OF BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA. 319 



bim as a littlo boy, brought bim to her camp and took care of bim. Tbi~ bny 

 made a pair of large buntiug snow-sboes for bimself, wbicb excited tae ridicule 

 of tbe men at tbe idea, tbat a ragged, miserable little urchin like bim should 

 pretend to require and use such a thing. The boy, however, paid no attention 

 to their scoff^^, but continued to be kind and attentive to the old woman, bis 

 grandmother, as be called her. His origin was unknown, and he could not give 

 any account of where he bad come from. Altogether there was something 

 mysterious about tbe child which kept him apart from the rest. Whenever 

 they were in distress foi- want of food and their best hunters could kill nothing, 

 some of them would fall on a fresh track, which, following up, would inA'ariably 

 lead them to a freshly killed animal. From this spot the track and all vestige 

 of tbe unknown hunter disappeared. This continued for some time uutil at length 

 suspicion fell on the strange boy and bis large hunting snow-shoes. People 

 wei-e set to watch him, and it was found that be was in the habit of leaving the 

 camp secretly, when tbe others were asleep or otherwise (occupied, and returning 

 again in tbe same mysterious manner. In this way he was discovered to bo 

 tbe unknown hunter and their benefactor. This, however, did not improve bis 

 condition with tbe others. He still continued to be the poor neglected and 

 despised boy he was when they found him. After a time, in winter, tbe Indians 

 killed a great number of deer. Tbe boy asked them for a piece of fat, wbicb 

 in their arrogance they refused to give. That night be disappeared, and no 

 vestige of him could be found but his clothes, which were discovered hanging 

 on a tree. About a month after he again appeared among them as a grown-up 

 man and well dressed. He told them that be bad gone to live in tbe moon, 

 from Avhence he would continue to afford them his protection so long as they 

 deserved it; that when they were in distress they were to supplicate bis aid, and 

 he Avould send them relief, with this reservation, that in consequence of their 

 having refused him a piece of fat when be asked them, all animals would in 

 future be lean in winter, and fat only in summer. Since then be has continued 

 to live in the moon, and is ever ready to answer the prayers of tbe hunter who 

 demands bis aid before going on a bunting expedition. 



They believe in a future state of bliss, where they are to live forever, in tbe 

 same bodies they occupied while here. The principal features of this paradise 

 are pleasant buntiug grounds, where there is an eternal summer, fat animals, no 

 sickness, no death, with exemption from all labor beyond preparing the meat of 

 the animals they kill for food; but they have, notwithstanding, a great fear of 

 death, and a particular aversion to being buried in the ground. Tbe idea of 

 their bodies being destroyed by worms is horrible. For this reason they enclose 

 the body in a neatly hollowed piece of wood, and secure it to two or more trees 

 about six feet from the ground. A log about eight feet long is first split in two 

 and each of the parts carefully hollowed out to the required size. The body ie 

 then enclosed and tbe two pieces well lashed together preparatory to being 

 finally secured, as before stated, to the trees. 



Tbe widow or widows of tbe deceased are obliged to remain near tbe bod;y 

 for a year to protect it from animals, &c. When it is perfectly decayed, ana 

 nothing but the bones remain, they are burned and the ashes collected and 

 secured in a small box, which is bung up on the end of a painted pole, with a 

 piece of painted wood fixed in the ground to mark the last resting-place of their 

 depar;ed friend. After this the women are allowed to marry again. They 

 begin to dress their hair, and put on beads and other ornaments to attract 

 admirers, to go through tbe same observances again, should they a second time 

 become widows. 



Great or heinous crimes with the Loucbeu.K are thieving — that is, wilful theft — 

 and murder of tbe innocent by shamanism ; also lying ; yet they are much given 

 to telling lies and speaking scandal. Employing wealth (beads) as a means of 

 taking away life — that is, paying away beads to a medicineman to take away the 



