The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
NEW TRIBE OF INDIANS.
wrsTERY a. TO THE ORIGIN OF
ABORIGTNEs IN BEHRTN6 SEA.

They Beb No Suddenly on the PrsvIousiy Uas
Inhabited kInEs transformations Astsn.
Ishsd with Their Remarkable Feats e
strength, Queer Tastes, nnd CnstoHan-
From the Saw Fransiseo Gall.
Frederick Walker. Joseph sohomanoR. End
James Aiken have just returned TO San Fran"
cisco, via Seattle, from a cruise OF adventure
and discovery among tho waters OF the norsner~
territory. They toll of a remarkable tribs OF In
dams whom they found inhabitinE an island
near tho sixty.hfth parallel Of latitude and
south OF Behring Strait, called Kings leland.
The Indians seemed to belong TO the Innuit or
Eskimo family, as they presented the same
physical characteristic Of these people,, they
being large, tho mon generally over elk feotr
with small black eyes. high check bones, yellow
akin. brown hair. and full brown boards half
conconlinE thick lips. In the corners OF the
lower lips OF many Of tho men holes had been
punched. in which pendent ornaments were
worn. The people appeared docile and aRroea-
bic. and when tho strangers went among them
they offered them no harm.
A eurprisinr feature Of the tribe was the
stature and strength Of the women. They were
equally as tall. IL not taller. than tho men, and
fully as stout az their lords. They Gid not die
play tho barbarous ornaments upon their faces
with which mon increase the ostoom in which
they hold one another. and thoy were much bot
ter looking than the males.
Their strength OF body was wonderful. Ono OF
these women. 1t lie related. carried Off In her
birch.bark canoe nm s0o.pound stone for use az
an anchor to ths AVN Mna'e 81 Soo oSss , Macn ms ie
to lift 1t. and they were strong men. too. though
tho woman had not found the. moving, of It Do
yond her powers. Ono woman. IL Is stated
lifted a box containing $50 pounds OF load and
carried 1t upon her shoulders. When, food 10
scarce they will frequently travel thirty or
forty miles without eating. going over the coun-
try on the mainland in search OF wherewithal to
endowed with remarkable vigor and power,
They are highly athletic and can outrun and
outiump any persons OF any other race pitted
This physical viEor Is extraordinary to be pro-
duceh by the kind OF food they consume. They
live on carrion fish and zeal oil. The nsh, gen:
orally the salmon. are caught in the fall ana
Suias r In the groq NAV inS Srs s w't ESnt t the SmshSoite
the winter. while tho thermometer ranges from
80 to 40 degrees below zero anu Whey they ar" iSs dug up
| brought to the air they have tho appearance OF
sound fish. but their stencil is unbearaole to the
The island is a great mass of black rock. ba-
saltic in texture. about a mile long and two
aS9sS s fSss hi 81 the tRTST sonsE s SRSH wall IT, h SS' fail %
Of the isiSndr: t tho lower end q this %ravine.
worn into the rock by tho restless action of tho
waves. The ocean surf roars and SplSsh9S
Of the cave there is u great hlling or
here is OF dPs ScptSis%ei un S%ST There Is rl Il in T tsS
rock to connect with the snow mass In the
rH1inei which wfdGd is probably %o6s ayc the H, ease fos roo IN t n w i1SS
they store their walrus and seal meat and whale
blubber; There such provision quickly freezes
and is kept 80 concealed indefinitely or until
Where these people have come from is the
curious problem in the estimation of the three
most entirely depopuiated Of its inhabitants BY
to be readily obtainable with the primitive weap-
American whalors from the south have nearly
rid the waters Of the white whale, the great
riety there is now seeks the protection of the
frozen ocean, or II the fish venture south
that il is rarely possible that an Indian viliaEsr
can catch one of them.
the me ss WHlrns' too sc6a snsh az an a IN sirtsneo sni basi s an
nearly disappeared that the visit of one about
the island IS now a rarity: The whalers have
their tusks. The caribou on the mainland are
all gone. and the Indian, is now forced to subsist
mainly on small t1sh and sea lions. Some of the
salmon. however. are enormously large. being
five feet long and weighing as much as l2o
when scaled and tanned are used to cover
biarkas-the Eskimo boat.
deep. water cod. tho supply of which is incon.
ceiyable,, as the resource is yet comparatively
small boats. and with no pulleyH upon which to
They are well rewarded for their labora. how
ever. as every line draws up from three to hyo
hooks used, each fish weighing from twenty to
it would seem that with such facilities for cold
storage these Kings Island Indians could so pro.
serve their food that it would have n moro agree
S bile favor to the sensitive palate. I But The E :
says that while anchored of the island q party
OF tho men zane aboard, and while his back WAS
tnFnn1 fheV fOnk IN and drank n OalI0n Of lin
seed oil, which was standing in a vessel upon
the deck awaiting use in some painting opera.
ashore among them have starved to death. un-
able to eat their food. Their cravings for food
stuff, into their stomachs. but this organ would
revolt and refuse TO retain 1t. So they would
die amid mingled sufrerinEs OF nausea and panSS
But the most remarkable feature in conneo-
ton with these Indians Is their habitations.
They are cave dwellers, the only known people
having caves for dwellings now upon The North
And their Residences aro peenil"r and far az:
fsrent from hose Of ths 9lifr dwsllors Of New
Of the mesas. These houses are excavated in
the sides OF a hill. the chamber being pierced
some feet into the rise and walled up on three
the sea it is strongly walled up tho front with
stones, Across the top of tho stonc walls are
LAID poles which they gather from the driftwood
OF the island. And upon these iinprovised raft
ers are placed hides. grass, and lastly a layer of
You do not enter this home directly. but the
iingress is from the end OF a long. low. tunnel
like hall; covered with the same kinds OF ~rafters
and roof as is the house. This p1ssaRewAy 10
from twelve to fifteen feet long, and 1t does not
a69t against the apartment TO which IT. leads;
and upon a level with IL, but ends below II. and
you rise out of the hall into tho house through
an lsinch hole in the top OF ono and in the floor
OF the other. 1t is q strange and curious sight
to behold, these odd dwellings ranged against
the hills, setting ono above another, the topmost
perhaps overlooking forty of such houses. II Is
estimated that 300 people live in this village,
which is called Ouk.ivak, and which is certainly
one of the most extraordinarily constructed
places in the world.