this habit has gone out of vogue, judging from the faces of many of the 

 children and grown up people as well. 



The greatest curse to the Indian has been alcohol, and against 

 this temptation he seems absolutely unable to struggle. Small-pox has 

 ravaged the coast terribly. Rheumatism and pulmonary diseases are 

 their worst ills, while venereal diseases are extremely destructive. 



Year by year it is becoming more difficult to study the Indian, as 

 with the increase of travel and commerce, and consequent contact with 

 whites, he is steadily losing his native characteristics and adopting 

 instead our customs and habits. They are reserved and taciturn and 

 show an utter indifference, in fact contempt, towards the whites when 

 by chance they meet on a common camping ground. This latter char- 

 acteric is different from that of our North-West Indians, who are also 

 taciturn, but very inquisitive to see what is to be seen. They are not 

 as fond of display and parade as formerly ; however, on the 4th of July, 

 a day they anxiously look forward to, many of them are clothed with all 

 the fineries, not Indian, but the best to be had in the stores. Last 4th 

 of July I happened to be at Juneau, where hundreds of Indians had 

 gathered to attend and take part in the festivities. To one accustomed 

 to seeing concourses of Indians in the Northwest it was a sight to study. 

 Many of the young Indian women were dressed in silk, or satin, or 

 velvet; in white, red, blue, yellow or black: the hair "banged" and 

 crowned by a nobby hat : the face powdered a la mode ; the feet 

 encased in buttoned kid boots, and perfume and jewelry galore. The 

 older ones content themselves with wool or cotton fabrics ; only one 

 squaw did I see with the time-honoured blanket. The young men were 

 similarly well dressed, wearing nice store clothes, silk-trimmed spring 

 overcoats and watches, and smoking cigars. The whole illustrated what 

 has been abundantly proved, and that is, that commerce is the great 

 civilizer of native races. , 



1 )ancing and singing were formerly a part of their ceremonies of 

 welcome, trade and war ; but now the dancing is that of Americans and 

 confined generally to festive gatherings. At the dance or ball given on 

 the above day in the Juneau Opera House, the grace with which some 

 of the Indian ladies waltzed was very marked. By nature the Indian 



