56 OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE. 



tie pappooses, entirely naked, with big heads and bellies, slender 

 necks and legs, are running hither and thither in infantile glee and 

 sport, always with a mouthful of raw ova or a handful of stewed 

 fish from the kettle near by, while the babies, projDped up in their 

 stiff-backed lashings, croon and sleep away the time. 



There are no rivers of any size flowing on the islands of the Sit- 

 kan archipelago ; but there are rapid rivulets and broad brooks in 

 great numbers. Many of these are large enough to be known as 

 " salmon rivers." The first run of those attractive fish usually takes 

 place up some of the longest island-streams and the mainland rivers 

 about July 10th to 20th. A month later a larger species begins to 

 arrive from the depths of the ocean outside, and this run sometimes 

 lasts, in a desultory manner, until January. These salmon, when 

 they first aj)pear, are fat and in superb condition and color ; but as 

 they leave the salt water and take up their persistent, tireless ascent 

 of fresh-water channels they become hook-jawed, lean, and pale- 

 fleshed. They ascend very small streams in especially great num- 

 bers when these rivu.lets are swollen by the heavy rains of October, 

 and, being easily caught and very large, the}' constitute the chief 

 harvest of the Alaskan Indian — his meat and bread, in fact. They 

 are either speared in the shallow estuaries or trapped in brush and 

 split-stick weirs, which are planted in the streams. Everyone of 

 the little salmon brooks has its owner in the Indian law. They are 

 the private j^roperty of the several families or subdivisions of the 

 clans. Those people always come out of their permanent village 

 houses during the fishing period, and camp upon the banks of 

 their respective water claims. 



It is quite unnecessary to itemize all the species of food-fishes 

 in the Alexander archipelago, for anj^thing and everything that is 

 at all abundant in the vicinity of an Indian rancherie is sure to be 

 eaten ; trout, herring, flounders, rock-cod, and the rosy, glittering 

 sebastines constitute minor details of the savage dietary. Codfish 

 are taken in these waters, but not in great numbers, nor are they 

 especially sought for. The spawn of the herring * is collected on 

 spruce boughs, which the Indians carefully place at low- water on 

 the spawning grounds ; then, when taken vip, it is smoke-dried and 

 stored away. 



But the "loudest" feast of these savages consists of a box, just 



* Clupea mirdbilis. 



