, 
JUNE 6, 1884.] 
lages than elsewhere, the ease of interment be- 
ing evidently the controlling cause of location. 
Leaving out the poles, there is a strong resem- 
blance, in a rough manner, to civilized graves ; 
and no doubt much of its form is due to the 
direct and indirect contacts with civilization, as 
my own Indians (Chilcats) told me that they 
formerly placed their dead on pole scaffoldings 
in the branches of trees, somewhat after 
the manner of the Sioux; and in 
one instance a very old and 
rotten scaffold in a tree was 
pointed out to me as havy- 
ing once_ subserved 
that purpose, al- 
though no sur- 
roundings  con- 
firmed the sto- 
ry; but these 
could have 
easily been 
obliterated. 
We = suc- 
ceeded in 
getting a 
photograph 
(fig. 4) of 
a group of 
Ayan or 
Iyan_ Indi- 
ans, with \& 
their birch- \S 
bark canoes. 
It was very 
hard work to 
keep them still; 
SCIENCE. 
679 
ascending the river by keeping near the shore, 
and using one on each side of the canoe, poling 
against the bottom. So swift is this great river 
in these parts, that they use no other method 
in ascending it, except for very short distances. 
In descending, the current is the main motive 
power, especially for 
long journeys, and the 
and, as far as 
fineness of fea- 
tures is con- 
cerned, the pho- 
tograph was , 3 
not perfect. — 
Their __ birch- 
bark canoes 
are the _ best 
on any part of 
the river in 
lightness, com- 
pactness, and 
neatness of 
build and de- 
sign. ‘The paddle, well shown in outline in the 
hands of one of the group, is of a cross-section 
shown in fig. 5, the ridge or rib, 7, being always 
held to the rear in using it. In addition to the 
paddle, there are two light poles for each 
canoeman, about as long as the paddle, and as 
heavy as its handle; and these are used in 
Fig. 3.— LOOKING ACROSS THE YUKON. ‘THE BLUFFS ARE OBSCURED BY THE HIGH SPRUCE-TREES ON 
THE ISLAND, THE HILLS BEYOND SHOWING ABOVE. 
paddle is only leisurely used to keep them in 
the swiftest part of the stream. When they 
desire, however, they can go at a gait that few 
canoemen in the world, savage or civilized, 
could equal. 
A couple of species of fish were caught near 
the site of Selkirk, —the grayling being the 
