'6GG 



THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT 



fETH. ANN. 18 



rites, unless there should be someone to take his place. Tlie shade is 

 sui)posed to be supplied with sufficient food and property at this feast 

 to enable it to exist thenceforth without fear of want. 



In January, 1880, I chanced to be at the small village of Eazbinsky, 

 on the lower Yukon, when the festival to the dead was held and the vil- 

 lagers were invited to attend the great feast to be given them the next 

 year. This i^relimiuary feast was entirely in the hands of the women, 

 who distributed food and presents among the people and sang the 

 song of invitation to the shades to return again next year. At the 

 same time a slow dance was executed. 



I was informed that the great festival to which the shades were invited 

 wonld be given entirely by men. People from surrounding villages, 

 sometimes in a circuit of nearly 200 miles, are invited by messengers to 



take part as guests in this feast. 

 The feast makers strive to make 

 as much show as possible and dis- 

 tribute great quantities of food 

 among the guests. 



The following is an account of 

 one of these festivals witnessed 

 at Eazbinsky in January, 1881, 

 which will give a general idea of 

 their good character. It is from 

 notes made at the time the festi- 

 val was in progress. 



Peojde came to this feast from 

 all the neighboring villages and 

 even from Kuskokwim river, until 

 the village was filled to overflow- 

 ing. On the evening of the day 

 on which the festival began, tlie 

 kashim was packed with men, 

 women, and children. A place was given me on a bench in a corner 

 ot the room and this was reserved during the entire time of the festival. 



First evening 



At the beginning of the festival the people were arranged in the 

 kashim as shown in the accompanying figure 140. 



Six men with drums sat in the rear end of the kashim, facing the 

 door. Along each side, as shown in the diagram, sat a low of men who 

 did the singing. The drummers and singers all sat on long, rude 

 benches. The space from the drummers to the door was unoccui)ied, 

 but the back and sides of the room were packed with people. Several 

 songs were sung, all expressing welcome to the expected guests. Dur- 

 ing one of these a man who had come with other guests from Kusko- 

 kwim river suddenly appeared in the door, and, raising his voice over 

 the din of the drums and singing, shouted : " Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ! Look 



Fig. 140— Plan of kashim duriug mortuary cere- 

 mony. (1, six drum men; 2, singers: 3, space 

 occupied by spectators: 4, entrance or doorway; 

 5, vacant space under which the sliades are sup- 

 posed to gather.) 



