﻿404 KUTCIIIN. 



Kiver Kutcbin possess it, but he did not ascertain 

 wbere tbey procured it, and I bave not been able 

 to obtain a specimen of it, so as to ascertain its 

 nature. The men wear dentalium shells in the 

 nose, and also ear-j)endants and the unsightly 

 labrets. They are a cheerful people, sing during 

 labour, and when it is over recreate themselves 

 with dancing. Cook notices the thick short necks 

 of the people of Prince William's Sound. The 

 muscles of tlie necks of the Kutchin are called 

 strongly into action for the support of their 

 weighty ties of hair, and, in consequence thereof, 

 increase in size ; and we might have been inclined 

 to attribute the disproportion noticed by Cook 

 to a similar cause, had he not mentioned that the 

 men wear their hair cropped round the neck. 

 Some of the women, however, clubbed it behind ; 

 and this looks as if, at that period, the tribe had 

 found out the inconvenience of the unwieldy and 

 uncleanly cues, and that a few only of the women 

 retained them. 



Among the Atnaers and neighbouring tribes who 

 hunt rein-deer, pounds, formed of hedges converging 

 thus >, are in use. Weirs and wicker-baskets for 

 taking fish are also constructed by the coast tribes. 

 The shirts of the Ugalents reach to the knee or 

 lower, and are cut evenly round without peaks. 

 They are made of skins, with the fur turned out- 



