Considerable variety of fish frequent the surrounding seas, such as whales, salmon, cod, herring, and holibut, of such enormous size as to weigh several hundred pounds. These are not common food, but they are cut to pieces in the water when caught, from being too heavy for the frail canoes of the natives. On their first discovery, the Rus sians found innumerable phocx, from which they obtained valuable furs ; and for many years they continued to kill thousands of sea otters, whose skins bore a high price at that time, and still higher now, because, from unceasing pursuit, their numbers are wonderfully diminished. Not above two or three hundred are at present taken annually, whence their total extirpation in a short time is anticipat ed. But others are of even greater importance to the in habitants, which arc as ardently sought as the sea otter is by strangers. Of one particular seal they eat the flesh ; oil is extracted from its fat, which serves to illuminate and warm their huts; the sinews are fashioned into thread ; clothes, shoes, and household utensils, are made. of its skin ; its paunch blown up, is used for holding liquors ; and the cesophagus is Fashioned into boots, impenetrable by water. Nor is this all, for the thin membrane of the entrails is converted to a substitute for glass, in admitting light to their subterraneous habitations ; and the whiskers arc com posed into plumes for ornamental head-dresses.
The feathered tribes, particularly the aquatic kinds, are also numerous here, such as wild geese and wild clucks, which are caught in spring, and salted for winter pro vender. Sonic of the rocks afford a retreat to gulls and auks during the breeding season, when their eggs are col lected and preserved for the same purpose. Eagles, par tridges, and buntings, are among those found always on shore, and there are some species migratory.
When the Russians first discovered the Aleutian chain, they obtained the skins of foxes still more easily than those of the sea otter, and yearly carried away many thousands. These animals were so abundant on the Fox Islands, when restricted to a smaller portion of the chain, that they thence received their name ; and Steller, an ingenious naturalist, who wintered on Behring's Island, has left an interesting description of the habits of those found there. But from the same unremitting destruction, they arc now almost as much reduced in proportion as the sea otter, which has induced the huntsmen to extend their snares still farther east. Foxes and mice are the only indigenous quadrupeds which the later visitors have observed here ; but settlers have endeavoured to introduce hogs at Oonalashka, and, for want of other food, have supplied them with fish. This is said to render the fat thin and oily, and to impart a dis agrccable fishy flavour to the flesh. The same has been the case with poultry fed on dried fish, which the Russians have likewise attempted : the fat becomes oily, and the flesh soft and spongy, The natives of the Aleutian Islands are of middle size, of a very dark brown and healthy complexion, and resem bling an intermediate race between the Mongul Tartars and North Americans. The face is in general round ; the nose broad, small, and compressed ; the eyes black ; and the hair, which is strong and wiry, of the same colour. That of the men is cut short ; by the women it is likewise cut short before, and made into a club on the back of the head. The latter are rather handsome, and very com plaisant. Both sexes, unlike uncivilized nations, are clean in their persons ; and their features, which are strongly marked, have an agreeable and benevolent expression.
It is singular, that among the greater part, if not all the savage tribes with which Europeans are acquainted, some artificial disfiguration of the body is accounted ornamental.
The Aleutian females practise tattooing, particularly of the upper lip, neck, arms, and chin : punctures arc made in the flesh, and a sort of coal-dust or charcoal rubbed in. By this means, while the men carefully eradicate their beards, the women, by the bluish tinge, exhibit the ap pearance of having acquired one. But from the Russian settlers explaining to the younger females, that they do not esteem these ornaments as any accession to their beauty, tattooing has rather been brought into disrepute, and is now on the decline. However, they still practise a custom much more tedious and deforming, in the per foration of the under lip, into which bones suspending beads and other trinkets are inserted, while the whole are retained by a kind of button in the inside of the mouth. in like manner, the settlers have found means to signify to the Aleutian females, that their beauty is not embellished by it, and the custom is daily decreasing. The cars of the women are perforated all around with holes, to which beads are suspended ; and the nose of the men is likewise perforated to receive a piece of wood or bone the size of a small quill, to which strings of glass beads are hung on solemn occasions.
There is little difference in the external clothing of either sex, the upper garment being a kind of frock or sourtout, called parka, made of seal-skin, and formerly of that of the sea-otter, or of the skins of birds. Though simple in form, it is often neatly and variously ornament ed ; and the seams figured with stripes of thin leather, ingeniously worked or dyed of gaudy colours, or long white goats hair, brought hither as an article of trade from Siberia. So much care and attention is bestowed on one of these frocks, that sometimes a whole year is occupied in completing it. The Aleutians have besides a kamleika, or rain garment, made of the entrails of the seal, which, being of a membranous substance, excludes the water; and although the pieces are only three inches broad, the whole are so neatly united, that the kamleika, though ex posed a whole day to rain, is never penetrated. The ex terior part of the Aleutian costume is now undergoing some change, by the substitution of coarse cotton, or sail cloth. One of the most important parts of dress is a wooden hat, fashioned so as to project over the eyes like an umbrella. The material composing it is not only ex tremely scarce, but difficult to be formed into any shape with the rude and imperfect tools of the islanders. After obtaining a thin plank, by laborious reduction, its ends are drawn together, and secured with tendons, an operation always difficult and of uncertain success. It is then painted with red ochre, which is procured from the different vol canoes, and ornamented with ivory, glass, amber, or above all with the bristles of the beard of the sea-lion. The last are particularly prized ; for, in addition to their rarity, possession of a number proves the owner to be a skilful huntsman, as each animal has only four : and a recent voyager, who acquired one of these hats, adorned with the whiskers of 37 sea-lions, acquaints us that it was valued at 80 rubles, or above 10/. sterling, among the islanders. The women for the most part go barefooted, and wear bracelets just above the ankle joints, and also on the wrists ; they are besides very fond of rings on the fingers. Both sexes entertain a great partiality for amber orna ments ; but nothing is so much esteemed among them as long tapering shells, called sea-teeth, which, indeed, were in such request, that during their days of greater affluence, they did not scruple to give three or four sea-otter skins, that is goods worth more than 121. sterling at that time, for a small string of them, and what would now be quad ruple the sum.