The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-06-09

Alaska and British Columbia. though
many travellers have heard them
spoken OF by other Indians. Once n
tribe q some importance. only about
~ individuals now survive and they
arc perpetual fugitiyos hunted like
wild beasts, in fact. and possessing no
permanent homes.
For ever so long II has been prac-
tico among the coas. ladlans Of Alaska,
when a chief died, 10 20 and kin a few
Of the Tsuisowt-as the people who
talk like birds are called the object
being that the chief might have sory-
ants to wait on him while on his way
10 the aboriginal paradise. In the
course Of time. the pursuit OF this good
old custom greatly reduced the NUM-
Der OF the Tsutsowt. and the latter,
during the last 50 ySars being too few
TO fight, have been kept continually
IN the jump.
The last OF them would have been
killed some time ago but for the fact
tina, they have rctreatcd to the highest
mountains. whore they live chiefly hy
hunting marmots These little ami
mails dwell among the rocks. and may
often be- seen sitting erect az The
mouths OF their holes. whistling shrilly.
The Tsutsowt capture them by means
Of "deadiall" traps set at the hole
mouth.
Few savages In the world have such
primitive habits Of living aB the
rswsowt Villages they have none.
and their huts. erected for merely tenn
porary purposes. arc composed Of q f'w
boughs put together FOR a shelter Yet.
n course the climate OF the lefty noun
lain tops In Alaska Is extremely severe.
Df. Eoag bad much troiblc In find
ms these Icop'r. owing 10 their mode
4 lie. AZ length he came upon
I fauls1Ot boy and. obtaining his con
/ 1tsncc. was Introduced TO other mem-
bors OF the tribe The birdlike Ian
guage Of which be- had heard so much
7 appeared to owe lts peculiarly 10 an
extraordinary richness In sibilaut and
guttcrnl f0unds When spoken Il had
actually remarkable likeness TO the
'hlrruping OF birds
The rsutsowt tribe formerly eon-
sisted OF two clans. and among them
The common aboriginal law against
marriage within the clan was rigidly
enforced That Is to say, no maiden
could take a husband from her own
elan. nor y!oe versa.
but now enc OF the clans hoe been
wholly wiped out. not snelc mem
Der surviving. and on TN, account mo
men have taken wives within the last
few years from the Mass river Indians
Of northern British Columbia Once
year they come down from the noun
ialns and spend a fortnight with the
Mass river people In order 20 see their
& wives folks h O. an odd fact that
The Tautsowt are hunters exclusively.
whereas all other tribes IN their region
ere fishermen.
Dr. Boaz has devoted most o. his lifo
TO the study 81 the savagcs OF the
northwest coast. and be- knows more
about them than any other living man
That Is almost the only region la The
world he gays where the practice 0l
dcforming the human head susyivgs
The defamation b. accomplished dar-
ing infancy. by several different
methods Along the Columbia river
the fashion u 10 0atten the head By
tying u hard cn-hioH ugng the fore
head and another ca tte ocHppt. the
result being an extraordinary broaden
ing Of the skull In The southern part
Of Vancouyer's island the cushion ap-
pied "a the forehead Is 70 arranged that
the skull eventually assumes q triangu-
lar shape. with q huge pFonnencs on
each side Of the forehead aad do
preston In the middle. further TO the
northwayd ore cushion Is used on the
front OF the head. one on each eide,
ana ore On the hack. making the head
nrrrow. vita y grak az the top.