he fell into a violent passion, declaring, "that he would never surrender his son into foreign hands; and that should an attempt be made to carry him off by force, he vowed he would burn Tobolsk to the ground." The Governor, of course, thought it would be desirable, under these circumstances, to take no further trouble in the matter.

The Prince's obstinate temper and his opposition to the introduction of anything like European civilization among his tribe, renders his wataka, an arena of abuses and intrigue. For such a sphere none are better fitted than

the Russian officials, especially those of the inferior class. Being very ignorant, and utterly incapable of comprehending the real intentions of the Government, they are constantly exceeding their power, as often as they can do so with impunity. In proof of this I will mention an occurrence, merely to show in what a sorry predicament the Prince Obdorsk, despite his exalted title, may be placed.

A few years since, a physician of the district, who resided at Berezov, happened to be sent to the northern part of the province, in order to make a medical inspection. Though he had money given him by Government for his travelling expenses, yet, following the bad example set by the generality of the employés, he demanded relays from the Prince of Obdorsk for himself and his suite, without making any payment. A physician in those parts of the country never travels alone, but is accompanied by several assistants, an interpreter, and surgeons to aid him in operations.

The Prince, not being ignorant that, in such cases, the expenses of government officials are defrayed by the public treasury, refused to give the relays; and the physician, irritated by the