The sun., 1905-09-03
SAKHALIN-WHAT IT rs.
Tho Aboriginal Tribes and russian Con-
yicts on the Interesting Island.

In a book published In 1903 under the
ti,le OF "un Bagne Russo. Lille de Sakha-
,ne." NJ. Paul Labba gives an interesting
.ocount OF the aboriginal tribes and Rus
sian conyicts on the island Of Sakhalin.
I, ia unnecessary to allude to the physical
characteristics OF Sakhalin. They have
heen sufficiently described since the island
baa occupied 40 large q space In the eyes
=, the world. or the value Of Sakhalin
N the Russians, apart from strategical
or political reasons, M. Liable has this to
say: .Sakhalin ia only a speok in the vast
Asiatio possessions Of Russia, where there
are 40 many richer provinces more accessible
and less difficult to oolonize. Russia has
much to initiate and accomplish In It's
Asiatc empire. 1t will gain nothing by
,irusinp it's efforts. Sakhalin Ia main
,ained at great cost; which will become
more onerous in the future. Rus
SLAMS never speak Of Sakhalin except In
terms of vague horror"
Cf the Russian officials stationed on the
island. the author says that they have two
great defects-love Of liquor and Of cards.
Their gambling debts assume large pro-
rortions German and Russian CONNER
cial houses at yladivostok lend willingly
10 these gentry, taking advantage Of their
indeb, edness, which can never be liQui-
dated, to wiring valuable concessions from
them. Although NJ. Liable does not say 1t
In so many words, he leaves 1t to be inferred
that the administration Of the island Is
utterly rotten and corrupt.
There are two tribes OF aborigines; re-
stricted in numbers, living on sakhalin.
The Guiaks, who occupy the northern,
90 xuhn 10
southern end. The Guiliaks are supposed
to have migrated from the valley OF the
Amur; but their habitations tools and
customs suggest the extreme northern
portion of the American continent as their
place of origin The Guiliaks being brought
more in contact with Russian convicts than
the Amos, are very much more deteriorAted
and corrupt than the latter, who are more
in touch with the Japanese. The Guiliaks
always speak with terror Of their first ac-
ouaintance with the Russians. They re-
.garded them as savages and monsters.
A Gtliliak village rarely consists OF more
than six houses. When white man ap-
proaches one Of them he is greeted with
the furious barking Of dogs II they happen
not to be tethered or under control OF
native he will surely be attacked and de-
youred. These animals are always rem
dered furious by the scent OF white man,
whose odor they have never been able to
endure. The wealth Of Guiliak consists
mainly in the number OF dogs he owns
These animals constitute the currency Of
the people; they supply the place OF coin.
Wives are purchased in dogs; the price
varying from one to ten, according to the
youth and comeliness Of the woman. The
Guliaks are OF an ugly type; high cheek
bones, round head, fiat faces and large
ears without lobes. Their color is yellow
brown They are small-the men with
little beard-broad shoulders, short legs
and an immense mouth. They are very
dirty, the men never washing themselves
except in winter, and then with seal grease.
For a woman to wash herself is considered
an objectionable sin.
Each village is usually made up Of members
Of the same family. A Guiliak comes into
the world with 30 many fathers and mothers
that II is difficult for stranger to determine
his actual parentage. child calls 'ytk'
not only his proper father, but the latter's
brothers and first cousins, and -ymk' his
mother and her sisters and first cousins.
Marriage between blood relations is for
bdden When child is born it receives
name. II through carelessness it Is that OF
a person still living, both, it is supposed.
will die within a year. The names Of the
male children are signifcative Of strength,
courage or intelligence; those Of the females
relate to some incident OF the moment.
NJ. Labbe tells of one who was named
sIncendiary," because fire WAS raging at
the moment she was born. Another was
called Abundance of Fish, because her
birth was coincident with phenomenal
run of fish, Brothers and sisters are al
lowed to play together until they reach
certain age. when they are separated and
not permitted even to speak to each other
except with averted eyes. The boys are
taught to fish and hunt; the girls are in
structed in household duties.
The Guiliaks are polygamists, although
polyandry prevails among them to GER
tain extent NJ. Liable tells Of one who
had two wives He desired to sell the
older of the two, although he acknowl-
edged she was the more useful to him. He
had paid three dogs for this lady, with an
annual tribute to her father Of single one.
He had died. The husband thought that
this released him from payment Of the
yearly tax, but the heirs OF the deceased
Nioputcu lts Ilc Wdb az IhC ihoHiChe hoeo'
tiating with them, offering to restore the
lady to her relatives, on the plea that q
dog was Of more Use to him than wife.
In marriage the consent Of the girl is not
required. She is purely an object of barter.
man cannot purchase a second wife with
out the acquiescence Of the first one. Mar
ried women are usually we'll behaved.
They perform all the hard labor. When
they go to the woods to collect fuel they
go in groups under the surveillance Of a
chaperon, an old man expert in the busi-
ness. He, however, is sometimes foiled.
The author tells Of youth named Drivin.
very good looking and glib talker. He
was roue, the terror Of husbands and
chaperons. He was asked why he did not
marry. What is the use, he replied, @to
pay out dogs when all the women are ohas-
ing me-" When an elder brother absents
himself from home, II he has younger
one, the latter assumes the Others marital
rights during his absence. The elder
brother under similar circumstances has
no such Claim on the wife of his junior.