Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-08

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arise between them. The houses are
very large, except those of che very poor,
which are as cramped az those OF New
York, only not quite so squalid ana
filthy. The large hsases are presaaeo
over by the owner, and he Is cailep the
| chief They are divided into numerous
small rooms, which, altogether, contain
very ofien as many es any people, or zen
| families. In the middle Of the house Is
large square, paved with gravel and
stone. This ia the place whore the com.
mon fire Is kept, Rnd the cooking for All
the hungry mouths goes on. IL is always
burning, night and day, and the men,
women and children lie down, or sit most
ly round II, squatting on their hams,
which Is their usual position. There ls
only one room in the house, and it u d.
vided, as we have seen, into larger or
srialler rooms, according 70 the aggregate
number of the household
There are steps to ascend before reach.
ing the hole Of three feet in dimensions
which constitute the only place OF ingress
OF egress The descent 20 the room be-
low is in proportion to the number Of
steps in the ascent 10 the hole or door. The
inside rooms just spoken Of are not more
than five or six feet square, and into
these dimensions the whole family is
thrust-father, mother, brothers and SIS
ters.
This singular people burn their dead
and collect the Sshes in boxes into their
sacred places The Captain tried to get
a skull, but found Il impossible. On ex-
pressing his regret to one of the chiefs,
he said "Oh, never mind win kill a
slave for you. and you shall have his
skull " This the Captain declined, how
ever.
The people are divided into chiefs, war
riors, and slaves, the latter being prison
ers taken in war. They are averse 10
marrying more than one wife. although
there Is no reason why they should not,
according TO their system of morals. The
Captain only knew or heard Of three in
stances of Mormopism during his resi-
dence there. Drunkenness is entangled
with their superstition, so that it Is eXtolttd
| as divine condition, and the spirituous
deliria are set down az spiritual manifesto
tions, aud the drunken man Is allowed to
go where he pleases and do Rs he likes.
The owners of houses are called chiefs,
but they have no special influence The
old system Of government by supreme
head has died out with the traditions of
the ancient race. II Is curious that they
kind of their progenitors And yet they
possess heirlooms of their workmanship
that are centuries old. These have been
preserved In their families, but Captain
Fast found II very difficult at first 10 OBJ.
tain them. He succeeded at last, through
the influence of the medicine men. lie
bought them to his service, as he bought
list Of between three and tour thousand
native words of the Russian American
Fur Company, which the priests had been
accumulating for fifty years. Before he
had been in the country nine months he
had caused all the rich graves to be ran
sacked of their treasures, anG had bought
| up all the chief family relics, as well as a
large family collection of curiosities from
the aforesaid company. These he has in
his possession, and they are an unique col
lection There is nothing like them in
the world, and they ought nSt to be suf-
fered to leave the country, Althodgh it is
worth whilo to examine the graves of some
other islands and see with what results.
The curiosities consist of several hun
| dred specimens of minerals, household
| treasures, heiTlooms, a large collection of
fossils, impressions of fossil leaves, etc,
100 specimens in all A cabinet of shells
several hundred; large collection OF
Indian antiquities found in old graves !;
| TWO war natCDetS Tor iron and copper
abound, and the surface soil is often streyn
over with them); 16 wooden masks, for
war purposes, with copper " fixings," a
good deal decayed; one large, life sized
idol; several charms stone and wood
smoking-pipes, the latter elaborstely
carved. The war apparatus consists of
wooden helmets; swords two feet long,
made of iron, handles finely carved; suits
Of wooden armor, jointed, with wooden
helmet and visor, the latter in one piece
and tied to the head by leather p'.iros
battle.axes, spears, lanCes. There are ,.iso
the fishing apparatus the medicine men:
charms full dress suits of aucient cloth
ing made of skins of animals, and other.
of skins of birds with the feathers on
charms, doll babies, necklaces of walrus
teeth, etc.
A remarkable necklace, made of mapy
large Jumps of amber, interspersed with
walrus teeth, is much priced There is nc
amber in Alaska. 1t must have come from
the East, and is very ancient. The cary
ing on the horn spoons, however, and the
jaw bones OF extinct animals, is besuti-
fully executed, although the design is not
equal to It, There are figures of Eastern
gods, and Phalie emblems, and many
! Phallic and symbolical figures, pointing
to India and Egypt. The gods are dread,
full images, although there is the symbol.
ism of an old faith running through them
all.-NeSo York Sun.