242 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [ETH. ANN. 18 
a wide view over both sea and land. Formerly, as at present, the vil- 
lage was usually an irregular group of semi-subterranean houses built 
about a large central building, called by the Unalit, kéj’-i-gi. This term 
corresponds to the name kashim' of the fur traders, which has been 
used throughout this paper to designate structures of this kind. 
These buildings are on the same general plan as the dwelling houses, 
but are much larger and are used as the central point of the village 
social life. They are ordinarily made large enough to contain all the 
villagers, besides guests that may come during festivals. In some of 
the villages, however, where the number of inkabitants is considerable, 
two or more of these buildings are constructed. Their size is neces- 
sarily limited by the material available, which is mainly drift logs cast 
up along the shore. The people of the lower Yukon have a tradition 
that there formerly existed below Ikogmut a village that contained 
thirty-five kashims; at present there are many villages in which there 
are two of these buildings. 
WINDOW 
i 
Steening wee H SUMMER PASSAGE war 
J V//. Ly YW» YY bi Vi. 
Fic. 74—Plan of house at St Michael. 
Snow houses, so common among the Eskimo of Greenland anu other 
eastern regions, are known in Alaska only as temporary shelters erected 
by hunters when out on short excursions from their village during 
winter; they are termed dn-i-gu-yuk', and their use is familiar to all of 
the Eskimo, although they are so rarely constructed. 
On Kowak river there are villages in which the Eskimo have adopted 
from their Tinné neighbors the use of conical lodges for summer use, 
and it is worthy of note that the former appear to have adopted other 
customs from the same souree. On Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers the 
contrary is the case; there the Tinné have adopted many of the Eskimo 
customs and usages, while the Eskimo appear to have derived very little 
from their Tinné neighbors. 
The Eskimo of the Kuskokwim and northward to the vicinity of 
Bering strait have summer villages, built in a more or less permanent 
manner, to which they resort during the fishing season. From Kotze- 
bue sound northward the people use tents or skin lodges while at their 
fishing stations in summer. 
1 This term is derived from the word kaj'-i-gim=“ my’kaj'-i-gi.”” 
