36- ' PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



unattractive), while the coast Indians have a fashion of cutting off a portion of 

 the top hair, so as to resemble the monastic tonsure. They cannot understand 

 each other ; and as the interior Indians seem to own the most difficult language, 

 the result is that they frequently acquire the coast dialect to some extent, or a 

 kind of trading jargon which serves for international communications. They 

 are not friendly to each other, but do not fight much. They are all dying out 

 of asthma and lung complaints, caused by tobacco, which they get from the 

 Russians, and the fumes of which are drawn incessantly into the lungs. It does 

 not appear that the interior, or true American Indians, have any relationship 

 whatever to tribes in Asia. 



The coast and interior Indians build houses alike, the latter having borrowed 

 their ideas from the coast, if they have any houses at all. Winter houses are 

 half underground, and covered with earth, having a hole in the roof. Fire is 

 made about twice a day. They get into their houses by an underground pas- 

 sage ten or fifteen feet long, on their hands and knees, the exit being vertical 

 like a ground-hog's hole, and framed over to keep out the snow. Communistic 

 principles are in vogue as to dwellings, and general property. Both the coast 

 and interior Indians are honest, and do not steal nor murder except where they 

 have been supplied with whiskey by the traders. 



He has compiled a vocabulary of the language of the various tribes, by which 

 he is enabled to deduce some interesting facts regarding their history. He has 

 also visited Kamtschatka and the islands of the vicinity, and from the similar- 

 ity in language and customs of the coast tribes of Alaska to those of Kamt- 

 schatka, he concludes that they are recent immigrants from Asia, and indeed, that 

 they are still coming over. They carry on quite an extensive commerce across 

 Behring's Straits in skins, frames for boats, hunting and fishing equipments, 

 etc. The Asiatic immigrants, however, are confined to a few leagues of country 

 along the coast and large rivers, while a totally different people inhabit the inte- 

 rior. The boundary line l)etween these two races is very marked, and encroach- 

 ments on each other's territory are never tolerated. If a hunter passes the line 

 in the chase and kills any game, he can take the carcase away, but must leave 

 the skin at the nearest village. They are as strict as the Jews in preserving 

 purity of blood, for they never intermarry. 



CLIMATE. 



In summer the thermometer rises to eighty degrees, and in winter ranges from 

 thirty-five to forty-five degrees below zero. The last season was the coldest 

 known for eighteen years. 



The Aurora Borealis was often seen, and Mr. Dall says it appears as if caused 

 by some substance borne along in the air which reflects the light. The Esqui- 

 maux will never look at it, for they believe it is supernatural, and fear it. They 

 say also that it affects the eyes. After a careful study of the question of an 

 open Polar Sea, Mr. Dall is firmly convinced that it does not exist. He believes 

 that an unbroken sea of ice stretches over from America, past the North Pole, 

 to Asia. Evidences in support of the open sea theory failed to present them- 

 selves to his observation. In the Youkon region, no traces of glaciers were 

 discovered, and it is believed none ever existed north of the Alaska backbone. 



