CAVE RELICS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 17 



elastic strip of wood was then bent so as to make a hoop of somewhat oval 

 shape, which was securely lashed with baleen thongs to the four staves, at the 

 points where they intersected it. Then to form a sort of bottom to this recep- 

 tacle, inside the staves and just above the transverse bar, a larse kantas- or 

 wooden dish, of the kind made by the Eskimo of the mainland, was securely 

 lashed, by passing thongs through holes cut in it for the purpose. Over that 

 portion of this frame which was above the kantag, hair-seal skin with the hair 

 turned to the outside was securely sewed. It is at once evident that this frame 

 could not stand alone, except by resting on the side, but it was not intended to 

 rest on the ground, but to be suspended in the air ; for which purpose two very 

 stout and strong loops of sinew braided in square sennit, repeatedly doubled and 

 served over and over, were attached to the sides of the oval rim. The interior 

 was then lined with dry grass, and in the bottom another, smaller, kantag was 

 placed, which, when examined, was full of something resembling ashes. The 

 bundle containing the remains (which had, as was their custom, been thoroughly 

 dried beforehand, though whether the viscera had been replaced by dry grass, as 

 is said to have been the practice, we did not determine by inspection) was then 

 inserted, the end in which the feet were situated being placed in the kantag. 

 Then all around the bundle dry grass was firmly packed. Over the body were 

 laid, first, three large fine sea-otter skins, which still retained the hair in tolerably 

 perfect condition. Over these was hxid another parka of bird skins, folded up, 

 and much less elaborate than the one previously described. Then over this a 

 number of seal skin loops attached to the rim of the frame were securely laced 

 together with a cord made of sinew. The top was then covered with hair-seal 

 skin sewed on to the edsre of that which covered the sides of the frame ; over 

 this was laid a piece of water-proof stufi' liked that used for kainlaykas or gut 

 shirts. This was in a very much injured condition. 



In order that the lower portion, which was only confined by the seal skin 

 sewed over the frame, should not burst open with the weight, the following 

 precaution was taken : A broad strip of thin wood (one-fourth to three-fourths 

 inches thick by seven and one-fourth inches wide) was steamed until pliable and 

 bent into a somewhat rudely rectangular ring, and the two ends, which over- 

 lapped about four inches, were pegged together with wooden pegs. To give an 

 ornamental finish to the whole it was painted red, and four pegs— shaped like a 

 horseshoe nail, with rather large heads— were inserted at the edge of the over- 

 lapping end. These pegs were made of walrus ivory, and l)lunt at the point. 

 As they could exert no tension on the wood, toward holding it together, it is 

 probable that they were intended solely for ornament. Through four holes cut 

 for the purpose, strong cords, made of sinew, were lashed and laced through 

 holes made in the seal-skin cover to the wooden rim of the ft-ame. The whole 

 wooden band was then drawn up tightly and encircled the lower portion of the 



3—318 



