New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-12
ALASKA.


i,,torost 70 the controversy that has long oeYu
A0" S - Lr etbnoloeists touching the origin Oh VIC
American Indians For years, as Is wen NJ ~ g
r. boen a favorite theory with large -o1
so;o,,ifc men that some adventurous Asla"' W, -
Rsbriuc's Strait on the ice from E''' ~ ,s-,d
Prince Of Wales and settled PERHAPS sv fhat thence
veors AGO i'm our newly acqhiIeo 80 ;yrofed south
yo'.t' 49, ,,,,~e numerous, they unlsIH'tu so !i-
AS tleS sIo" id tine whole of the NorIh Al15iIvaI
continent after having eNi'l ssed tbs conn
buiiu9 In, This theory has been sustained Nv
- o'od Similarity Of physique, Couiiuut III I-
&c ioDcroop and the dm esenGs saiu 10 70 - ca,ne
MANY tribes on lut''' ''
from the northwest. .,, l., ,o+,,rol IN sur-
" ~ +-,cas of those early Adventures lnlsuI po
FrS on the northwest coast OF America ouV &c &c
lie inhosptaty and the apparent aos ,,s o
nearly all inducements 10 VISIT u loI INC P:,di,t q
o i terra incocpfa Since the recent p1r-
chase Of Alaska by Mr. seward; hOWeNoI' - o,iT
attention IN the United states mas Oocn u - 70 it,
new possessions and everything Pelt'lul. 4, ,,,tb
history climate SOIL or inhabitants, is lnNeSIeu VIZ
a new interest. Accompanying zen, I.ouS1S 1,TJ
his expedition to Alaska IN 100 NaS YIctir fine
FIRST museum of Alaskan CurlOsltes iha' I"S
been brought to the United States ana ~ III, r. q
collection that viii doubtless throw much Isl.'
ON tbe history of that ice-bOund region. capt
Fast, 70 amuse himself during hc liz
Winter nights commenced me stuo! u ,lo+i, tn'
manners and customs of the haltSaYage natives
and the gathering of curiOsltes. lie was more sue
ceSsful than he had anticipated. tie found that III
many of the older families were preserved, as IeIr
lo0ins and family PenGtes curious carving Oh luoiS'
birds reptiles and hldeOus nOndescTlpt DeaslS
wrought In wood and waIus ivory. lie iOuhd' 700
that these ght be purchased AZ talr prices ana ne
moi only spent much time IN collecting them himself
lint be also employed natives TO VISIT portions OF the
country remote from the coast, ana 10 eHect PI-
cbaseS for him. Tie learned, too from the nedlclhe
men that many of the old graves contained interest
inc relics and these secretly robbed, ana theI
tr1sures added To his museum. 10 CLASSIFY ana de-
col
dtion is impossible, but the following named are
few OF the most interesting specimens
The most curious portions OF suits OF aIOI con-
structed principally of hard Kind OF wood, ana
ruaelV carved with hldeOuS looking images. Ihese
have been preserved IN the older families as meLnen-
toes of their ancestors ana consist OF DItast-pltS
reaching from the neck To the middle, composed OF
slaves about two inches wide and bound together
with cords made OF hair OF roots. Ihele are also
wooden helmets one part Of which covers the top ana
back OF the head, while the face Is protected by
separate piece, sometimes containing holes Tor the
eyes mouth and nose, and fastened 10 the Dack bl
leather thongs, and at otner times CONSISTING OF Soiiu
piece kept IN It's place by a sort OF Dlt when is
attached 10 10, ana which was probably held II the
mouth The top tins piece was ABOUT even WIN tHe
ewes and when the warrior wished 10 protect ms
forehead he merely threw his head forward and the
bottom OF the plate striking ON the breast threw IL
up, covering the ewes and forehead. The helmets
were pumcd with the hair OF the sea COW. In addition
10 these there masks carved with hdeousy grim
ming faces that served both as protection against the
weapons of enemies and TO give the warriors a hor-
riblc appearance These and the heavy iron swords
iron and copper daggers, heavy wooden waT-clubs
with immense knots OH their ends, war drums ana
rattes would seem 10 indicate thar the ancestors OF
the present DEGENERATE race OF Aaskaus were quite
warlike people. They also show that they
skilled in working the native iron and copper that
abOunds In the country unless indeed these swords
and daCgeTS were made since the advent Of the Rus
SLAMS about SO years ago which Is not very probable.
