CAVE RELICS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 9 



The island contains active volcanoes, as I am informed, and in the immediate 

 vicinity of the cave are solfataras, fi-oni which steam constantly arises, and the 

 soil is said to be warm to the touch. The rock is of a whitish and ferruo-inous 

 color and sharp grain. Specimens examined by Dr. Endlich, of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, prove to be a siliceous sinter, containing a little alumina and soda, 

 and some hydrous sesquioxide of iron. In the spectroscope traces of lithium 

 and potassium and, possibly, a trace of lime were seen. 



From this, and fi-om the fact that the atmosphere of the cave is said to have 

 been quite hot, rendering it uncomfortable to remain in, it is possible that the 

 cave itself may be the crater of a small extinct solfiitara. 



With regard to the age of these mummies, as they may be styled, I was 

 informed, in 1871, by several of the more intelligent natives, that they fixed the 

 date of the earliest interment in the following manner : It occurred in the 

 autumn or winter. During the following spring the first Russians ever seen by 

 the natives of the Four Craters, arrived in the vicinity. These may have been 

 Trapcsnikoif's party, wdiich left Kamchatka in 1758, but did not -reach Umnak 

 until 1760 ; «* they may have been that of the infamous Pushkareff ; or possibly 

 of Maxim Lazerotf ; but, in any case, they can hardly have been the expedition 

 of Bering. In 1757 Ivan Nikiferoflf sailed as far east as ITmnak, being the first 

 Russian to do so ; except those of Bering's Expedition, who did not land on any 

 of the AndreanolF group ; though in 1741 they saw the shores of numerous 

 indeterminate islands from a distance. The earliest date therefore which we can 

 assign to these remains would be 1756, making the oldest of them about one 

 hundred and twenty years old. 



At all events they possess great interest as the best preserved relics of the 

 state of things as they existed immediately pi'ior to the Russian occupation, and 

 when their pursuits and handiwork had not been modified by the introduction of 

 any of the adjuncts of civilization. 



The tradition regarding these particular remains Avas noted by me fi-om the 

 account of the Rev. Father Innokenti, and the same account was reduced to 

 writing by him, and forwarded with the mummies to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. 



A translation of it is herewith given : 



" On the island of Kaj^amil lived a distinguished toyon, a rich man, by name 

 Kat-haya-Koochak. He was a very small man, but very active and enterpris- 

 ing, and hence much respected, and" even feared by the natives of the adjacent 

 reo;ion. He had a son 13 or 14 years old, whom he fondly loved. He built him 

 a little bidarka (or skin canoe) and painted it handsomely. When the bidarka 

 was done the son begged earnestly to be allowed to try the boat on the sea. 

 After much urging the'father permitted him to go with the injunction not to go 

 far from the shore. The father himself assisted the son, and saw him sately 

 launched fi-om the beach into the water, and then went to his yourt or ' barra- 



2—318 



