IN GREEN ALASKA 



was soon astir with moving forms. Presently eight 

 of the figures were seen moving down to the beach. 

 A boat was launched and filled, and came rapidly to 

 the ship's side. It was made of walrus skin stretched 

 over a wooden frame, and was a strong, shapely craft. 

 Its occupants also were clad in skins. There were 

 three women and nine men in the boat, but one had 

 to look very closely to tell which was which. The 

 men's crowns were shaved, leaving a heavy fringe of 

 coarse black hair around their heads. One of them, 

 probably thirty or tliirty-five years of age, stood up 

 in the bow of the boat, and with his cloak of reddish- 

 gray fur was really a handsome man. He had a thin 

 black beard and regular, clear-cut features, and 

 looked as one fancies an old Roman of his age might 

 have looked. They were evidently drawn to us 

 partly by curiosity and partly by the hope of gifts 

 of tobacco and whiskey. The tobacco was freely 

 showered upon them by Mr. Harriman, and was 

 eagerly seized, but the whiskey was not forthcom- 

 ing. 



Our own boats were rapidly lowered, and we were 

 soon upon Asiatic soil, gathering flowers, observing 

 the birds, and strolling about among the tents and 

 huts of the natives. We bought skins and curios of 

 them, or bartered knives and cloth for such things as 

 they had to dispose of. They would take our silver 

 dollars, but much preferred skinning-knivesor other 

 useful articles. They were not shy of our cameras, 



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