90 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



from the religion and beliefs of their ancestors. 

 Consequently we see little of what has caused so 

 many of our own petty wars, where the missionaries 

 are followed by fire and sword, to quell the disturb- 

 ances which their well-meant, but ill-advised teach- 

 ings have aroused, in their devoted attempts to over- 

 throw the traditions and customs of centuries. 



The writer is full well aware of the storm which 

 may be aroused in certain quarters by these remarks, 

 but, nevertheless, speaking from experience of natives 

 in various countries, he has no hesitation in saying 

 that for corruptness in all its branches there is 

 nothing which equals the semi-Christianized native, 

 in comparison with whom, their savage brethren, act- 

 ing according to the traditions and teachings of their 

 community, are often paragons of perfection. 



The number of different tribes (if they may be thus 

 designated) inhabiting the coast line of Alaska is 

 almost bewildering to an amateur in the study of 

 anthropology, ranging as they do from races of 

 the low-class Siwash Indians in the South, to Aleuts 

 on the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, and 

 again to wandering bands of Eskimo found on the 

 shores of the Arctic and Bering Sea. The Babel of 

 languages is even more confusing, since inhabitants 

 of one settlement have often considerable difficulty 

 to make themselves understood in their native tongue, 

 when speaking to dwellers in other settlements 

 situated at no great distance apart. In such cases 

 they often have to resort to the Russian language, 

 which is still in vogue among them, and even now 



