170 OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE. 



himself. The children grow up without harsh discipline ; still they 

 are not the recipients of marked attention. The family life, when 

 the head or the hunter is at home, is one of very simple routine ; 

 he is in bed most of the time, striving to balance that account of 

 the very many sleepless nights he has passed in his bidarka scour- 

 ing sea-otter reefs during his recent three months' trip, to Saanak or 

 the Chernaboors. The others rise at broad day-light, light their 

 blubber-fire in the outside kitchen, and prepare a slight breakfast 

 of crackers, tea, and boiled fresh fish. This meal is carried into the 

 living-room, where the "peechka" has been started up, so as to 

 thoroughly warm that apartment. If this native is the possessor of 

 a little iron stove, of our own make, then all heating and cooking 

 is done on the one fire made in it and the smoke of that burning fat 

 and oil with which so much of their fuel of drift-wood and sheeksa 

 is mixed, goes up the pipe and leaves no annoying trace behind. 

 Between the members of the household there is never much conver- 

 sation the topics are few, indeed, beyond the ordinary routine of 

 irregular meals, and the desultory rising and retiring of a family. 

 This monotony of their lives is very much enlivened by exercises 

 of the church, to which they are constantly going and coming from. 

 But when they meet in a neighboring barrabkie, or receive friends 

 in their own, then tongues are loosened, and conversation flows 

 freely, especially over cups of tea between the old men and women ; 

 the latter are incessant talkers under such genial encouragement. 



Although the Aleut does not give you, at first, the least idea 

 that he has ever had any severe training of a heroic order, yet it is 

 a fact that most of the young men, ere they become recognized 

 hunters, had to "win their spurs," as it were. The old men always 

 impress upon the native youth that great importance of strictly ob- 

 serving the customs of their forefathers in conducting the chase, and 

 that neglect in this respect will surely bring upon them disaster 

 and punishment ; therefore the young men are encouraged to go to 

 sea in gales of wind, and make difficult landings with their bidarkas 

 at surf-washed places. Before the advent of Russian priests, 

 every village had one or two old men at least, who considered it 

 their especial business to educate the children ; thereupon, in the 

 morning or the evening when all were at home, these aged teachers 

 would seat themselves in the centre of one of the largest village 

 yourts or "oolagamuh:" the young folks surrounded them, and 

 listened attentively to what they said sometimes failing memory 



