486 



trace its growth) has grafted animistic ideas, and semi-religious 

 rites and ceremonies. Thus, the original utilitarianism is more or 

 less completely masked or concealed. It is a singular fact that 

 no people have ever adopted the plan of committing their dead to 



Without attempting, at present, to trace the growth of the cus- 

 tom, I will briefly describe the method adopted by the Kaniag and 

 Aleut branches of the Eskimo stock, in preserving the dead. 

 The details are partly given in the older voyages ; and have been 

 confirmed and supplemented by an examination of a large number 

 of the mummies, and the traditions of the present natives. 



The body was prepared by making an opening in the pelvic re- 

 gion and removing all the internal organs. The cavity was then 

 filled with dry grass and the body placed in running water. This 

 in a short time removed most of the fatty portions, leaving only 

 the skin and muscular tissues. The knees were then brought up 

 to the chin,. and the whole body secured as compactly as possible 

 by cords. The bones of the arms were sometimes broken to facil- 

 itate the process of compression. In this posture the remains 

 were dried. This required a good deal of attention, the exuding 

 moisture being carefully wiped off from time to time. When 

 thoroughly dried the cords were removed and the body usually 

 wrapped in a shirt, made of the skins of aquatic birds with the 

 feathers on, and variously trimmed and ornamented with exceed- 

 ingly fine embroidery. Over this were wrapped pieces of matting 

 made of Elymus fibre, carefully prepared. This matting varies 

 from quite coarse to exceedingly fine, the best rivalling the most 

 delicate work of the natives of Fayal. It is, indeed, quite impos- 

 sible to conceive of finer work done in the material used. 



The matting was frequently ornamented with checks and stripes 

 of colored fibre, with small designs at the intersections of the 

 stripes, and with the rosy breast-feathers of the Leucodide sewed 

 into it. Over this sometimes a water proof material, made from 

 the split intestines of the sea lion sewed together, was placed. 

 The inner wrappings vary in number and kind but they arc all re- 

 ferrible to one or the other of the above kinds. Outside of these 

 were usually the skins of the sea otter or other fur animals, and 

 the whole was secured in a case of sealskins, coarse matting or 

 similar material secured firmly by cords and so arranged as to be 

 capable of suspension. 



