2.12 ALASKA. 



for loii<4- distances, of granite pebbles and bowlders, scattered 

 with some trap. 



At Northeast Point the natives have quite a wood-cut tiug 

 camp, hewing' and carving, and the chips are scattered all aloug 

 the beach-levels for miles: there are places here where the ice, 

 in some unusual season, has carried large logs and pieces of 

 drift-wood back full half a mile from the sea } and there they 

 lie to-day deeply imbedded iu the swale, settliug and decay- 

 ing. The ice-jams which have taken place to effect this must 

 have been very severe. 



The southwest point of Saint Lawrence is largely made up of 

 trap and porphyry, slate, &c. ; the water very bold and deep. 



The natives on the island cannot be much over three or four 

 hundred iu number, and are living in five settlements, about 

 equidistant, around the coast. They are well formed and 

 hearty, genial and good-natured. The}* are of Mongolian cast 

 and build, strongly resembling Chinamen, only that nearly all 

 the men shave the occipital portion of the head instead of the 

 frontal, as practiced by the Celestials; the women, however, do 

 not shave their heads, and do their hair up in two braids hang- 

 ing down behind, tied up with beads, &c. 



They met us in an unaffected, free manner, showing no fear 

 or hesitation, and, coming upon deck, commenced a vociferous 

 cry for tobacco, and that alone; yet they were civil and curious: 

 'three or four women usually came in each baidar with them, 

 paddling like the men ; the boats, about 14 feet long with 4 feet 

 of beam, consisted of a frame, very neatly lashed together, of 

 pine, with whalebone fastenings, over which walrus-hide was 

 stretched ; they propelled it with paddles and oars, which were 

 also well made. 



They live in summer-houses made of walrus-hides, weighted 

 down by logs and stones so as not to be blown away ; and close 

 by are the winter-houses, which are under ground, with a tun- 

 nel entrance. 



The food of these people is whales' blubber, cut in large 

 chunks, of the strongest, rancid odor; mullets from the fresh- 

 water lakes, and caught in nets of walrus-thongs; murres, small 

 waders, walrus and hair-seal meat, varied by geese and ducks. 

 They had no iron cooking-utensils; all wood, and made by them- 

 selves, using hot stones for boiling water. Seal and whale oil 

 they had cached both above and under ground ; they preserve 

 all fish and bird offal and devour it raw, saving the skins of the 



