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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 738 



The ethnological work was entrusted to the 

 writer of this paper. While accepting the in- 

 vitation to make this ethnological investiga- 

 tion, I proposed that the area to he studied by 

 my department should be extended so as to 

 include the Aleutian and Kurilian Islands. 

 My reasons were that the northern Kamchadal 

 have already been studied by the Jesup expedi- 

 tion, and the southern Kamchadal are already 

 Kussianized to such a degree that arche- 

 ological work alone, and some relics of the 

 former material culture, can give us some 

 direct indications as to the primitive life of 

 the Kamchadal. Even the somatological work 

 becomes uncertain in many localities where 

 the intermixture with Russians was especially 

 extensive. The position of an ethnologist in 

 Kamchatka should not be judged by the 

 standard of a naturalist who undertakes 

 studies there. While nature has not changed 

 there since the Russians came there, this is 

 not the case with man. The old Kamchadal 

 beliefs, manners and customs are disappear- 

 ing; some traits, in fact, have already 

 vanished, leaving hardly any traces behind. 

 It seemed to me, therefore, that two years 

 of field work among the Kamchadal alone 

 would not be sufSciently remunerative from 

 a scientific standpoint. On the other hand, 

 the ethnology of the Kamchadal can not 

 be investigated, to any great extent, without 

 the study of the neighboring tribes. The 

 Jesup expedition in its endeavors to clear up 

 the history of the American tribes has already 

 investigated the tribes nearest related to the 

 Kamchadals; I refer here to the Koryak, 

 Chukchee and Tukaghir tribes, as well as to 

 some remotely related tribes, such as the 

 Giliak and Ainu. The nearest neighbors of 

 the Kamchadals in the east are the Aleut. 

 Tou are undoubtedly aware of the fact that 

 the extreme western Aleutian islands are 

 separated from the eastern shores of Kam- 

 chatka by only about three hundred miles, in 

 the center of which are situated the Koman- 

 dorski islands. And the Aleut have as yet 

 not been sufficiently studied. Even the Jesup 

 expedition has not succeeded in studying this 

 most interesting tribe. 



Another object of my study is to investigate 

 the former relations of the Kamchadal to the 

 Ainu. This can only be achieved by a study 

 of the Kurilian islands. In order to attain 

 this, I propose to remain only one year in 

 Kamchatka and to devote the other year of 

 my work to the Aleutian and Kurilian islands. 

 In this manner my work will extend outside 

 of the geographical limits within which the 

 other divisions are working. I decided to 

 spend the first year of my studies among the 

 Aleut. To reach the Aleutian islands I found 

 it advisable to take the western route, by way 

 of America, and on this account my party has 

 had to be separated from the other divisions 

 of the expedition. 



Concerning the investigations of the Aleut, 

 I can say the same as I said about the 

 Kamchadal. Under the Russian rule they 

 have been Russianized to such a degree that 

 ethnology has lost considerably. Much, how- 

 ever, can be done even now. We must en- 

 deavor to reestablish the past by a study of 

 what remains of their old habits and customs, 

 and their former family and social relations 

 and material culture. It wiU also be very 

 difficult to define the physical type of the 

 present Aleut, considering the extensive in- 

 termixture which has taken place between 

 them and the Russians. But their language 

 is still available for study, and it is important 

 to define the relation of the Aleut language 

 to the Esquimo dialects. It is also important 

 to make new excavations, considering that 

 Dall has found traces of different cultures on 

 the Aleutian islands. 



The investigations I plan to make consist 

 essentially in a continuation of my work done 

 for the Jesup expedition. I have in view to 

 contribute to the solution of some problems 

 which have already been raised by the Jesup 

 expedition. It is significant that during the 

 period from 1900 to 1902 I have made in- 

 vestigations on Russian territory on behalf of 

 an American scientific institution, and that I 

 am now on my way to carry on an investiga- 

 tion of the same nature on American territory 

 on behalf of a Russian scientific society. 

 May this serve as an additional proof of the 



