354 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH ANN 18 



deer or wolf. They are also ornamented with quill feathers of various 

 birds, frequently tipped with down. 



The men ordinarily rest the weight of the body first on one foot and 

 then on the other, while the free foot is advanced, the ball resting 1 on 

 the floor and the heel continually raised and brought down with a 

 sounding thump in time to the beating of the drums. At the same time 

 the dancers contort the body and gesticulate with the hands and arms 

 in rythmic motion. Frequently the dancer sings or utters loud cries at 

 regular intervals, springing from one side to the other. The rythmic 

 beating of the drums and the accompanying songs work the dancers 

 to a pitch of great excitement, and they sometimes go on for hours 

 with these violent exertions, the perspiration rolling down their bodies, 

 until they cease from exhaustion. 



With rare exceptions the dances are performed in the kashim, taking 

 place during the winter months, that is, from October until the end 

 of April. Both songs and dances are practiced beforehand when pre 

 paring for any great festival. In addition to the larger performances 

 accompanying the more important festivals, there are small dances of 

 rather frequent occurrence among the villagers during the early part of 

 winter; but these are informal affairs performed for amusement by a 

 few of the young men. 



A ceremonial dance is performed by a stranger who enters for the 

 first time the kashim of a village. On such occasion he is expected to 

 make a small offering or gift of propitiation to the headman, who 

 divides it among the other old men. The stranger then steps out upon 

 the floor and dances for a short time, sometimes singing a song express 

 ing his friendship for the people he is with, or merely a chorus song. 

 In this way he is considered to have introduced himself properly and 

 thus to have gained the freedom of the kashim. 



At St Michael we were usually invited to the first dances held in 

 the kashim every autumn Each year we made a practice of carrying 

 a little tobacco, which we handed to the headman upon entering, and 

 this he would divide into small portions and distribute among the 

 other men. At such times, if one of us would step out upon the floor 

 and execute a short dance after the style of the Eskimo, it was received 

 with great merriment by the assembled villagers. 



The dances of the Eskimo, whether on the islands of Bering sea or 

 on the banks of Kuskokwim river, are very similar in general character, 

 but local variations are common. On Sledge Island, in March, 1880, 

 was witnessed a curious and characteristic performance, different from 

 anything seen elsewhere. We found the people on the verge of star 

 vation, and nearly all of their dogs had died from lack of food. Our 

 own dogs were dying from the same cause, so we decided to return 

 at once to the mainland. When the headman of the villagers learned 

 this he came to beg us to remain at least one night with them so that 

 they might show us their appreciation of our visit, promising that the 



