138 MASKS AND LABRETS. 



pie, have never swerved from this course. It is true they are very ig- 

 norant, ami that many of the old superstitious are still secretly believed 

 in. as among civilized folk, but, as a general statement, it may be said 

 that the character and nature of their ancient rites are almost wholly 

 extinguished from memory and entirely from actual practice, and have 

 been for many years. With the present generation almost all that re- 

 mains of the knowledge of these things will absolutely pass away. 

 The idea that the knowledge of these things is sinful has been so per- 

 sistently instilled into their minds that no passing stranger can induce 

 them to reveal what they know. After some years pretty close inter- 

 course a few hints have been dropped, or a few explanations vouch- 

 safed, from time to time, but even then an inquiry would cause au im- 

 mediate relapse into a wilful and stony ignorance in regard to anything 

 of the sort. For this reason I can offer only a repetition of remarks 

 which have been printed before 1 in various places touching their cere- 

 monial use of masks. They had the usual method of dancing with 

 masks on during the progress of several sorts of ceremonies, and added 

 to that another practice, spokeu of before as practiced in Mexico, 

 namely, covering the face of the dead with a mask. 



In 1840, in his "Notes on the Unalashka District," Father Veniami- 

 noff wrote iu regard to the Aleuts. 



Their original pantheism has entirely disappeared. Their songs aud dances are now 

 quite different from those described by the early voyagers. The idolatrous custom of 

 dancing with masks on in their secret rites has passed away. 



If the missionaries had sent the pantheistic paraphernalia as trophies 

 to the Imperial Academy of Sciences, with a description of the details 

 of the paganism they supplanted, their defects might be covered with 

 the veil of charity, but, on the contrary, they destroyed on the spot 

 everything they could get at, and even went so far as to rifle all conven- 

 iently situated tombs 2 aud to destroy the carvings, masks, aud relics 



See Alaska aud its Resources. 8°. Boston, Lee $■ Shepard, 1870, pp. 388-390 ; also, 

 Contributions to N. Am. Ethnology, vol. 1, pp. 89-91, 1875; and Remains of later pre- 

 historic man obtained from caves (etc.), of the Aleutian Islands. 4°. Smithsonian 

 Contributions to Knowledge, No. 318, Washington, 1878, pp. 28-32. 



2 Their only music is the tambour, to the beat of which the women dance. Their 

 holidays, which arc kept iu the spring and autumn, are spent iu dancing and eating. 

 In the spring holidays they wear masks, neatly carved and fancifully ornamented. I 

 believe that this constitutes some religious rite which, however, I could not persuade 

 them to explain. I attribute this to the extraordinary and superstitious zeal of our 

 illiterate and more savage priest, who, upon hearing that some of our gentlemen 

 had seen a cave iu their walks, where mauy carved masks were deposited, went aud 

 burnt them all. Not satisfied with this, he threatened the natives for worshiping 

 idols, and, I believe I may say, forced many to bo christened by him without being 

 able to assign to them any other reason than that they might now worship the Trin- 

 ity, pray to St. Nicholas aud a cross which was hung about their uecks, aud that 

 they would obtain whatever they asked for, adding that they must renounce the 

 devil aud all his works to secure them eternal happiuess. It appeared to me that 

 they regarded this as an insult; be that as it may, however, they were not pleased, 

 but had not power to resent. (Account of the Aleuts of Unalashka in Sailer's Ac- 

 count of Billings' Voyage, 1792, p. 160; the masks are figured on Plate xi.) 



