96 STELLER'S JOURNAL 



[a strip made of] whale guts having a hollow hem with a leather 

 string running through it, by means of which it may be tightened 

 or loosened like a purse. When the American has sat down in 

 his boat and stretched out his legs under the deck, he draws this 

 hem together around his body and fastens it with a bowknot 

 in order to prevent any water from getting in. Behind the 

 paddler on the boat there lie ten or more red-painted sticks, 

 pointed at one end, all made in the same way as the one v/e 

 secured but for what purpose ^^ I cannot imagine, unless per- 

 haps they serve to repair the boat in case the frame should break. 

 The American puts his right hand into the hole of the boat and, 

 holding the paddle in the other hand, carries it thus because of 

 its lightness on to the land anywhere he wants to and back from 

 the land into the water. 212 The paddle consists of a stick a 

 fathom long, at each end provided with a shovel, a hand wide. 

 With this he beats alternately to the right and to the left into the 

 water and thereby propels his boat with great adroitness even 

 among large waves. On the whole, this kind of boat is very 

 little different, if at all, from those used by the Samoyeds and 

 by the Americans in New Denmark. 213 



As far as the personal appearance of the islanders is concerned, 

 of whom I counted on the beach nine, mostly young or middle- 

 aged people, they are of medium stature, strong and stocky, 

 yet fairly well proportioned, and with very fleshy arms and legs. 

 The hair of the head is glossy black and hangs straight down all 

 around the head. The face is brownish, a little flat and concave. 

 The nose is also flattened, though not particularly broad or large. 

 The eyes are as black as coals, the lips prominent and turned up. 

 In addition they have short necks, broad shoulders, and their 

 body is plump though not big-bellied. All had on whale-gut 



211 Dr. W. Jochelson, the authority on the tribes of northeastern 

 Siberia and on the Aleuts, whom Mr. Hodge kindly consulted on this 

 point, stated that he can offer no explanation of the purpose of the red 

 sticks other than the one suggested by Steller. (J) 



212 The MS reads instead: "carries it . . . from the land to the water, 

 seats himself in it, and fastens himself in." 



2" i. e. the Eskimos of Greenland. 



