2/2  SMITHSONIAN    MISCELLANEOUS    COLLECTIONS  VOL.    96 
elson's  detailed  description  we  see  that  it  is  a  large  semisubterranean 
structure,  octagonal  in  ground  plan,  and  built  entirely  of  logs  and 
heavy  planks  (1905-08,  vol.  2,  pp.  453-460).  The  walls  are  formed 
of  a  double  row  of  split  logs  or  poles  placed  upright,  although  some 
wall  sections  may  have  the  inner  row  of  wall  boards  laid  horizontally. 
Dry  grass  is  placed  in  the  space  between  the  two  rows  of  wall  pieces. 
An  upright  beam  is  placed  at  each  of  the  eight  corners  and  extending 
from  one  to  the  other  of  these  are  cross  beams,  against  which  the 
lower  ends  of  the  first  slanting  roof  timbers  rest.  At  the  center  of 
the  earthen  floor  four  pillars  support  the  central  roof  structure  which 
is  to  some  extent  vaulted,  being  composed  of  four  series  of  timbers, 
one  above  the  other,  with  a  square  opening  at  the  top  which  served 
as  smoke  hole  and  winter  entrance.  Descent  into  the  room  is  made 
by  means  of  a  ladder,  a  log  of  split  poplar  with  holes  cut  in  it  to 
serve  as  steps.  A  short  distance  in  front  of  the  ladder  is  the  hearth, 
which  consists  of  two  stones  placed  on  the  earthen  floor. 
At  the  rear,  behind  the  posts  which  support  the  roof,  is  a  low  plat- 
form of  boards,  i  to  2  feet  high,  which  serves  as  a  seat  and  as  a 
bedroom  for  visitors.  Along  the  right  and  left  sides  of  the  house 
are  the  rectangular  skin  sleeping  tents  used  by  the  family. 
The  most  striking  feature  of  the  Koryak  house,  especially  when 
viewed  from  the  outside,  is  the  heavy  timber  framework  or  storm 
roof,  in  the  shape  of  a  funnel  or  inverted  umbrella,  which  is  built 
around  the  roof  entrance  as  a  protection  from  the  weather. 
The  winter  roof  entrance  is  used  from  November  to  May.  Dur- 
ing the  rest  of  the  year  the  house  is  entered  by  a  covered  passage 
way  somewhat  lower  than  the  height  of  an  average  man.  The  floor 
of  the  passage,  like  that  of  the  house  itself,  is  excavated  but  is  at  a 
slightly  higher  level ;  it  slopes  downward  slightly  toward  the  door 
leading  into  the  house. 
In  late  November  the  outer  door  to  the  entrance  room  or  passage 
is  walled  up  for  the  winter  and  the  room  from  then  on  serves  mainly 
as  a  storage  space.  Women  and  children,  however,  continue  to  enter 
the  house  through  a  circular  opening  in  the  roof  of  the  entrance  room. 
As  to  the  resemblances  between  this  house  and  those  of  the  Alaskan 
Eskimo,  it  will  be  observed  that  in  floor  plan  and  wall  and  roof  con- 
struction the  Koryak  house  resembles  that  of  southwest  and  west 
Alaska  (Bristol  Bay  to  Norton  Sound).  Thus,  the  roof  is  supported 
by  four  upright  pillars  rising  from  near  the  center  of  the  floor  and 
the  upper  part  is  to  some  extent  cribbed  or  vaulted,  just  as  in  the 
Alaskan  examples.  Furthermore,  the  outline  of  the  house  is  octagonal, 
and  the  only  octagonal  structures  in  Alaska  are  the  kashims  between  the 