All Of these the Captain mas WIN MN, Dnt rs they
have not vet been unpacked our reporter had to be
content with Capt. Fasts description of them, and
with examining some drawings of them made IN San
Francisco while they were on exhibition there.
Several hundred of the smaller carvings are on ex
hibIion at the Captains rooms. They are made in
ivory and bone and are very interesting. They con
sist of little idols not unlike in design some that
found amOuug the natives OF Eastern Asia and the
islands of the Pacific and IRON their workmanship
indicate that those who made them were men tOt
more than ordinary skill. There also images of
birds, fishes. and reptiles besides necklace COM
posed OF shells. the tusks OF young walruSes and
bone. The most beautiful Of these necklaces Is COM
posed OF alternate tUsks and pieces of amber The
amber is of very superior quality being very clear
and transparent and if collected there by the ma
Cor Y,Uee enterprise among the fcebergs of Alaska
The museum contains also numerous domestic ut3n-
sis sucn as hsh-hOOks Of bone, wood and iron. hsh-
ing spears with iron and copper prongs,
and wood and black wooden spoons
These last form one Of the most interesting depart
ments OF Tue collection. Iney are considerably
larger than table size and the handles are more SKILL
fully carved than any other relics IN the collection;
they represent men, women, and beasts. and N some
instances two or three images are wrought on one
sDoOp Cant asst claims that all these specimens
arc OF ancient origin. none OF them beng either made
sor used by the present inhabitants When II Is re-
membered. however, that Europeans first visited
.that country at comparatively recent date. ana we
consider the great change that would naturally he
wrought IN the character ana laDits OF the people
during the 20 years that the Russians held possession
Of the country, 10 is not necessary 70 assign Their
origin 10 any remote antiquity. Capt. Fast brings
with him an interesting l0t Of Alaskan dresses such
a. re used 40 present. These are made OF Sh, deer,
aud bird skins and some Of them are asteiuly Orna-
mented. They similar 10 those worn by the IN
hahtants OF other cold countries.
Oi the present native inhabitants of Alaska, Capt.
Fast has collected many interesting facts. lie SAYS
that. a race, they are distinct from the Indians,
are we'll formed have bright eyes hne halr. aud
Hchtish brown or yellow skin They are very filthy
in their persons clothing. and habits though. since
the Americans have gone among them, some of the
Younger women nave learned the use Of water, and
paw mOre attention 20 their personal appearance.
Their dress is similar 10 that worn by the EsqumauX
Tie poorer classes live in nuts constructed Of rough
wood. These huts are about seven or eight teet
high and the same distance across the base and gen
orally accommodate about ten persons. They are
entered from hole IN the side, through which the
inhabitants descend by means OF steps. A fire is
kept perpetuaIy burning IN the middle Of the
INIT and the inmates dispose themselves pro-
miscuousy around the small ROOM During
their waking hours. when within doors, they
squat and, indeed tins seems to be their most
natural position for in II they cook their food eat
their meals and perform all the labor which does not
require lOcOmOtlOn. They are lnyeterate gamblers,
PLAYING a game probably invented by themselves,
and in which they often lose one after another of
their articles of clothing that it is uncommon
sight 10 sec men and women gathered around the
gambling implements wholly naked. They very
peaceable among themselves, seldom never disa-
ereeing even though drunkenness Is a very preva-
lent vice. They have a superstition that the whisky
which they drink the spirit of some superior being
that takes possession of man, and that the subject
is no longer responsible for his actions. They there
fore look upon drunken man with sort Of super
stitiOus awe and though he should abuse them,
bear II patiently and without resentment
In former times the married women all wore rings
IN their noses and silver needles through their lower
lips. The older women still continue to wear stop
pers7 in their lips which give them very ugly APP