The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft Part 13

[99] 'Tis most probable they are divided into clans or tribes.' _Dixon's Voy._, p. 67. 'They have a King, whose name was Sheenoway.' _Meares'

Voy._, p. xxvii. 'They always keep together in families, and are under the direction of toyons or chiefs.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 151.

[100] Female slaves are sold from one tribe to another. _Sauer, Billings' Voy._, p. 175.

[101] 'Zugleich verschwand auch ihre Benennung; man nannte sie ferner Kajuren, ein Wort aus Kamtschatka hieher ubergesiedelt, welches Tagelohner oder Arbeiter bedeutet.' _Holmberg_, _Ethn. Skiz._, p. 79.

[102] 'They will not go a step out of the way for the most necessary purposes of nature; and vessels are placed at their very doors for the reception of the urinous fluid, which are resorted to alike by both s.e.xes.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 214.

[103] 'Not only do brothers and sisters cohabit with each other, but even parents and children.' _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 64.

[104] 'Images dressed in different forms.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 178.

'The most favoured of women is she who has the greatest number of children.' _Sauer_, _Billings' Voy._, p. 176.

[105] 'Der Vater oder die Mutter bestimmen den Sohn schon in seiner fruhsten Kindheit zum Achnutschik, wenn er ihnen madchenhaft erscheint.'

_Holmberg_, _Ethn. Skiz._, p. 121. 'Male concubines are much more frequent here than at Oonalashka.' _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 64. They 'are happy to see them taken by the chiefs, to gratify their unnatural desires. Such youths are dressed like women, and taught all their domestic duties.' _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 176. 'Ces peuples sont tres adonnes aux plaisirs des sens et meme a un vice infame.' _Choris_, _Voy.

Pitt._, pt. vii., p. 8. 'Of all the customs of these islanders, the most disgusting is that of men, called _schoopans_, living with men, and supplying the place of women.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 199. This shameful custom applies to the Thlinkeets as well. 'Quelques personnes de l'Equipage du Solide ont rapporte qu'il ne leur est pas possible de douter que les Tc.h.i.n.kitaneens ne soient souilles de ce vice honteux que la Theogonie immorale des Grecs avoit divinise.' _Marchand_, _Voy. aut.

du Monde_, tom. ii., p. 97.

[106] 'Der Schamane hat seiner Obliegenheit gema.s.s oder aus besonderem Wohlwollen sie der Jungferschaft beraubt und sie ware unwurdig vor der Versammlung zu erscheinen, wenn sie ihre erste Liebe irgend einem Anderen und nicht dem Schamanen gezollt hatte.' _Baer_, _Stat. u.

Ethn._, p. 133.

[107] 'Their dances are proper tournaments.' _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 176. They are much addicted to public dances, especially during winter. _Whymper's Alaska_, p. 165. 'Masks of the most hideous figures are worn.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 210. 'Use a sort of rattle composed of a number of the beaks of the sea-parrot, strung upon a wooden cross,'--sounds like castanets. _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 64.

'Die Tanzer erscheinen, eben so, mit Wurfspiessen oder Messern in den Handen, welche sie uber dem Kopfe schwingen.' _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethn._, p. 118.

[108] 'Les sorciers et chamans jouissent d'une grande faveur dans cette region glacee de l'Amerique.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 574. 'Schamanen und alte Weiber kennen verschiedene Heilmittel.' _Baer_, _Stat. u. Ethn._, p. 135. 'Next in rank to the shamans are the kaseks, or sages, whose office is to teach children the different dances, and superintend the public amus.e.m.e.nts and shows, of which they have the supreme control.'

_Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 208.

[109] 'The dead body of a chief is embalmed with moss, and buried.'

_Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 177.

[110] 'In one of the small buildings, or kennels, as they may very properly be called, was a woman who had retired into it in consequence of the death of her son.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 184.

[111] 'The word Aleutian seems to be derived from the interrogative particle _allix_, which struck strangers in the language of that people.' _Kotzebue's Voy._, vol. iii., p. 312. The Unalaskas and 'the people of Oomnak, call themselves _Cowghalingen_.' 'The natives of Alaska and all the adjacent islands they call _Kagataiakung'n_.'

_Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 154. 'The inhabitants of Unalashka are called _Kogholaghi_; those of Akutan, and further east to Unimak, _Kighigusi_; and those of Unimak and Alaxa, _Kataghayekiki_. They cannot tell whence these appellations are derived; and now begin to call themselves by the general name of _Aleyut_, given to them by the Russians, and borrowed from some of the Kurile Islands.' _c.o.xe's Russ.

Dis._, p. 219.

