Travels in Alaska 



ipelago. For travelers without an Indian name 

 might be killed and robbed without the offender be- 

 ing called to account as long as the crime was kept 

 secret from the whites; but, being adopted by the 

 Stickeens, no one belonging to the other tribes would 

 dare attack me, knowing that the Stickeens would 

 hold them responsible. 



The dinner-tables were tastefully decorated with 

 flowers, and the food and general arrangements were 

 in good taste, but there was no trace of Indian dishes. 

 It was mostly imported canned stuff served Boston 

 fashion. After the dinner we assembled in Chief 

 Shakes's large block-house and were entertained with 

 lively examples of their dances and amusements, 

 carried on with great spirit, making a very novel 

 barbarous durbar. The dances seemed to me wonder- 

 fully like those of the American Indians in general, a 

 monotonous stamping accompanied by hand-clap- 

 ping, head-jerking, and explosive grunts kept in time 

 to grim drum-beats. The chief dancer and leader scat- 

 tered great quantities of downy feathers like a snow- 

 storm as blessings on everybody, while all chanted, 

 " Hee-ee-ah-ah, hee-ee-ah-ah," jumping up and down 

 until all were bathed in perspiration. 



After the dancing excellent imitations were given 

 of the gait, gestures, and behavior of several animals 

 under different circumstances walking, hunting, 

 capturing, and devouring their prey, etc. While all 

 were quietly seated, waiting to see what next was 

 going to happen, the door of the big house was sud- 

 denly thrown open and in bounced a bear, so true to 



[ 34] 



