OF BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AMERICA. 325 



Standard is called a nakieik, (bead clothing;) it consists of long strings of beads 

 joined together at the distance of a foot ; the lines are seven feet long Tiie whole 

 naki eik is equal to twenty-four made beaver, and one of the lines is one or 

 more beaver-skins, according to the value of the beads. 



Before the arrival of the whites they had no religion, but they believed in a 

 Supreme Being who would do good to them, but they knew of no evil spirit. 

 One man told me that they had no devil at all before the whites came They have 

 many superstitions. For instance, when the tire made a hissing noise they threw 

 in some ftit, and asked to bo able to kill some animal ; if a crow passed they 

 asked it for meat, and promised to share it with the crow. There are several 

 rocks that they used to make offerings of beads to, in order that they might be 

 able to kill some animal soon. 



Medicine — As they had no religion, so they had no priests, as with the 

 southern Indians ; nor had they any sacred fire. They had, however, magi- 

 cians, who could do wonderful things. If you were to believe their own story, 

 they could make wind, prophesy, and when a storm of rain was coming, by 

 putting their medicine bag on a pole at the side of the lodge ne.xt to the storm, 

 they could m^ike the clouds turn and the rain fall in another place. 



The medicine man, whose profession it is, or, rather, who professes to cure 

 all diseases whenever he pleases, is rather an important man among them. His 

 treatment consists of singing barbarous songs over the sick person and perform- 

 ing all kinds of antics ; he is also a magician ; in ftict, there is little or no differ- 

 ence between them. They practice blood-letting also, ad libifum, and for every 

 complaint, from a headache to a pain in the big toe. As for plants, they have 

 no kno-wledge of them whatever, except one which they eat and another which 

 is poison ; this last is never used for any purpose. 



Gorernment. — They are governed by the same chiefs in peace and in war. 

 The authority of a chief is very limited, for the Indians are very unruly, and 

 not at all disposed to submit to authority. The chiefs are chosen either on ac- 

 count of their wisdom or courage, and not at all on account of birth. They 

 have no insignia of office, and as for privileges they have all that they can take, and 

 none that the others can withhold from them. The chiefs and old men are all 

 who are entitled to speak in council, but any young man will not hesitate 

 to get up and give his seniors the benefit of his wisdom. 



Law. — They have no law ; or, rather, the injured party takes the law in his own 

 hand. For theft, little or no punishment is inflicted ; for adultery, the Avomau 

 only is punished, being beaten and sometimes thrown off by her husband, and 

 instances are not wanting of the woman being put to death ; for murder, tiie 

 friends or relations of the murdered man revenge his death ; but if a medicine 

 man is paid to kill him, and the man happens to die, the medicine man is inno- 

 cent, and the one who paid him is the guilty one. 



Social It/e. — Slavery is practiced among them. Any poor creature who has 

 no friends is made a slave. Female chastity is prized, but is nearly unknown. 

 The treatment of women by their husbands is very bad ; they are, in fact, little 

 better than slaves. If a Kutchin is eating he does not allow his wife to eat 

 with him, but after he is sati.-^fied he throws her some meat just as he does to his 

 dogs. She cuts and hauls his fire-wood ; she hauls his lodge, kettles, and 

 property when the camp is moved ; she hauls the meat to the camp in winter 

 and carries it iu summer. During the warm weather she dries the meat, carries 

 him water, makes his clothes, laces his snow-shoes, and, indeed, does all the 

 drudgery of the camps ; but in travdling the men do a little — just a little; 

 they go before, making a track, and stop at such a place as they think the 

 women will be able to reach about nightfall. They choose a level "place just 

 large enough for a lodge, scrape off' the snow, line it with pine brush, cut some 

 fe\v armfuls of dry Avillows, and the women put up the lodge when they arrive. 



