2fi6 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



stiatiou at the obsequies will be in propoitiou to the weulih of the de- 

 ceased. The oldest sou, however youug, becomes the head of the family 

 at the death of the father. The treatment of adopted childreu is not 

 ditlereut from that of the uatural heirs. Very small childreu are car- 

 ried iu a kind of birch chair or cradle, the legs haugiug over, while older 

 oues sit on the pack with a leg passiug ou each side of the motlier. 



The social organization seems to be divided into the following classes: 

 Tyones, skillies (near relations of a tyone), shamans, or medicine men, 

 and ^■assals of varying degrees of servitude. In all assemblies seats 

 are rigidly assigned according to rank, which is well established among 

 them. The tyones Avould rarely condesceiul to consider any of us their 

 equals, nor did they fail to express disgust at seeing the head of our 

 party carrying a i)ack or i)ulling on its rope. 



Among the Midnooskies the influence of the shamans is much less 

 than with the Tatlatans, a fact due, I suppose, to contact with the Rus- 

 sians. Nicolai, an influential chief, would not tolei'ate them, though he 

 himself claimed to be able to perform wonderful cures ; certainly many 

 natives far and near believed him. His i)ower is supposed to come from 

 the church (Greek), of which he was an apostle. lie wears on his hat ai 

 Greek cross as talisnuin, and has a small quantity of paper andpencil, 

 with which he pretends to keep a record of all matters of importance to 

 his people. It is not strange that with his unusually keen i)erceptive 

 faculties he deceives his neighbors, as shown by the following at Khil- 

 vats, about 350 miles from Taral: As we traveled was seen a native car- 

 rying a highly valued brass cross and some hieroglyphics, both made by 

 Nicolai, who doubtless had received a liberal allowance in furs for them. 

 iSomehave such contidencein his healing power as to send the garment 

 of a sick child many miles to him in order that he may sleep on it. 

 Liebigstag, a tyt)ne, who has several shamans in his following, caused 

 all to absent themselves from his canqi on hearing of our near api)roach. 

 Farther up the river, however, they are comimrativel^^ luimerous, and 

 are detected by the uncovered, uncut condition of their hair. They are 

 non-producers, whose missions are those of priest and prophet of the 

 most primitive style. 



The skillies are necessarily manj', and not a few of them have vassals 

 at their beck and call. I have seen one of fourteen or lifteen 3ears of 

 age, sitting within a few feet of the river, order a man C feet high, a 

 vassal, to bring him water. These menials are used for all kinds of 

 work, and are as completely under control of their masters as they pos- 

 sibly could be, yet I never heard of corporal punishment being admin- 

 istered to them. It is but natural to suppose that a threat of de- 

 priving them of food or shelter in their poverty-stricken condition 

 would be sufficient incentive to urge them to any length of obedience. 



The dead are put under the ground and the site marked by a square 

 frame, about 3 by 5 in plan, placed above. There seems to be no spe- 

 cial ceremony attending marriage ; a man possessing a few kettles, etc., is 

 always eligible, and when he meets his fate takes her. 



