12 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8o 



sions are smaller. Over this excavation they form a roof of wood 

 which the sea throws ashore. The roof is covered first with grass, and 

 then with earth; so that the outward appearance is like a dunghill. 

 In the middle of the roof, toward each end, is left a square opening, 

 by which the light is admitted ; one of these openings being for this 

 purpose only, and the other being also used to go in and out by, with 

 the help of a ladder, or rather a post, with steps cut in it. In some 

 houses there is another entrance below ; but this is not common. 

 Round the sides and ends of the huts, the families (for several are 

 lodged together) have their separate apartments, where they sleep, and 

 sit at work ; not upon benches, but in a kind of concave trench, which 

 is dug all round the inside of the house, and covered with mats ; so 

 that this part is kept tolerably decent. But the middle of the house, 

 which is common to all the families, is far otherwise." 



Although the majority of their bowls, spoons, baskets and other 

 objects of daily use were of their own make, bits of metal and iron 

 kettles and pots were obtained from the Russians with whom they had 

 been in contact some years. The women made " mats and baskets of 

 grass, that are both beautiful and strong." 



Fire was produced in two ways, " by collision and by attrition ; the 

 former by striking two stones one against another ; on one of which 

 a good deal of brimstone is first rubbed. The latter method is with 

 two pieces of wood ; one of which is a stick of about eighteen inches 

 in length, and the other a flat piece. The pointed end of the stick 

 they press upon the other, whirling it nimbly round as a drill ; thus 

 producing fire in a few minutes." But although fire was so easily 

 obtained, fire places were not seen " in any one of their houses. They 

 are lighted, as well as heated, by lamps ; which are simple, and yet 

 answer the purpose very well. They are made of a flat stone, hollowed 

 on one side like a plate, and about the same size, or rather larger. In 

 the hollow part they put the oil, mixed with a little dry grass, which 

 serves the purpose of a wick. Both men and women frecjuently warm 

 their bodies over one of these lamps, by placing it between their legs, 

 under their garments, and sitting thus over it for a few minutes." 



The boats, many of which are shown in plate lO, were described 

 as " the smallest we had anywhere seen upon the American coast ; 

 though built after the same manner, with some little difiference in 

 the construction." 



