108 



K A D I A K. 



' 







Food. 



Manners 

 and cus- 

 toms, 



Funeral 

 rites. 



Around, having a small door made of framed seal skin 

 ' fronting the east, a fir.-- place in the middle; and a hole 

 ' in the roof, which series the double office of admitting 

 the light, and affording an exit to the smoke. The sides, 

 partitioned oft" for sitting and sleeping places, are co- 

 vered with gras mats, more coarsely fabricated than 

 those of the islands to the west. A small apartment, 

 used as a vapour Ivith, is attached to each dwelling, 

 where any degree of temperature is obtained, by the 

 steam of water poured on heated stones. 



The food of the natives resembles that of the Aleutan 

 islanders, and consists of fresh or dried fish, blubber, 

 whale nd seal oil, the flesh of seals and bears ; roots, and 

 berries preserved in oil. In time of scarcity, which sel- 

 dom fails to occur in winter, and is almost unavoidable 

 during spring, they live entirely on shell fish. Their 

 establishments are, therefore, formed near some large 

 bank, as the best situation for obtaining the means of 

 subsistence. When a visitor enters a hut, he is first 

 treated with a cup of cold water: after resting some 

 time, there are put before him all the preceding pro- 

 visions. It is expected that he should consume eve- 

 ry thing with which the hospitality of the owner sup- 

 plies him ; and the more he eats and drinks, the great- 

 er is the compliment. Should he prove unable to do 

 this, however, he must carry away the remainder of 

 the meal. But the civilities of the host do not termi- 

 nate here ; for the bath being in the mean time heated, 

 the stranger is conducted to it, and treated with a 

 draught of the melted fat of seals or bears. As many 

 of their manners and customs are analogous to those 

 of the Aleutian islanders, the reader is referred to the 

 articles ALEUTIAN ISLES and.Fox ISLANDS. 



Polygamy is practised by such inhabitants of Ka- 

 diak, as can afford to maintain a number of wives. 

 No marriage ceremony takes place, except that of con- 

 ducting the couple to the vapour bath, which is heated, 

 aud where they are left together. The parents of the 

 female receive a present ; and it appears that the hus- 

 band always lives with them, and serves them, though 

 he may occasionally visit his own relations. In certain 

 cases, it is probable that wives are lent by the men 

 to each other, and, if under such circumstances, women 

 previously barren have offspring, they then become the 

 property of the father. A degree of libertinism is practi- 

 sed by these people, which is scarcely exemplified in any 

 country of the world. Incestuous connections prevail to 

 the most unlimited extent : not only do brothers and sis- 

 ters cohabit together, but even parents and children. Af- 

 ter the death of the father, the eldest son alone is exclud- 

 ed from cohabiting with his own mother. They are be- 

 sides addicted to vices still more odious ; and effeminate 

 wretches of the male sex clothe themselves like women, 

 associate with them, and follow similar occupations ; 

 and what is still more extraordinary, so far from holding 

 such conduct in detestation, mothers are gratified when 

 their youthful offspring attract the attention of the 

 chiefs. When the islanders are reproached with their 

 incestuous connections, they defend themselves by re- 

 ference to the habits of the sea otters. On the birth of 

 a child, it is washed, and named after the first beast or 

 bird that occurs. 



Their funeral rites are said to differ among different 

 tribes. The bodies of their chiefs are embalmed with 

 moss ; and either a slave, a prisoner, or some of his most 

 confidential labourers, being sacrificed, were lately buried 

 along with them. Shelikoff affirms, that one is buried 

 alive with the body. But the Russians have lately pro. 



hibited this barbarity. Mourning is expressed, by cut- Kadiak 

 ting the hair short, and daubing the face with soot ; s "V" 

 and on the death of either. husband or wife, the sur- 

 vivor retires for a certain period to another settle- 

 ment. 



It is doubtful, whether the natives have ever had any Religion, 

 religion, or more than very obscure notions of a good 

 and evil being, to the last of whom slaves are sometimes, 

 though rarely sacrificed. Their Russian visitors have 

 endeavoured to convert them to their own faith ; but 

 they know little more than to make the sign of the 

 cross ; and some will allow themselves to be baptised 

 three times, for the sake of getting a shirt. 



Before their late subjugation, they were a very warlike 

 people, and alike averse to the invasion ami to the prof- 

 fered friendship of strangers. " If you mean to preserve 

 your lives," they replied to the conciliatory words of the 

 Russians, " retire instantly from our shores, and do not 

 again disturb our possessions." They advanced to battle, 

 sheltered by a portable breast-work, twelve feet broad 

 and eighteen inches thick, composed of interwoven osiers 

 and sea-weed. Besides this they had wooden shields, 

 which are now laid aside. Their arms are the bow and 

 arrow, darts, and lances. They poison their arrows 

 with a preparation from henbane, so as to inflict a mor- 

 tal wound. But at present, their weapons seem to be . 

 directed more against wild animals, than against ene- 

 mies of their own species. They shoot salmon very 

 dexterously while leaping out of the water ; and employ 

 darts and lances, pointed with poisonous slate, for kill- 

 ing whales. The different tribes were formerly enga- 

 ged in almost incessant wars. Their prisoners suffer 

 bad treatment, especially from the women ; and the fe- 

 male part of them are all slaves, who are sold by one 

 tribe to another for trinkets and utensils. Long after 

 Kadiak was discovered by Europeans, the natives were 

 exceedingly averse to have any dealings with them, 

 and such was the firmness with which this determina- 

 tion was evinced, that three Russian vessels were suc- 

 cessively obliged to withdraw. 



The chief occupation of the men, is making boats and Occupa- 

 weapons, which are used in hunting and fishing: while tions - 

 the women are employed in sewing the skins together, 

 with which the boats are covered; in drawing tendons 

 from the legs of animals, for joining them : and in fa- 

 bricating slings and fishing-hooks. All the thread em- 

 ployed consists of sinews, and some of it is as fine as 

 silk. It is fashioned into the most beautiful twists and 

 braids ; and many specimens of sewing would do credit 

 to the most skilful Europeans. Collecting roots and 

 berries for winter store, is also the province of the fe- 

 males. The hunting excursions of' the natives are for 

 the benefit of the Russians, who reward them with cloth, 

 ammunition, beads, toys, rura, tobacco, and snuff, for . 

 which they have an immoderate propensity. They are 

 likewise taken on board American 'vessels touching 

 here, along with their boats and implements for fishing 

 and hunting, to be carried to the coast of California, 

 where seals and sea otters are to be caught. Cargoes 

 are generally completed in two seasons, when the Rus- 

 sian American Company receive a certain proportion of 

 the furs, as a compensation for the assistance of the na- 

 tives. Though the whole are educated in the art of 

 hunting and fishing, the capture of whales belongs al- 

 most exclusively to certain families, and is handed 

 down to those children who promise to be most expert 

 at it'. Their boats, or baidarkas, are for one, two, or 

 three persons, the smallest being 14 feet ti inches long 



