CHINESE RELICS IN ALASKA 
BY 
LiguTENANT T. Dix Boutes, U.S. N. 
(With Plate xxiv.) 
In a collection of ethnological objects from southeastern Alaska, 
donated to the National Museum in 1883-85, there is a wooden mask 
which has for its eyes two large bronze Chinese Temple coins; so iden- 
tified by Dr. D. B. MceCartee. 
The grave from which it was taken is located near the Chileat Village 
atthe mouth of the Chileat River, Alaska, where stand a row of six grave- 
houses on a narrow strip of land close to the river, with a swamp back 
of them. Four of these graves were almost in ruins, but had evidently 
not been touched when we opened them. From the one in which the 
mask was found we got very little, its contents having nearly all rotted 
completely away, the mask in question being better preserved than the 
rest by a loose cedar board which protected it from the rain which 
leaked through in other places. The mask is skillfully carved from 
cedar wood and painted in the usual grotesque manner, but with strictly 
native colors. A sparse fringe of human hair partly rotted is inserted 
above the forehead. The wide gaping mouth is set with a double row 
of opercula, for teeth. Upona casual inspection this mask does not 
show age, but, examined more closely, the wood is seen to be affected 
with dry rot, while the surface seems to have been protected by the 
paint which was probably mixed with fish oil. 
The grave in which this mask was found was pointed out to me as 
being old, and that of a medicine man who had flourished more than two 
hundred years ago, six successors having filled this office; each one 
living to a good old age. Careful questioning failed to bring any other 
answer. When the coins were shown to the native Chilcats they could 
not remember having ever seen such objects before. 
Knowing that at the date | made my collections the Indians them- 
selves never entered or took anything out of graves, I am free to con- 
fess that I see no other possible conclusion to draw than that these 
coins were obtained two hundred years ago, and the natural surmise is 
that they came from a junk driven on the coast, Chinese most likely, as 
the Japanese would probably not have two such coins. To those who 
doubt the advent of junks on the West Coast at this early date, these 
facts will probably not be satisfactory, but it will be necessary for them 
to break down by direct evidence such a strong plea. 
Proceedings National Museum, Vol. XV, No, 899, 
° 221 