[112] Yet, says D'Orbigny, _Voyage_, p. 577: 'Si on interroge les Aleoutiens sur leur origine, ils disent que leurs ancetres ont habite un grand pays vers l'ouest, et que de la ils sont avances de proche en proche sur les iles desertes jusqu'au continent americain.'

[113] Trapesnikoff took from an unknown island in 1753, 1920 sea-otter skins. Durneff returned to Kamchatka in 1754, with 3,000 skins. In 1752 one crew touched at Bering Island and took 1,222 Arctic foxes, and 2,500 sea-bears. Cholodiloff, in 1753, took from one island 1,600 otter-skins.

Tolstych in one voyage took 1,780 sea-otter, 720 blue foxes, and 840 sea-bears. _c.o.xe's Russ. Dis._, pp. 43, 44, 49, 51, 53.

[114] _Sparks_, _Life of Ledyard_, p. 79.

[115] A great deal of character. _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 32.

[116] 'Rather low of stature, but plump and well shaped; with rather short necks; swarthy chubby faces; black eyes; small beards, and long, straight, black hair; which the men wear loose behind, and cut before, but the women tie up in a bunch.' _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 510.

'Von Gesicht sind sie platt und weiss, von guter Statur, durchgangig mit schwarzen Haaren.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 150. 'Low in stature, broad in the visage.' _Campbell's Voy._, p. 112. Hair 'strong and wiry;' scanty beard, but thick on the upper lip. _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 154.

[117] 'Les femmes aleoutes portaient aux mains et aux pieds des chapelets de pierres de couleur et preferablement d'ambre.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 579. 'None are so highly esteemed as a sort of long muscle, commonly called sea-teeth, the _dentalium entalis_ of Linnaeus.'

_Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 40. 'Women have the chin punctured in fine lines rayed from the centre of the lip and covering the whole chin.' They wear bracelets of black seal-skin around the wrists and ankles, and go barefoot. _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 155. 'Im Nasen-Knorpel und der Unterlippe machen beide Geschlechter Locher und setzen Knochen ein, welches ihr liebster Schmuck ist. Sie stechen sich auch bunte Figuren im Gesicht aus.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 169. 'They bore the upper lip of the young children of both s.e.xes, under the nostrils, where they hang several sorts of stones, and whitened fish-bones, or the bones of other animals.' _Staehlin's North Arch._, p. 37.

[118] 'Leur conformation est robuste et leur permet de supporter des travaux et des fatigues de toute sorte.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 577.

[119] At Shumagin Island, their caps were of sea-lion skins. _Muller's Voy._, p. 46. On the front are one or two small images of bone. _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 510. A wooden hat, 'which in front comes out before the eyes like a sort of umbrella, and is rounded off behind.'

_Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 38. 'Einige haben gemeine Mutzen von einem bunten Vogelfell, woran sie etwas von den Flugeln und dem Schwanz sitzen la.s.sen;--sind vorn mit einem Brettchen wie ein Schirm versehn und mit Barten von Seebaren--geschmucket.' _Neue Nachr._, pp. 151, 152.

[120] On a feather garment, 'a person is sometimes employed a whole year.' 'The women for the most part go bare-footed.' _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., pp. 36, 39. 'Seams covered with thin slips of skin, very elegantly embroidered with white deer's hair, goat's hair, and the sinews of sea animals, dyed of different colours.' _Sauer_, _Billings'

Ex._, p. 156. 'Ihr Pelzkleid wird uber den Kopf angezogen, und ist hinten und vorn ganz zu. Die Manner tragen es aus Vogelhauten; die Weiber hingegen von Bibern und jungen Seebaren.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 152.

'Boots and breeches in one piece.' _Campbell's Voy._, p. 113.

[121] 'Round the sides and ends of the huts, the families (for several are lodged together) have their separate apartments, where they sleep, and sit at work; not upon benches, but in a kind of concave trench, which is dug all around the inside of the house, and covered with mats.'

_Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 512. 'When they have stood for sometime, they become overgrown with gra.s.s, so that a village has the appearance of an European churchyard full of graves.' _Langsdorff's Voy._, p. 32. 'In den Jurten wird niemals Feuer angelegt und doch ist es gemeiniglich sehr warm darinnen, so da.s.s beide Geschlechter ganz nakkend sitzen.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 150.

[122] 'A bidarka or boat is turned up sideways, and at the distance of four or five feet, two sticks, one opposite to the head and the other to the stern, are driven into the ground, on the tops of which a cross stick is fastened. The oars are then laid along from the boat to the cross stick, and covered with seal skins, which are always at hand for the purpose.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 152.

