MrRDn.M.i (iOVKKNMEXT. 427 



by tlR'inselves And till' Way, but Ihc D.i-' iimst -iiidc tlinn l,> llic l,:in(l 

 of the Souls." The Ixxly is usually laid oul al lull Ini-lli upon tlic 

 grouud. Amougtlieancieut Ch-ccnlaiidi'is.' howcxci'. innl in llic ^ ukmi 

 region the body was doubled u]). In tljf Lit In- icgidii tlir b(id\ was laid 



ports- <ir wrapped up in mats and revered willi rocks i>v <iiitt wood. •' 



ligurcs given by tlir latter wiiti'r in I'l. \ i. nf his rcpoii. appears also 

 to in-cvailatthein.iuth <d-tlM- Kuskokwini. In the island of Kadiak, 

 a.-cording to Dall ami Lisiausky.' tiie dead were hnned. 



fit thr familti.— \ ean hardly do better than (luote Dr. Siiujison's 

 words, already referred to (op. cit. page 252), on this subjeet: '-A nuui 

 seems to have unlimited authority in his own hut." Nevertheless, his 

 rule seems to be founded on respect and mutual agreement, rather than 

 on despotic authority. The wife appears to be consulted, as already 

 stated, on all important occasions, and, to (piote Dr. Simpson again 

 (ibid.): ''Seniority gives precedence when there are several women in 

 one liut, and the sway of the elder in the direction of everything con- 

 nected with her duties seems never disputed." When more than (me 

 family inhabit the same h(mse the head of each family appears to have 

 authority over his own relati\cs, while the relations lietweeii the two 

 are governed solely by mutual agreement. 



hi thr rlHnijc. — These i>eople have no established form of government 

 nor any chiefs in the ordinary sense of the word, but aiipear to be 

 rided by a strong public opinion, combined with a certain amount of 

 res]iect for the o])inions of the elder i)eople, both men and women, and 

 b\- a largt? nund)er of traditional observances like those (!oucerning the 

 whale fishery, the deceased, etc., alread\ described. In the ordinary 

 relations of life a person, as a, rule. a\ oids doing anything to his neigh- 

 bor which he would not wish to have done to himself, and affairs 

 which concern the comnninity as a whole, as for instance their relations 

 with ns at the station, are settled by a general and aiiparently infoi- 

 mal liiscussicni, when the opinion of the majority carries the day. The 

 majority appears to have no means, short of individual violence, of en- 

 forcing ol)ediencc to its decisions, but, as far as we could see, the mat- 

 ter is left to the good sense of the parties concerned, llespect for the 

 opinions of elders is so great that the people may be said to be practi- 

 cal! v under what is called "simple elder rule."' Public opinion has 



