a great transformation. They all turned
out like a herd of white bears, that is to
say, in Ostiak costume.

Winter clothing in Berezov consists in
putting on, firstly, a shirt of reindeer
skin, with the hair inside, and over that a
coat of the same make and material, but
larger, with the hair outside. To this coat
there is a hood, which is drawn quite over
the head, and tied with a leathern strap
under the chin; it comes over the entire
head, face included, leaving only openings
for the accommodation of eyes, nose, and
mouth. This hood is formed of the skin
taken from the reindeer's head, and the ears
of the reindeer being left upon it, stick up as
interesting ornaments. The gentleman (or
lady, for the most delicate and fashionable
Berezovian wears the dress out of doors in
winter) draws over the hands large gloves
of shaggy fur, which are attached to the fur
coat, and when not used are tucked up in the
manner of cuffs. Over the feet and legs are
drawn long stockings of reindeer skin, having
the hair inside, and over these again are
pulled boots with the hair outside. The
boots are made of skins taken from the
reindeer's legs, sewn together in strips, they
cover the thighs, and are fastened by straps
at the girdle. As the soles also have the
hair turned outwards, they assist the feet in
walking over ice. In travelling, the Ostiak,
or his Russian imitator, throws a third
garment of fur over the other two, having a
hood that covers the whole head, and
contains no opening before eyes, nose, and
mouth.

So dressed, the traveller bears not the least
resemblance to a human being. The Ostiak
wears such articles of dress throughout the
year, contenting himself with the use in
summer of such furs as have become thin and
have had much of their hair rubbed off by
constant service. The Russian inhabitants
of Berezov adopt the fashionable costume of
the Ostiaks in winter only. Ladies, whom
the two exiles had admired at summer parties
for their delicacy and for their elegance of
dress, were to be found in winter, in-doors
or out of doors, dressed after the savage
but extremely comfortable fashion just
described, and looking much more like the bears,
their neighbours, than human beings.

As the frost increased, the interest of all
the Berezovians was concentrated on the
river. During all its stages of freezing, until
it was quite firm and hard, that is to say, for
five or six weeks, no post could come in, and
all communication with the outer town was
at an end in Berezov. The bulletin of the
state of the river was sent about the town
incessantly, and the exiles who were not the
least anxious people in the town—being cut
off from the fortnightly receipt of words of
love from their far distant homes—went
down among others to the river banks. The
water on both sides was frozen, masses
of ice were floating and rumbling down
the centre, with a noise like that of
distant thunder, accumulating on the sides
and narrowing the central channel. Wise
men were prophesying the precise hour
at which the whole river would become
fast, and watching with strong interest the
struggles of each flow. At length, the
complete freezing of the river was announced
promptly to the ladies in their room, by
Madame X., who proposed driving out upon
it without one hour's delay. Off they went,
therefore, on a sledge, Madame holding the
reins, being certainly the first to try the
bearing powers of the centre of the river, and
very much alarming her companions by her
feats in the character of charioteer. They
felt more easy soon afterwards, on the fifth of
November, when an attentive citizen, who
had real reason to be proud of his management
in such matters, took them out on a
reindeer-sledge, behind three fleet deer, and
brought them home safe after a long sweep
about the country.

Then winter having set in, all the
householders in Berezov proceeded to take the
glass window panes out of their frames, and
to substitute panes of fish-skin, which admit,
they say, less cold, and from which the ice can
be scraped off with a knife more easily. The
ladies begged to keep their glass, but did not
profit much, for it was soon covered outside
with a thick coat of ice, like mortar. Before
glass was brought, they used mica, in Berezov;
but that is now abandoned. The house
interiors in Berezov, daring the winter, are
very warm, being built of very thick trunks
of cedar, and well warmed with cedar logs in
stoves, of which the flues are secured with
double iron plates. The nights are longest in
October, there are then hardly three hours of
day. These passed so quickly, that they
seemed to the exiles scarcely perceptible, and
the long nights seemed the longer for the
want of any measurement of time. There
were no clocks or watches in the place. There
was a sand glass running half hours, kept
under careful guard at the police-office,
watched by Cossacks, who relieved each
other, and were charged to turn the glass
the moment all the sand had run down, and
then hurry to the church and beat the time
upon a bell. A clock of this kind will get
sometimes into terrible arrear, through any
neglect in the punctual turning of the
hour-glass. The Ostiaks, who know nothing of our
hours and minutes, measure time by kettles.
They may make a certain journey, for example,
in three kettles, that is to say, in three times
the time that it would take to boil a kettle.

I need say nothing of the brilliant northern
lights with which the winter nights of Berezov
were glorified. Let us come finally to Christmas,
which is out there in the cold, also a
festive season, lasting until Twelfth-day. At
Christmas ends a six weeks' fast in Berezov,
by which no doubt all appetites are sharpened