[123] 'Among the greatest delicacies of Oonalashka are the webbed feet of a seal, which are tied in a bladder, buried in the ground, and remain there till they are changed into a stinking jelly.' _Kotzebue's Voy._, vol. ii., p. 165. Almost everything is eaten raw. _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 520. The sea-dog is caught with nets, killed when asleep, or enticed on sh.o.r.e by a false cap made to resemble a seal's head.

_Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 205.

[124] 'L'Aleoute peut tuer les phoques et les oiseaux, sans etre oblige d'en rendre compte a la compagnie.' _Choris_, _Voy. Pitt._, pt. vii., p.

4.

[125] 'Die Spitze selbst wird theils aus Obsidian oder Lavaglas, theils auch aus Trachyt verfertigt.' _Kittlitz_, _Reise_, vol. i., p. 268.

Spear-handles are feathered, the points of sharpened flint. _Neue Nachr._, p. 102, 'Arrows are thrown from a narrow and pointed board, twenty inches long, which is held by the thumb and three fingers. They are thrown straight from the shoulder with astonis.h.i.+ng velocity.'

_Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 205. 'Les armes defensives consistaient en une cotte de joncs tresses qui leur couvrait tout le corps.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 579. 'No such thing as an offensive, or even defensive weapon was seen amongst the natives of Oonalashka.' Probably they had been disarmed by the Russians. _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 515.

'Wherever any one has fixed his habitation, n.o.body else dares to hunt or fish.' _Staehlin's Nor. Arch._, p. 37. For birds they point their darts with three light bones, spread and barbed. _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p.

157. 'Indeed, there is a neatness and perfection in most of their work, that shews they neither want ingenuity nor perseverance.' _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 514.

[126] They make 'baskets called ishcats, in which the Aleutians keep all their valuables.' _Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 181. 'Thread they make of the sinews of the seal, and of all sizes, from the fineness of a hair to the strength of a moderate cord, both twisted and plaited.' _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 157. Of the teeth of sea-dogs they carve little figures of men, fish, sea-otters, sea-dogs, sea-cows, birds, and other objects. _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 46.

[127] 'Wollen sie etwas an ihren Pfeilen oder sonst eine Kleinigkeit leimen, so schlagen sie sich an die Nase und bestreichen es mit ihrem Blute.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 173.

[128] _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 159; _Campbell's Voy._, p. 59.

[129] 'Comme les femmes coutaient cher en presents de fiancailles, la plupart des Aleoutes n'en avaient qu'une ou deux.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 579. Purchase as many girls for wives as they can support. _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 160. 'Objects of unnatural affection.' _Id._, p.

160. 'Their beards are carefully plucked out as soon as they begin to appear, and their chins tattooed like those of the women.' _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 48. 'The Russians told us, that they never had any connections with their women, because they were not Christians. Our people were not so scrupulous; and some of them had reason to repent that the females of Oonalashka encouraged their addresses without any reserve; for their health suffered by a distemper that is not unknown here.' _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 521.

[130] 'It often happens that a mother plunges her noisy child into water, even in winter, and keeps it there till it leaves off crying.'

_Lisiansky's Voy._, p. 202. 'Schreyt das Kind, so tragt es die Mutter, es sey Winter oder Sommer nakkend nach der See, und halt es so lange im Wa.s.ser bis es still wird.' _Neue Nachr._, p. 168.

[131] 'Have their own chiefs in each island.' _Cook's Third Voy._, vol.

ii., p. 510. 'Generally is conferred on him who is the most remarkable for his personal qualities.' _c.o.xe's Russ. Dis._, p. 219.

[132] Those of the inhabitants who have two wives give their guests one, or a slave. _Neue Nachr._, p. 171. 'In the spring holidays, they wear masks, neatly carved and fancifully ornamented.' _Sauer_, _Billings'

Ex._, p. 160.

[133] 'On avait soin de le disposer de maniere a ce qu'il ne touchat pas la terre.' _D'Orbigny_, _Voy._, p. 579. 'Embalm the bodies of the men with dried moss and gra.s.s.' _Sauer_, _Billings' Ex._, p. 161. Slaves sometimes slaughtered. _Langsdorff's Voy._, pt. ii., p. 48. 'Bury their dead on the summits of hills.' _Cook's Third Voy._, vol. ii., p. 521.

'When a man dies in the hut belonging to his wife, she retires into a dark hole, where she remains forty days. The husband pays the same compliment to his favorite wife upon her death.' _c.o.xe's Russ. Dis._, p.

218. 'Die Todten werden begraben, und man giebt dem Mann seinen Kahn, Pfeile und Kleider mit ins Grab.' 'Die Todten umwinden sie mit Riemen und hangen sie in einer Art holzerner Wiege an einen auf zwey Gabelen ruhenden Querstock in der Luft auf.' _Neue Nachr._, pp. 101, 154.