208 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC KEINDEFR INTO ALASKA. 



progi-ainmc was us follows: First day, singing b^- the party on the 

 roof of the house and b}' a choir of women near the door; wrestling 

 occurred later, the 3'oung men being stripped to the w^aist; second da}-, 

 dancing on the part of the men in the house; third day, couples walk- 

 ing around a pole in the house in single file, the women being clasped 

 in the arms of their partners; trading concluded the dance. 



The interior of the house was suitably decorated with paraphernalia 

 appertaining to the dance. A wooden effigy about 3 inches long 

 was fastened to the center pole, representing Assoone, I understand. 

 Below this figure, at either end of a stick tied horizontall}^, was a 

 wooden effigy of a duck painted fairl}^ well, and with a movable head, 

 which was turned from side to side at times by means of whalebone 

 thread. Above, about 8 feet from the ground, there was a framework 

 consisting of paddles arranged in crisscross fashion, between which 

 ran several seal ropes, to which were suspended small wooden rings 4 

 inches in diameter for the larger ones, and 2 inches for the smaller 

 ones, with a piece of wood hanging through the latter, which repre 

 sented the "houses of seals" in the sea. There were pendent also 

 from this framework a number of wooden figures with gull feathers 

 for wings, and gull heads. Immediately above the framework there 

 was a long steering oar, and adjacent to it harpoons, lances, seal-skin 

 "pokes,-' and paddles painted with a black stripe on the blade to indi- 

 cate that they had been used by the helmsman of a successful whaling 

 party. At the base of the central pole was a rain coat rolled up con- 

 taining something whose character I was unable to divine. The wooden 

 ducks appeared to be very important functionaries at the festival. 

 Assoone and some of his relatives represented now and again one or the 

 other of the ducks, making requests in their l^ehalf for various articles, 

 for which payment would be made later. For instance, Assoone's 

 nephew said that one of the ducks desired me to give to one of Assoone's 

 daughters a quantit}' of raisins, for which a pair of boots would be 

 given to me in due time. He was very anxious that I should comply 

 with the request, inasmuch as if I refused the duck would die from a 

 sense of mortification, and this would furthermore "kill" the dance. 

 It is needless to add that this calamitj^ was not risked, 



Assoone, his famih% and a few other relatives wore a costume appro- 

 priate to the festival. Rain coats were worn with the hood over 

 the head, in some instances decorated on the shoulders Avith tassels 

 made from "down" of the "shag," and Avith gull wings. The mittens 

 were of seal skin from which the hair had been removed; there were 

 two parallel white strips of skin sewed on them. Assoone's wife, her 

 daughters, and the other females that constituted the choir Avore white 

 seal-skin boots. The boots Avorn Ijy Assoone and some of the men and 

 boys were unl)leached seal skin Avith Avhite strips of skin sewed on the 

 sides in parallel bands. 



