ISLANDS BELONGING TO RUSSIA, IN ASIA. 135 



They live together in families, and societies of several families 

 united, which form what they call a race, who in cas& f an attack, or 

 defence, mutually aid and support each other. The '^habitants of 

 the same island always pretend to be of the same race ; -> n d every 

 person looks upon his island as a possession, the property i£ which 

 is common to all the individuals of the same society. Feasu are 

 very common among them, and more particularly when the inhabi- 

 tants of one island are visited by those of the others. The men of 

 the village meet their guests beating drums, and preceded by th6 

 women, who sing and dance. At the conclusion of the dance, thV. 

 hosts serve up their best provisions, and invite their guests to pare 

 take of the feast. They feed their children when very young with 

 the coarsest flesh, and for the most part raw. If an infant cries, the^ 

 mother immediately carries it to the sea side, and, whether it be sum- 

 mer or winter, holds it naked in the water until it is quiet. This 

 custom is so far from doing the children any harm, that it hardens 

 them against the cold, and they accordingly go barefooted through 

 the winter without the least inconvenience. They seldom heat their 

 dwellings ; but when they are desirous of warming themselves, they 

 light a bundle of hay, and stand over it ; or else they set fire to train 

 oil, which they pour into a hollow stone. They have a good share of 

 plain natural sense, but are rather slow of understanding. They 

 seem cold and indifferent in most of their actions ; but let an injury, 

 or even a suspicion only, rouse them from this phlegmatic state, and 

 they become inflexible and furious, taking the most violent revenge, 

 without any regard to the consequences. The least affliction prompts 

 them to suicide ; the apprehension of even an uncertain evil often 

 leads them to despair, and they put an end to their c]avs with gre#t 

 apparent insensibility. 



