Strahlenberg on the Koryaks and Fly-Agaric

[Entry "Koræiki" in the alphabetical description of Siberian peoples and places, 1736 London translation, pp. 396–97. Long s is normalized to s; italics for proper names and the small capitals of the headword are not reproduced. The preceding entry (Kopeika) and the following entry (Korsaki) are omitted.]

Koræiki

KORÆIKI, Are a Pagan Nation, living on the West and North-Side of the Bay of Kamtschatki or Lamai. They are Beardless, like the Lapplanders, Samojeds, and Ostiacks; For, in the first Place, they have naturally very little Hair about the Mouth, and what little they have they pluck out, as do also the Jakuhti, Tungusii and Kalmucks. They are naturally a good harmless People, and have no Idols of Stone, Wood, or any other Materials, as the Ostiacks have. They use no Manner of Ceremony in their Devotion; But when they go out a Hunting, they pray to the SUPREME BEING to bless them with Success. However, they have their Schaamans or Magicians, and are a very filthy People. They do not build their Huts on the Ground, but upon four Posts, like some Armenians (100); And get up, by Means of a Ladder to the Top, where they enter through a Hole. For their necessary Occasions, they make Use of a Tub, which they have with them in the Hut, and, when full, they carry it out, and make Use of the same Tub to bring in Water, for other Occasions: A whole Family will ly all naked together under one large Coverlet. The Russians who trade with them, carry thither a Kind of Mushrooms, called, in the Russian Tongue, Muchumor, which they exchange for Squirils, Fox, Hermin, Sable, and other Furs: Those who are rich among them, lay up large Provisions of these Mushrooms, for the Winter. When they make a Feast, they pour Water upon some of these Mushrooms, and boil them. They then drink the Liquor, which intoxicates them; The poorer Sort, who cannot afford to lay in a Store of these Mushrooms, post themselves, on these Occasions, round the Huts of the Rich, and watch the Opportunity of the Guests coming down to make Water; And then hold a Wooden Bowl to receive the Urin, which they drink off greedily, as having still some Virtue of the Mushroom in it, and by this Way they also get Drunk. In Spring and Summer they catch a large Quantity of Fish, and digging Holes in the Ground, which they line with the Bark of Birch, they fill them with it, and cover the Holes over with Earth. As soon as they think the Fish is rotten and tender, they take out some of it, pour Water upon it, and boil it with red-hot Pebbles (as the Finnlandians do their Beer) and feed upon it, as the greatest Delicacy in the World. This Mess stinks so abominably, that the Russians who deal with them, and who are none of the most squeamish, are themselves not able to endure it. Of this Liquor they likewise drink so immoderately, that they will be quite intoxicated, or drunk with it.

(100) Compare with this what has been said of the Jukagiri, and of Kamtschatka.