TVrangell Island 



life In form and gestures we were all startled, though 

 it was only a bear-skin nicely fitted on a man who 

 was intimately acquainted with the animals and 

 knew how to imitate them. The bear shuffled down 

 into the middle of the floor and made the motion of 

 jumping into a stream and catching a wooden salmon 

 that was ready for him, carrying it out on to the bank, 

 throwing his head around to listen and see if any one 

 was coming, then tearing it to pieces, jerking his head 

 from side to side, looking and listening in fear of 

 hunters' rifles. Besides the bear dance, there were 

 porpoise and deer dances with one of the party imitat- 

 ing the animals by stuffed specimens with an Indian 

 inside, and the movements were so accurately imi- 

 tated that they seemed the real thing. 



These animal plays were followed by serious 

 speeches, interpreted by an Indian woman: "Dear 

 Brothers and Sisters, this is the way we used to 

 dance. We liked it long ago when we were blind, we 

 always danced this way, but now we are not blind. 

 The Good Lord has taken pity upon us and sent his 

 son, Jesus Christ, to tell us what to do. We have 

 danced to-day only to show you how blind we were to 

 like to dance in this foolish way. We will not dance 

 any more." 



Another speech was interpreted as follows: "*Dear 

 Brothers and Sisters,' the chief says, *this is the way 

 we used to dance and play. We do not wish to do so 

 any more. We will give away all the dance dresses 

 you have seen us wearing, though we value them very 

 highly.' He says he feels much honored to have so 



[35] 



