Chas. L. McKay. ipT 



to put in the bottom ol their moccasins. The parka or coat, reach- 

 es to the knees, and is made large enough in the neck to sHp on 

 over the head; when at work they tuck it up out of the way by 

 means of a belt around the waist. When watching the approach 

 of a person, if the weather happens to be a little chilly, the Indians 

 squat down on the ground, draw their parkas in around their feet, 

 pull their arms in out of the sleeves, and present the appearance 

 of a row of superannuated progenitors of the human race. * * * 

 There are just two modes of locomotion in use in this country. 

 In summer time, travel is by water in bidarkas, and in winter, by 

 land or up the frozen rivers with sleds and dogs. I have tried 

 the summer mode pretty thoroughly, and have found it a very 

 pleasant way of traveling * * * * 'pj^g Indians in this sec^ 

 lion live largely on fish. They catch the Silver Salmon which run 

 up the river in myriads; at high tide the men go out in bidarkas 

 along shore, and catch them in nets; the women prepare the fish 

 for drying by cutting off the flesh outside the ribs; it is then hung 

 over poles and left till dry, and after being smoked is ready for 

 winter use. If all the fish cannot be prepared for drying, a hole is 

 dug into which the fish are thrown, covered over and left to mel- 

 low for future use. These people can eat anything that comes in 

 their way. On a trip when I was with three of them, they found 

 a young beluga, that had been washed ashore some time, and was 

 more than half rotten; this they cooked and made themselves a 

 dehcious meal. Rosa Smith Eigenmann, 



MARTYRS OF SCIENCE. 



The scientific investigator, and notably the experimenting chem- 

 ist, incurs dangers that would be likely to appall the most valiant 

 fighters, and he meets them calmly and deliberately, not in hot 

 blood and excitement. Familiarity with danger breeds reckless- 

 ness, if not contempt, and the chemist will coolly taste with the tip 

 of his tongue any unknown liquid that may be handed to him, 

 Prussic acid is about the only thing he will not put into his mouth, 

 but he can recognize that without tasting it. He will make all 

 sorts of chemical combinations, and try them to see if they are ex- 

 plosive or otherwise dangerous, and sometimes he discovers in a 

 very unpleasant way that his new product is loaded. Dulong, in 

 1811. discovered chloride ol nitrogen, and when he recovered con- 

 sciousness, amid the wreck of all the glassware in his laboratory, 

 he made a note with his unwounded hand, of the fact that chloride 

 of nitrogen is highly (Explosive. About a year afterward, in trying 

 to ascertain the exact conditions necessary to explode the com- 

 pound, he lost an eye and two fingers. Davy, in the same year, 

 had a similar adventure with the new explosive. A tube contain- 

 ing a small quantity was suddenly shivered to atoms without any 



