Treasure-hunters in the grave mounds
Editorial contextSouth of Tomsk lie many burial mounds of earth and stones. Bell was told that Russians went out every summer to dig them for gold, silver and weapons, and he saw some of the finds himself, including a brass horseman and gold deer figures. From the horse bones and weapons he concludes that great men were buried with their horse and servant, a custom he says the Kalmyks still keep; the Kalmyks, who hate disturbing the dead, sometimes robbed the grave-robbers. His Baraba Tartar informants credited the battles to Tamerlane.
Many persons go from Tomsky, and other parts, every summer, to these graves; which they dig up, and find, among the ashes of the dead, considerable quantities of gold, silver, brass… Whence it appears, that when any general or person of distinction, was interred, all his arms, his favourite horse and servant, were buried with him in the same grave;
About ancient steppe peoples; Kalmyks and other Tartars
Keep in mind
The digging is reported by informants; Bell saw only objects brought back. The link to Tamerlane is a local tradition.
A woman shaman of the Baraba steppe
Editorial contextThe ambassador made a point of testing the shamans he met. In the Baraba the party visited a famous female shaman who ignored them until she had smoked, drunk brandy and received presents. She then brought out her spirit image and a ringed drum and sang with her neighbours. Bell judged her answers as ambiguous as any oracle's, and noted she was young and very handsome.
First, she brought the shaytan; which is nothing but a piece of wood, wherein is cut something resembling a human head, adorned with many silk and woolen rags, of various colours; then, a small drum, about a foot diameter, to which were fixed many brass and iron rings, and hung round also with rags.
About Barabintsy, 'a mixture of different Tartar tribes'
Keep in mind
Bell's tone is openly dismissive; he treats all shamans as frauds.
