Alaska -- Antiquities; Eskimos; Eskimos -- Anthropometry; Indians of North America -- Alaska; Indians of North America -- Yukon
Paimute down river, I am told, has nothing but Eskimo; Holy Cross, but
a few natives now, mainly Indian; above Holy Cross, Indian, Eskimo only
as adapted or in admixture.
July 3, 8.30 p. m. Hills on right now right before us. Behind first a
fish camp of the Holy Cross Mission natives. River narrows and bends.
Two other fish camps become visible. Stop; damp, cold, smoke, fish
smell, a few natives, Eskimo. River now like molten glass, but air damp
and cold, and I must sit behind the engine and keep my hands over the
hot exhaust pipe to keep somewhat comfortable.
Pass bulging bluffs on right--old stratified shales.
11.00 p. m. Arrive at our destination about 11 p. m. But a few log huts
on the right side of the river, with few others and a primitive frame
church in the back. A little store and a big storehouse (with skins,
etc.), trader's house (log cabin) a few rods away. Open store, only to
find that a pup had been forgotten there, made a lot of mess and dirt
and ate most of one side of bacon.
12.00 p. m. Got to bed in the cabin at 12. Spread bed roll on two
reindeer skins which, with fire in the stove, keep me fairly warm. Rain
in night and several earth tremors--common in these parts; feel several
light ones every night and a stronger one occasionally even in daytime
(a big "fault" in the Alaskan range and a proximity to the Aleutian
volcanic zone).
Awake before 8, but as it still rains nothing can be done, while my man
within a few feet of me still snores; stay in blanket till 9. Modest
breakfast at 10 a. m.
10.00 a. m. A little house cleaning--watch kitten clean windows of
the many flies, which it eats; and then my man, a Swede by birth,
sailor, self-taught painter (of ships and sea scenes), and musician
(accordion), goes to bail out the boat. Still full of bites that
itch and need a lot of Aseptinol, which in turn makes underwear look
dreadful. And no bath possible.
Last night met some of the local Eskimo, full bloods, mostly from the
Kuskokwim River. Strong, kinder than the Yukon Indians. But they differ
but little in some cases from the latter. They are medium brown in
color, hair exactly like the Indian, beard also--only the rather flat
(not prominent) mid parts of the face, with rather long and narrow
(upper two-thirds) nose, and the cheek bones protruding more or less
forward, with face long (often), due to the vertical development of the
jaws, helps to distinguish them as Eskimo. There is no clear line of
demarcation between the Indian farther up the river and the Eskimo down
here, yet in some here the Eskimo type is unmistakable. They have more
epicanthus, flatter, longer, and stronger (more massive) face, stronger
frame, rather submedium length of legs, and less brachycephalic (or
more oblong) head, but not the characteristic, narrow and high,
keel-shaped dome that one is used to associate with the Eskimo.
1 p. m. A little lunch--just a cup of coffee and a few crackers.
Photograph two natives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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