54 TREATMENT OF SLAVES. 



raw. The skins of the sea-otters form their 

 principal wealth, and are a substitute for 

 money ; these they barter with the ships which 

 trade with them, to the prejudice of the Rus- 

 sian Company, for muskets, powder, and lead. 

 No Kalush is without one musket at least, of 

 which he perfectly understands the use. The 

 richer a Kalush is, the more powerful he be- 

 comes ; he has a multitude of wives who bring 

 him a numerous family, and he purchases male 

 and female slaves who must labour and fish for 

 him, and strengthen his force when engaged in 

 warfare. These slaves are prisoners of war, and 

 their descendants; themaster^s power over them 

 is unlimited, and he even puts them to death 

 without scruple. When the master dies, two 

 of his slaves are murdered on his grave, that he 

 may not want attendance in the other world ; 

 these are chosen long before the event occurs, 

 but meet the destiny that awaits them, very 

 philosophically. The continual wars which 

 the different races carry on against each other, 

 with a ferocious cruelty uncommon even among 

 savages, may account for the scanty population 

 of this district ; the fire-arms with which, to 



