ATNATANAH, OF ALASKxV. 261 



Jf tliey possess any iiiediciiial incparatioiis or mcdiciiu's of any dc- 

 serii>tion they arc in tlic hands ollho shamans, who Ivccp them earclully 

 conceaU^l. Their eonlael. with the, lliissians and Americans, thon<,^h 

 very slight, lias tan^iit them the benefits of more eivili/ed medicine, 

 and they will take any dose <;iven tliem by a white man. 



The honsesof the Atiiataiiasareof two kinds, viz, permanent and tem- 

 poiary. The former are iideuded for winter use and are annually occu- 

 pied during- that season, ^Yhile the latter are extemi)orize<l at any place 

 where game may be found. In plan it is about bS feet stpiare, is built 

 of spruce poles and slabs in a loose style, and is covered in with spruce 

 bark. In some places moss is used to help to uuiki', it close. The walks 

 under the eaves are nearly 4 feet high, and about o feet from the- ground 

 around the inside is builta shelf 4 oro feet wide, which serves thedouble 

 purpose of a seat during the day, and ai bed at night, the space under 

 this being boxed in with vertical slal)s and used as a storeroom and 

 sleeping' apartments for women, children, and i)ui)s. The roof is i)ro- 

 vided with a large hole in the middle, toi)ermit the escape of smoke from 

 the open lire on the lloor. The entrance is through a small " storm- 

 .shed," about li by 3 feet, protected at the outer end by an undressed 

 sheep or goat skin. Opposite this, at the other end, near the lloor, is a 

 round hole about 15 inches in diameter, which is the eutran(;e to the 

 sleei)ing room and bath-house. This is 10 or lli feet scjuare, 4 or 5 feet 

 in height, neai'ly all of which is uiulerground, and is lighted by a small 

 a perture, over which the intestines of the bear are stretched. The sweat- 

 bath is so highly prized thatevery permanent house of the ^lidnooskies 

 and most ot those of the Tatlatans are su[)plied with the necessary room, 

 the heating of which is quite sim])le. A large pile of stones i)laced on a. 

 close frame of logs in the nuiiii room, alter the juanuer of un old-fash- 

 ioned limekiln, are heated, then trauslerred to the sweat-room by means 

 of two sticks used as tongs. The circular aperture is closed with a kind of 

 tompion, and water istheii poured on until the necessary amouutofheatecl 

 va])or is obtained. The ideaof building this adjunct to the houses came 

 through contact with the liussians, with whom it is a religious as well 

 as a hygienic measure, and is ])racticed as far north as the Alaskan 

 lange. J5eyond this it is not seen until the Lower Vukon is i-eached. 

 The temporary or hunting house, always built of poles and boughs of 

 spruce, cottouwood, etc., is rectangular in plan, w ith a passage-way 

 through the center. Twosides oidy are used, and in consefpience the ends 

 and upper part are scantily covered. A log placed on the lire extends 

 sometimes several feet beyond each end. A moose or caribou skin, in 

 lieu of cotton cloth used by their more civilized brethren, is o(!casional!y 

 used to help make it water-proof directly over the sleeping places. Tents 

 are not as yet part of their possessions, nor is metal of any kind em- 

 ployed in assembling the different parts of the houses, willow withes 

 aud rawhide thongs answering their present requirements for this pur- 

 pose, lu general the winter house, being on the river, may be said to 



