117 



practised. They frequently exchange their wives with each 

 other. 



Their disposition is brutal ; they endeavour to surprize 

 their enemies, and if they succeed, they exterminate them. 

 Parents pay no attention to their adult children, who quit 

 tliem when they chose. 



They occupy the lowest place in the scale of savage life. 



The Kamptschatdaks. 



Wliile at peace they are perfectly independtnt , and have 

 chiefs whom the}' obey when at war, and whom, if victorious, 

 they continue to respect. 



Their food, the flesh of bears or other quadrupeds, or fish 

 smoaked and dried ; the heads of fish half putrified and re- 

 duced to a pap is their greatest delicacy. They never vvasli 

 the vessels in which they prepare or eat their food. 



Their doatJiing, the skins of Rhen-deer, which they pur- 

 chase from the Koriacka, or even of sea calves or birds. 



Their habitations, separate ditches four feet deep, whose 

 dimensions are proportioned to the number of persons in 

 each family. In the midst of which four posts are fixed at 

 the distance of ab ut seven feet from each other. These are 

 traversed by joices to which others are fastened, which reach 



to 



I ( 



