194 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



Propped against the half-underground dwellings 

 stood worn grey vertebrae of whales, souvenirs of the 

 passing of the whaling fleet. 



All the inhabitants of the village wore the parka, 

 and here the shirt-like costume was cut much longer 

 at the back than the front, giving a quaint tail-like 

 effect. One could hardly make a way through the 

 settlement for poles and crisscross thongs whereon 

 were drying remnants of seal, salmon, and flat fish 

 of great size. Skins full of the blubber swung from 

 standing scaffolding, nets made from seals' skins set 

 traps to catch the unwary feet, and all sorts of in- 

 genious bags and baskets made from the ubiquitous 

 universal provider to the Innuits dried in the wind 

 and sun. The skins are made up in all kinds of 

 ways, into useful hold-all baskets, sagging in the 

 middle, sewn to two pieces of wood, not unlike a 

 butcher's tray, and contrived into the fashion to which 

 I have already alluded; bags skinned out from the 

 neck, or into a most useful second variety cut from 

 flipper to flipper, and then laced together. 



A great many dogs were sniffing and gnawing 

 amongst the refuse. They were large grey brutes, 

 not unlike a coyote, fierce and wolfish-looking. Their 

 looks bewrayed them, for they greeted us with 

 courtesy, and made no attempt to snarl or bite. 



We held a council with the chief, or headman of 

 the tribe, explained our wants, and expressed our 

 desires through Steve, who seemed to be able to make 

 himself understood with most of the natives we had 

 come across. We desired to engage six Innuits, with 



