158 Transactions of the Royal Canadian Institute [vol. x 



Peter Dobell mentions also seeing among the Kamtchadales "a 

 piece of timber placed against the edge of the hole, with notches cut 

 in it to receive the feet — a miserable substitute for a ladder".^ 



In the close vicinity of the Carriers' and other Denes' homes is to 

 be seen the aerial provision store, of which a figure and description 

 will be found p. 196 of my above referred to "Notes". An equivalent 

 of this prevails in Siberia, according to the explorer Bush, who writes: 

 "Belonging to each house and erected on a scaffolding near by, several 

 feet above the snow, out of the reach of dogs, were conical and pyrami- 

 dical structures used as store-rooms".^ 



Before we leave the subject of aboriginal habitations, I may note 

 another point of resemblance between Asia and America, in spite of 

 its apparent insignificance. According to Col. N. Prj^valski, who refers 

 to the Mongols among whom he travelled extensively, "meme dans 

 rint^rieur de sa iourte, un nomade dira: Tel objet est placd au nord ou 

 ^ I'ouest".' This is exactly the case with the Den^s who, though 

 possessing terms denoting the right or left direction, never use them 

 as we do. When it is a question of position, they invariably resort to 

 such words as denote the points of the compass, even when the distance 

 is insignificant. 



Prj^valski also records that "dans la MongoHe orientale, avant de 

 se s^parer de son h&te, le voyageur 6change avec lui de petites serviettes 

 de soie comme gage de sympathie mutuelle".* The Denes have no 

 such napkins, but we may be allowed to compare the custom of the 

 Mongol with that of the D^ne traveller who, before returning home or 

 going on his journey, usually exchanges pieces of attire with his host, 

 as a token of friendship. To come out of a place with the same garments 

 is tantamount to an admission of disregard or contempt on the part of 

 the person visited. It is so carefully guarded against that this mutual 

 exchange of clothing occasionally gives rise to the most ludicrous costume, 

 as the traveller always makes it a point of honour to wear on his return 

 what has been given him. 



Another explorer records the following: "In one of the houses which 

 we entered to-day, I observed a child swaddled in a bag which was 

 attached to a board, the whole being a counterpart of the cradle used 

 among the Indians of North America".^ 



• "Travels in Kamtchatka and Siberia", vol. i, p. 90; London, 1830. 

 «0p. cit., p. 351. 



• Mongolie et Pays des Tangoutes, p. 45; Paris, 1880. 

 « Ibid., p. 48. 



• Geo. Simpson, "An Overland Journey round the World", vol. II, p. 129 of Ameri- 

 can edition; Philadelphia, 1847. 



