XII. 



MORTUARY CUSTOMS — ANCIENT SEPULTURE — DEPOSITORIES OF 

 ASHES-MORTUARY COLUMNS— CUSTOMS OF THE TLINGIT, HAIDA, 

 AND TSIMSHIAN— MODERN CUSTOMS— CHRISTAN BURIAL— SHAMAN 

 B URIAL. 



ANCIENT SEPULTURE. 



The earliest historical accounts are those of the early voyagers, and 

 it is from these that we must get our descriptions of primitive methods 

 of sepulture. 



Dixon, who was amongst the Yakutat in June, 1787, says: 



The manner in which they dispose of their dead is very remarkable. They sepa- 

 rate the head from the body and wrapping them in furs, the head is put into a square 

 box ; the body in a kind of oblong chest. At each end of the chest which contains 

 the body a thick pole, about 10 feet long, is drove into the earth in a slanting posi- 

 tion, so that the upper ends meet together, and are very firmly lashed with a kind of 

 rope prejjared for the purpose. About 2 feet from the top of this arch a small piece 

 of timber goes across, and is very neatly fitted to each pole; on this piece of timber 

 the box which contains the head is fixed, and very strongly secured with rope ; the 

 box is frequently decorated with two or three rows of small shells, and sometimes 

 teeth, which are let into the wood with great neatness and ingenuity ; and, as an ad- 

 ditional ornament, is painted with a variety of colors, but the poles are uniforudy 

 painted white. Sometimes these poles are fixed upright in the earth and on each 

 side the body, but the head is always secured in the position described.* 



Dixon also describes a grave discovered by one of his officers near 

 Sitka : In a cave •' he found the object which attracted his attention 

 to be a square box with a human head in it," etc., beautifully orna- 

 mented with small shells somewhat like those at Yakutat.* 



Portlock, who was also in this region in 1787, describes a grave just 

 above Sitka as follows : 



This edifice was composed of four posts, each about 20 feet long, stuck in the 

 ground 6 feet distant from each other, and in a quadrangular form. About 12 or 15 

 feet from the ground there was a rough-boarded floor, and two of the sides were 

 boarded 4 feet higher up ; the other sides were left open. In the middle of this floor 

 an Indian chest was deposited, which most likely contained the remains of some 

 j)erson of consequence; and on that side of the edifice to the westward, and which 

 pointed up the sound, there was painted the semblance of a human face. 



It is further described as showing evidence of having been recently 

 repaired and the painting touched up.* 



* Dixon, Voyage, pp. 175, 176. \ lUd., p. 181. X Portlock, Voyage, p. 280. 



351 



