Erman
Is Very Full On The Reindeer-Riding Of The Latter People, Having Himself
Travelled Far In That Way In Going To Okhotsk, And Gives A Very Detailed
Description Of The Saddle, Etc., Employed.
The reindeer of the Tunguses
are stated by the same traveller to be much larger and finer animals than
those of Lapland.
They are also used for pack-carriage and draught. Old
Richard Eden says that the "olde wryters" relate that "certayne Scythians
doe ryde on Hartes." I have not traced to what he refers, but if the
statement be in any ancient author it is very remarkable. Some old
editions of Olaus Magnus have curious cuts of Laplanders and others riding
on reindeer, but I find nothing in the text appropriate. We hear from
travellers of the Lapland deer being occasionally mounted, but only it
would seem in sport, not as a practice. (Erdmann, 189, 191; D'Ohsson,
I. 103; D'Avezac, 534 seqq.; J. As. ser. II. tom. xi.; ser. IV. tom.
xvii. 107; N. et E. XIII. i. 274-276; Witsen, II. 670, 671, 680;
Erman, II. 321, 374, 429, 449 seqq., and original German, II. 347 seqq.;
Notes on Russia, Hac. Soc. II. 224; J. A. S. B. XXIX. 379.)
The numerous lakes and marshes swarming with water-fowl are very
characteristic of the country between Yakutsk and the Kolyma. It is
evident that Marco had his information from an eye-witness, though the
whole picture is compressed. Wrangell, speaking of Nijni Kolyma, says:
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