Native Turkish Baths 
The Russians, who owned Alaska before they 
sold the country to America, introduced amongst 
other things the steam bath. Some of the native 
huts or houses have an annexe built out from the 
shack proper, where such a bath can be indulged 
in. The one I tried was not much larger than a 
big dog-kennel, so low at the opposite side to that 
on which the wall of the house made another side, 
that I could only manage to sit upright on the 
floor with. difficulty on account of the rafters 
hitting me on the head. The method of heating 
this structure was primitive but effective. One 
or more huge stones were put on the house 
fire until they were white hot; they were then 
picked up by a squaw with a pair of wooden tongs 
and deposited in a corner of the sweat-house, 
where they made a glowing heat. A bucket of 
water was provided, in which a bunch of tied-up 
birch twigs was placed. You undressed in the 
house, which the occupants were good enough 
to vacate for that purpose; and then crawled 
into the dog-kennel through a square hole, which 
you covered up with a board after entering. Then 
you sprinkled the stones with water from the 
bucket. Heat! That promised to cook me 
rapidly, the steam nearly took my breath away, 
and I had to lie down flat on my back to endure 
it at all; but the purpose for which I entered 
the place was—I can vouch for this—satisfactory. 
I emerged in about ten minutes feeling more like 
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