Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-19

possess, generally an old worthless razor
obtained in trade with vessels, and leave a
small fringe around the forehead and ears,
not unlike the chang" style affected by
fashionable ladies. As an offset to the
adornment of the males tattooing upon the
arms, face and breast is performed by the
women, who wear strings of beads in their
hair and around their waists. The men
smoke pipes made from bone, or in some
instances brass, the latter obtained from
traders to the eastward, who bring them
from Siberian trade centers, as they are of
the same type as those used by Mongols
and natives of the interior. They will
hold, however, but small quantity of to-
bacco, and are speedily exhausted. Wo-
men are inveterate chewers of tobacco
that is, when they are fortunate enough to
procure it.
CRAVING FOR RUM
But the continual cry and talk of the
natives of both sexes was, "Rum; give
rum whisky 70 The traders from San Fran.
cisco and the Sandwich Islands and the
whalers from New Bedford and New Lon
don are responsible for the decentralization
and defamation Of the coast Chuckchees.
Again, too, the supply of Henry and other
rifles and an unlimited amount of cart.
ridges, has initiated against these peoples
welfare. Having go many prcjectiles they
do not hesitate to bang away cartridge
after cartridge in reckless extravaganza,
and by these methods the seals and wal.
rus-which form their staple food and
maiustay-are scared away and frequent
other points and islands on the adjacent
coast. These people have no idea of econ.
omy. They consume all their store of food
and then beg from one another. The men
are lazy, lie around, 60 from one hut to
another during the day, while the women
do all the work-sewing, cutting up the
food and cleaning the vermin infested gar
ments. Owing to this parasitical pest the
removal of the clothing while in the inte-
rlor OF the huts became source of luxury,
as it were, to the Rodgers crew.
SUGGESTIONS.
So far as possessing any religion or hav.
ing any conception of a Supreme Being
the Chuckchees appear to be utterly
without any belief. But in common with
the Esquimsux, Koiosh, the pure Aleut
of the pre- Russian occupation of Alaska
and the various islands of the Aleutian
Archipelago they have Shamah, or med.
icine man, who in the Chuckchee language
is termed "Iyanglum. These individ-
uals appear to have great sway and exert
large influence over the Chuckchees. On.
der the pretense that they are in, or have
the power to hold, communication with
the 'Komocks, or spirits that dwell in
the mountains and the sea, they delude
their people with the idea that no hunt.
ing, travelling or trading expedition should
be undertaken without the spirits being
consulted through their medium. The
following description of their perform.
ances, or rites, which took place at various
periods during the residence of the Rod.
gers crew, is extracted from a diary kept
by Bruch and Grace, two of the ships
petty officers ga hunting party, previ.
GUS to setting out, sends for the Tyang.
lum. He brings with him drum made of
seal gut, stretched on wood or bone hoops
for heads, the body or sides being thick
walrus hide. Upon entering the interior
OF the hut all lights are entinguished, and
silence reigns for brief space. Suddenly
the stilluess is broken by the 'Iyanglum'
breaking into low, monotonous wall.
| which gradually rises into loud, prolonged
screech, the drum being beaten all the time.
, until the cunning knave, completely ex.
-iSeSSNN- A"iAo w SIbuuu anu DESGenQH
to go into kind of trance. During such
condition he is supposed to be in close COM
municn with the spirits. Recovering from
| his pretended stupor he tells his audience
the spirits say that the hunters will kill
seal, or wairus, or catch fish, as the weather
| representations which these knaves study
well are almost sure guide to the results
of the hunt"
FUNERAL RITES.
Grace relates that at the village of Yam.
dangie during March last he slept in hut
where young girl was very sick. To
| judge by the symptoms described the dis.
ease she was suffering from was pneumonia.
s. noticed about 9 p NJ that she was very
sick, and that her breathing was very diff
cult. looked at her, and told her people
makee go die As l said this two or
| three of them rushed over toward her with
knives and cut off some of her hair. her
beads and amulets (made of seal gut with
beads intertwinedl, at the came time call.
ing her name and shaking her by the arms
But the poor girl was past hearing, and
soon expired. They gathered her clothing.
beads, bags containing needles and deer
sinews, and placed the whole upon her
breast. In one hand some rotten walrus
meat was put, while the other held
q wooden spoon. Then her boots were
drawn on and the 'Iyanglum and the
neighbors were sent for As soon as the
whole of the invited guests had arrived the
'Iyanglum tied the end of long coil of
sealskin rope around the head of the girl.
the other end he fastened to a stick resem.
bling c-utch in form. The father of the
girl then commenced asking questions, and
at each query the rope was lifted up, caus.
| ing the girls head to be raised from off the
ground.
THIS PERFORMANCE
Lasted three hours, during which time
there was not sound heard in the
hut. At the expiration of the period
food was partaken OF by all present,
after which the 'Iyanglum,' producing
some seal gut rope, proceeded to lash the
corpse, tying the arms close to the body
and the legs with the feet pointing out
ward. A sledge was then prepared on the
outside, and the girls father taking knife
cut slit in the side of the hut as pas.
sage way for the removal of the corpse.
The dead are not allowed TO be carried
through the ordinary entrance, as the ma
tives say, should that happen the spirit
will find its way home again The body
being placed on the sledge the relatives
proceeded to pull it and another sledge
with provisions toward high range of hills
distant some fifty miles inland. Resunling
the ordinary avocations upon their return,
at the expiration of four days they visit
the body to ascertain if the crows have
eaten the walrus meat which had been
placed in her hand. Ii the meat has been
eaten it is regarded as "a favorable omen,
as they will in future hunts be successful.
The last farewell takes place fifteen days
after their previous visitation, the object
of which is to discover whether the crows
have picked the eyes out of the corpse. the
Chuckchees believing that the visual organ