Cremation In Alaska

flSvinghad Information the otherday of a civmutimi to take place at the [ndian village. I went to the beach to witness it. The defnnct stwaah was known around Juneau as Frank, and Was formerly employed at Martin Kros.' store ia the capacity of Indiam elcrk, and tho klockman (it being a doublé cretnation of one of each sex) had boen called Jennie; both, as it happened, having died "f cousumption. The niourning service consisted of the ancieat eeremony known ai "poüatoh," which is always cuatomary among the Indiana of Southweatern Alwkw on the occasion of a death of one of their nomber. The potlatch is i división of whatever témpora] goods the doeeased inay liave possessed, such as blankets, dry goods, etc. among his or lier relations, aecording as the merits of cach individual case may justifv. In the services of the mouining, which are veryiong, and to the [ndian niind very inipressive, the lirsl in the order of the day is a eulogistic discourse by one of the old men, which, being delivered by him in sections, so to spcak, is taken up and sung by tho rest in a nionotonous sort of chant; the old man is then suporseded by another venerable buek, who goes through the same service, and he in turn by another, until all the old men have had their individual say. The ohanters keep time by thuniping the floor with sticks and beating on a drum. This performance being gone over for a day or two, the potlatch takrs plaoe. The body of the deceased is fint wrapped in a matting, wovea brom split loots, and in appcarancu ïvsembling coarse straw. They then convey the body to the place of cremation, which is always on the beach at liighwater mark. On this occasion they had on hand for the purpose of burning the two bodies, about one cord of woud, sonie split and some in sinall logs. First a platform of small logs is laid a foot from the ground, and a space of four inches between eaoh log. On this pyre, which was about seven feet long by five feet wide, the two bodies were placed, about three foet apart, and around them a miniature log hut was built to a lieight of fout feet; the enclosed space is then car.fully lilled in with split wood and line kindling, and nou. every thingbeingio readiness, the fira is lighted from the bottom. The n:itive diet being chieflj salinon, an oily substance, the bodies ol the Indians sccni to contajo a considerable amouni oí oil, aa they burn verj readlly. Wliile the coipses were chai ring, the friends of the deceased continued to poke them with long sticks, occasionally raking the fragmenta oi burnt flesh from the tiiv and WrappiBg them in skins, blankcts, etc. Kcturning from the cremation of the two natives, I heard singing in a nativa house, and dropped in to seo what wal going ou. There was quite an assemblage o) natives squatted around a sinall lire in the center of the room, and at om: end of the house the corpse of an old woman lay, covered with sheets and blankets. All around the room wal strung up niuslin, pieoea if calleo, and a few blankets; also, three unibrcllas, etc., all of which will be distributed among the relatives and near friends. Then the process described above will