Alaska -- Antiquities; Eskimos; Eskimos -- Anthropometry; Indians of North America -- Alaska; Indians of North America -- Yukon
1.30 p. m. Start toward Russian Mission. Trader carries sugar in bags
and tea for camps.
Near 2. Stop at an Eskimo camp, see sick baby, photograph a few
individuals. Get an ax for a pocketbook--old man happy as a child
at the exchange. Made another one happy this morning in payment for
information with one of my steamer caps. (Pl. 4, _a_.)
Pass along the still continuing bulging hills on the right. They are
forested over lower parts, barren, though mostly greenish, above. As
usual flats on left, devoid of man. Occasionally a fish camp on right,
or a small village, somewhat different, though in essentials like the
Indian (more gregariousness noticeable--up river mostly individual or
at most two or three families). Every favorable higher flat or low
saddle among the hills on the right and facing the river (or a slough)
is utilized by the natives, but such places are scarce.
The ax obtained looks as if it had been broken after found, to make of
it a single-edge tool. Tumbled out of a bank. Old Eskimo knew not who
made it. Found some miles below Paimute by the old man. Others found,
but lost. Ivory arrow and spear points also known to natives, but no
one now has any.
A mountain ahead of us. Sky clouded mostly, high diffuse vapors and
low, heavy but separated cumuli in the east; one would expect soon
a heavy rain. Visibility exceptionally good, horizons far away,
uncommonly clear. Mountains sharply outlined against the sky.
About 12 miles below Paimute, on left, some higher banks (old silts and
dunes). The ax from the old man had been found here. Stop. Find pottery
12 feet, charcoal 15 feet from surface. Also polished and worked
stones. But most of bank has already been cut off and what remains
shows no signs of man on the top. (Pl. 4, _b_.)
Cross river obliquely to right bank, just beyond last ("12-mile") hill.
Find at once numerous evidences of stone work along the stony beach. In
an hour have a fair collection, mainly rejects, but interesting. On top
of bank find several mounds and ridges, doubtless dunes, though the one
farthest up the river looks very much like a large oval man-made mound.
Parts of two much-weathered skulls and one bone lay on the top of this.
No definite marks of graves excepting perhaps in one instance. A sign
of old clearing farther down, but no "barabras." A spot well worthy
of exploration. It was, I learned a little later from Nick Williams,
a native who used to act as a pilot on the river, the old mountain
village or "Ingrega-miut," and the site is 12 miles downstream from
Paimute. (Pl. 4, _c_.)
Beyond are flats and cut banks, both sides, but with hills (old water
front) behind on the right and mountains in front. River here very wide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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