ANTHROPOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS ON THE 

 ALEUTIAN AND COMMANDER ISLANDS 



By ALES HRDLICKA 

 Curator, Division of Physical Anthropology, U. S. National Museum 



Three memorable months were spent in the summer of 1937 at sev- 

 eral points in southern Alaska, on a series of the Aleutian Islands in 

 different parts of the chain, and on the Commander Islands. Owing 

 to stormy weather and fogs the trip was strenuous and much time was 

 lost, but through good fortune and the invaluable aid of the Coast 

 Guard, more was accomplished than had seemed possible during the 

 earlier part of the trip. 1 



The expedition included six volunteer students : Sydney Connor, of 

 the Girard Institute and the University of Pennsylvania ; Paul Geb- 

 hardt, of the University of Arizona ; Paul Guggenheim, of the Wash- 

 ington University Medical School, St. Louis ; Alan May, of Wen- 

 atchee, Wash.; Stanley Seashore, of the University of Iowa; and 

 Walter Wineman, of the Indiana State Teachers College. These men 

 took part in all the search and work and deserve much credit for 

 what was accomplished, particularly the two " veterans ", May and 

 Connor, who were also with me in k 



1 The chief credit and thanks in this connection are due to Commander L. C. 

 Covell, at Washington, D. C. ; Capt. R. W. Dempwolf, at Seattle ; Capt. H. R. 

 Searles, the head of the Alaska Division of the Coast Guard, and to Capt. 

 P. F. Roach, with the officers and crew, of the cutter Diiane. Grateful acknowl- 

 edgment for effective aid is further due to Capt. F. A. Zeusler, of the cutter 

 Northland; to Capt. N. G. Ricketts, officers and crew of the cutter Talapoosa; 

 to Lt. A. J. Carpenter and others of the cutter Morris; and last but not least to 

 Mrs. R. W. Dempwolf and Mrs. H. R. Searles, both of whom gave whole- 

 hearted assistance. Thanks are further hereby given to Capt. Robert B. Carney, 

 Dr. W. H. Harrell, and other officers of the U. S. S. Sirius, who transported 

 the members and collections of the expedition from Unalaska to Seattle ; to 

 Gordon Jones, Superintendent of the great Alaska Packers Cannery at Larsens 

 Bay, Kodiak Island ; to Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Pedler, of the Alaska Commercial 

 Company at Unalaska, who aided us in the friendliest manner in every possible 

 way ; and to many friends, white and also native, who assisted us with informa- 

 tion and in many other ways. Cordial thanks finally are due to the Russian 

 authorities at Nikolsk, Bering Island, for their courteous and helpful treat- 

 ment of the expedition. Without the aid and good will extended to us on all 

 sides but little could have been accomplished in the uninhabited, partly still 

 uncharted and stormy regions that were visited. 



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