ALASKA. 247 



SKETCHES OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. 



[Taken from Veniamiuov, Zapieska, part 1, p. 134.] 



ISLANDS OP THE FOUK MOUNTAINS — " CHEETIEEY SOPOCHNIB." 



Kaygamilyak is the longest; has a number of smoking 

 hills, sometimes burning. On the southeast side of the island 

 are the remains of what once must have been large settlements. 

 On these islands are arries {Lomvia arra) and a tundra goose, 

 which latter comes here to shed feathers and rear its young, and 

 on the rocks aroand the coast are sea-lions and hair-seals.* 



Tahnak is the largest of the group. On this island are red 

 foxes, with very coarse fur, and a few sea-fowl. In 1764, 100 

 Aleuts lived here or hereabouts. At this time (1834) the men 

 have nearly all been destroyed by the hand of Stepan Giotto v, 

 and the women nearly all perished of hunger. What remains 

 of the Aleuts is on the island of Oomnak. This is the highest 

 one of the group under discussion. Hot springs are to be 

 found on the east side, and on the southeast side are the ruins 

 of old dwellings. Sea-otters are found about this place. A 

 small island lies to the west ; it-is round and full of bold hills, 

 steep. On the southeast side, in 1834, was a small settlement, 

 which the Aleuts say was occupied by a most savage and war- 

 like people. They were destroyed by Glottov. A few sea-lions 

 are found here. Near this is another small island, round and 

 full of high hills. There are remains of two settlements on it ; 

 signs of sea-otter ; no one there, now; (1834;) sea-fowls, sea-lions, 

 and hair-seal. 



Unaska is quite large ; high hills, cliffs, &o. On the east 

 side is a volcano, which began in 1825 to burn ; no hot springs 

 there ; no people there, though the relics of two old settlements 

 are seen. Birds breed on the cliffs ; on the beach sea-lions, and, 

 at times, sea- otters. 



Amootoyon is another small island, round, bluffy, and moun- 



' Last September, (1874,) Captain Hennig, while cruising with a party 

 of sea-otter hunters, discovered a warm cave on the northeast side of this 

 island, in which he found eleven mummies well embalmed. A fall and 

 interesting history of the matter was given to him by the natives, but 

 it is too long for insertion here. Those mummies are now in the Smithsonian 

 Institution, presented by the Alaska Commercial Company. These bodies 

 were put into this cave, according to the people, in 1724 or 1725. — H. W. E. 



