900 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



stuck upon the roof of the house belonging to the draftsman, and 

 made to lean in the direction of the course to be taken. 



This is shown in No. 1, the narrow projection upon the apex of the 

 roof denoting the stick 5 No. 2 is the baidarka, containing the residents 

 of the house; No. 3 is a grave stick, indicating a death in the settle 

 ment to which the trip is made, the stick being a votive offering, erected 

 to the memory of the deceased: Nos. 4 and 5 denote the houses of the 

 village, the triangular one being made by leaning together boards or 

 slabs, and is termed a summer house, while the dome-shaped one, made 

 more compactly and covered with turf, denotes a permanent or winter 

 residence. Both kinds are represented, and by this method of synec- 



12 345 



Fig. 115. 



ALASKAN NOTICE OF DISTRESS. 



doche the village is indicated by portraying only one of each kind com 

 posing the settlement. 



The design shown in fig. 116 is in imitation of drawings made by the 

 natives of southern Alaska to convey to the observer the information 

 that the draftsman had gone away to another settlement, the inhabi 

 tants of which were in distress. The drawings were made on a strip 

 of wood which was placed at the door of the house, where it might be 

 seen by visitors or inquirers. 



Vladimir Naoiuoff , the native to whom reference has before been made, 

 and who drew for the present writer the specimen under consideration, 

 gave the following explanation: No. 1 is a native making the gesture 



Fig. 116. 



NOTICE OF DEPARTURE TO RELIEVE DISTRESS. 



indicating self with the right hand, and with the left indicating the 

 direction of going. No. 2 is the native s habitation, a winter or perma 

 nent residence, dome-shaped, partly underground, with the roof thinly 

 covered with turf to keep out the extreme cold. No. 3 is a scaifold used 

 for drying fish ; upon the top of the pole is placed a piece of wood tied 

 so that the longest end points in the direction to be taken by the relief 

 party. No. 4 is the baidarka containing tfhe party. No. 5, a native of 

 the settlement to be visited. No. 6, a summer habitation. No. 7 is a 

 shaman or grave stick, a votive offering erected to the memory of a 

 recently deceased person, the cause which necessitated the journey. 

 No. 8 is a winter habitation, in which the deceased had resided. The 



