A SINGULAR TRIBE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1265, 15 November 1884, Page 3

A SINGULAR TRIBE.

In the “ Transactions of the Anthropological Society of Washington ” some account is given of a tribe called Innvits, who inhabit the coast of Alaska from Cape Newenhara nearly to Bristol Bay. The people are of an amphibious nature, and present some striking features in their economy, which seems to put in defiance all recognised sanitary laws. The houses are built so close to the sea that storms and high tides frequently inundate them, compelling the inhabitants to huddle together on the roofs, sometimes for whole days at the time. Their usual home, however, is in their skin boat, or “ kiak,” in the management of which even the very young children are perfect proficients. In fact, the kiaK is the peripatetic home of the tribe, and it is much more useful than an ordinary boat, inasmuch as when overtaken by a storm the kiak is run ashore and turned over on its side, so that the whole family can sleep under it. One peculiarity of the Innvits is that while the head is sheltered the rest of the body protrudes unclothed from beneath the kiak, and the appearance of a seaheaoh where 400 or 500 families may be seen with (heir limbs all radiating from the kiak, but their head and shoulders invisible, is perfectly unique. To inure the body to all kinds of exposure is the chief education of the young Innvit ; and no excuse is allowed on the part of the old people, who aye very severe diacipli narians. The use of water externally is unknown, for they never bathe or wash their bodies—the clouusing process, such as it is, being only resorted to occasionally, when the men light a fire in the Kashina a or council house, and jump aboqt it until they are in a piptuse pprspiyntion, They then apply liquid to their oily skin, and rub it into a lather, after which they take a plunge into the river. It is singular, however, that with sudi dirty habits they

keep their weapons and boats scnipnloudy clean, although they eat their food uncooked. What water they do drink i* taken by preference from stagnant pools, wherein the fish are cleaned and offal is thrown, and whan they go to sea, frequently for days at a time, tiny never take fresh water with them, but prefer to drink sea water. Dirt and hardship *rs common factors in the lives of the savage races but the factof systematically drinking salt water with impunity is, lonuiik-s a contemporary, an unparalleled feature.