Daily camera., 1897-09-30
ALASKAN CANNIBALS.
Gold Seekers VIII SEQ Them En-
Route to the Kondike.
Queer AbOrigine es Whose Customs and
Habits Are Based Upon
Beliefs in the Super
natural.


1well some very queer aborigines, as
gold seekers tiocking to the Hlondike
region will surely discover. They DO
the most of the freighting across the
oasses into the interior, carrying loads
III their backs, but their population dur
ing many centuries has been so shut
lway from other tribes by gigantic
ranges of snow clad, mountains that
lhey have developed peculiar culture
and customs unknown anywhere else.
Hence the exceptional value of mono
graph about them prepared by DR..
Franz Boaz, distinguished ethologiAt,
which is to be published shortly by the
National museum.
These natives may be said to live
argely in world of imagination, mas
ouch as their customs and habits OF
wing are based to great extent upon
dcas and beliefs wholly supernatural.
'reation, from their point OF view, is
oeopled by strange monsters and de-
,.Dns, which, while morally hostile to
pal may be rendered friendly and even
Iclpful with the aid of certain cere-
u,"uials of a quasi religious character.
For example the most important of
these monsters is a serpent which has
u head at each end of its body and
human head in the middle. To touch
this strange monster these natives be-
eve is death, all the joints of the vic
I'm becoming dislocated, but specially
Iyored individuals are enabled to per-
orm wonderful feats by wearing a
belt of it's skin, while it's eyes, used as
sling stones, will kill any animal, even
whales. Another Of these fabulous be-
irgs is wild woman who lives in the
woods. She has enormous breasts, and
carries basket, into which she puts
children whom she steals for the pur-
pose OF eating.
One of the most remarkable of the
festivals celebrated by the Indians is
Il carnival of ghosts, which is held each
winter. 1t seems to be derived from u
tradition that tells of journey made
oy an adventurous individual to a region
beneath the earth, inhabited by phan-
IONS. The celebration itself is Il mimic
representation of the visit to Hades
aforesaid, and the performer who rep
rcsents the submundane traveller wears
necklace and headdress set round with
'liulls.
Cannibalism is very conspicuous in
the myths current among these people,
who have themselves been eaters of
human flesh up to a recent period. In
Iced, though the whites are supposed
to have put stop to such practices, it
would seem that secret indulgence in
them has not been wholly done away
with.
Quite number Of strange demons
are worshipped as guardian spirits
among them a cannibal demon that lives
IN the mountains and is always en-
gagged in the pursuit of human beings
for his table. The smoke of his chimney
s the color of blood, and he has fe
male slave who gets food for him by
catching men and collecting corpses.
In his house is fabulous bird, with an
immensely long beak, which lives on
the brains of persons whose skulls it
fractures with its bill. Anybody who
is so unfortunate as to encounter the
cannibal spirit may be transformed
into a grizzly bear. On the other hand,
he can please the demon, he may OBJ
tain power to handle fire without being
burned.
Another guardian spirit is a fearsome
warrior who lives in the far north. He
travels constantly, and never leaves his
canoe. BY obtaining his protection
man may become invulnerable, or he
may acquire power to catch the invisi-
BILE disease demon. This demon is at
al time flying about in the air in the
form OF a worm. The fortunate protege
Of the warrior spirit catching the worm
can throw it into the body of an enemy,
who will d lie at once. The suggestion
of the modern germ theory of disease
contained in this belief is quite interest
ing. Not to be neglected among the
guardian spirits are certain ghosts,
which bestow the power or returning
to life after death.
D. Boaz has secured for the National
museum large number of masks, such
rs are worn by the Indians of the Alas
KAN coast in their ceremonials. Some
If them are of enormous size and as
;onishingly grotesque-Cincinnati En-
luirer.