GAMES, DANCES, AND SONGS OF THE ALEUTIANS. 6l 
similar fish make their appearance about the beginning of May. 
There are 4 5 Aleutian inhabitants in this village, who are distri¬ 
buted in two large jurts. 
During a stay of three days, I found the games here which 
are usual among these people, and which continue through the 
winter until the beginning of spring, or until the appearance of 
the whales. Their origin is ascribed to the Shamans, who assure 
them that the spirits are pleased with such performances, and will, 
in return, send plenty of whales qn shore. The performers 
wear masks, resembling the faces of the spirits which have 
appeared to the Shaitans; and, although these men no longer 
possess the implicit confidence of the people, the Aleutians 
always celebrate the arrival of a fish with these games. The 
person first making the discovery announces it by wearing a 
narrow fillet on his head, and has a right to half the entrails, skin, 
tongue, and sinews. The rest is divided by the trojars of the 
village among the other Aleutians. 
On one of the days which i passed here I witnessed the fol- 
Jowing celebration of the above-mentioned games: — There 
poles were placed horizontally between the beams of the jurt, 
the first about three feet below the upper opening of the jurt, 
the second about twelve feet lower, and the third about nine feet 
below the second, and about four feet from the ground. 
The Aleutians assembled from the different villages then swing 
themselves up to the opening, during which a perpetual clamour 
is kept up by the shouts of the people at whose jurt it takes 
place, while those who miss their aim and fall to the ground are 
saluted by the spectators with loud peals of laughter. As soon 
as this is concluded, and the guests are seated, the dances com¬ 
mence in the following order :—First, two boys in a state of nu¬ 
dity, who were followed by men with drums fancifully decorated 
with caps on their heads, girdles round their loins, and bands on 
their arms and feet ; aftervvardsi females, two and two, having 
their heads encircled with binders embroidered with goat’s hair, 
flourishing bladders of birds’ skins, and dancing to the drums ; 
then a second string of females carrying arrows; and finally a 
train of men in motley masks, with wide streaked mouths, and on 
their heads a sea-dog’s face. Some few who were seated struck 
violently on drums, to which they sung the following verses, 
W'hicli, although translated to me, I by no means understood : 
What shall I do? 
As it appears to me, 
That I shall do. 
