A half-millionaire who still lives in a yurt
Editorial contextIn an oval valley once held by a Tungus chief and later taken by Yakuts from the south, Wrangel found a thriving settlement: many yurts, some as big as Russian houses, two good churches with towers, and big herds of cattle and horses. The Yakut headman had paid for both churches and was said to be worth half a million roubles, yet he still lived in a yurt by an open hearth, drank kumis and ate horse-flesh.
Numerous Jurti, some approaching to the dimensions of Russian houses, two good churches with towers … owes much of its prosperity to the Jakutian Golowa or superintendent, who has built and endowed the two churches at his own expense. His fortune is said to amount to half a million of roubles, nevertheless he has in no respect altered his original national customs. He lives in a Jurte
About Yakuts (Sakha)
Keep in mind
The size of the headman's fortune is hearsay ('is said to').
Mammoth tusks shown in Moscow
Editorial contextAmong Siberia's riches Avril lists a fine ivory from creatures the Russians called 'Behemot', found along the Lena and the shores of the 'Tartarian Sea'. He was shown teeth in Moscow ten inches long, finer than elephant ivory. On the next page he says the ivory was believed to stanch bleeding, was prized by Persians and Turks for dagger hilts, and came from a creature 'as big and as dangerous as a Crocodile'.
Several teeth of this Monster were shewn us at Moscow, which were ten Inches long, and two in Diameter at the Root ; Nor are the Elephants Teeth comparable to 'em
About Siberian ivory hunters; Russian traders
Keep in mind
He saw the teeth; the living 'monster' is hearsay. This is fossil mammoth (or walrus) ivory; the page OCR is badly garbled around it.
The scan is too rough to double-check this quote by machine. Compare it with the page.
Mammoths that burrow underground and die in the light
Editorial contextThe Ides section reports mammoth tusks and bones thawing out of riverbanks, and a member of the embassy who found a head with half-rotten flesh. The Yakuts, Tungus and Ostyaks say the mammoth lives underground, making the earth rise and sink as it moves, and dies as soon as it sees daylight. The Russians of Siberia think it was an elephant-like beast buried by Noah's Flood.
The Yakuts, Tungus and Ostyaks claim that they never come out of the bosom of the earth, under which they go this way and that. They even say that one often sees the earth rise and sink when they are moving … They assure us that they die as soon as they see the light
Working translation
Original wording
Les Jakutes, Tungufes, & Ostiaques, prétendent qu'ils ne sortent jamais du sein de la terre, sous laquelle ils vont de côté & d'autre. Ils disent même qu'on voit souvent la terre s'élever & s'affaisser lors qu'ils sont en mouvement … Ils assurent, qu'ils meurent aussi tôt qu'ils découvrent la lumière
About Yakuts, Tungus and Ostyaks (and Siberian Russians)
Keep in mind
Native belief and Russian flood theory reported by Ides; the bones and tusks themselves were real finds.
Mare's-milk brandy thrown on the fire
Editorial contextStrahlenberg confirms, from questioning Yakuts himself, Isbrand Ides's report that at a set time of year they sprinkle a brandy distilled from mare's milk into a great fire, towards the east, as an offering to heaven. On the same page he says Yakuts wore their hair long, unlike their neighbours, and until recently buried a faithful servant alive with a dead master, a custom the Russians had forbidden.
…That, at a certain Time of the Year, they make a great Fire, into which they sprinkle a Sort of Brandy distill'd from Mare's Milk, towards the East, and thereby make an Offering to Heaven. I took an Opportunity of enquiring into the Truth of this Relation, of several of the Jakutians themselves, who all confirmed it.
About Yakuts, a Turkic people he counts among the Tartars
Continue in this sourceStrahlenberg's description of Russia, Siberia and 'Great Tartary'1709 to 1729 · 18 passages