Should a whale be discovered, the Aleutians follow it in their canoes, and watch the opportunity of raising its head to breathe, to pierce it with a dart near the pectoral fin ; then while the animal grows faint with the loss of blood, they revisit the spot frequently in the course of the day, until at length, finding it dead, they tow it ashore. The right of property is determined by the point of the weapon which occasioned the mortal wound ; a fact not difficult to ascertain, as all their implements have a particular mark. But the Russians always claim half of the whole fish. These darts, which arc about four feet and a half long, are fea thered ; some arc coloured red, some black, and fashioned differently for the different animals against which they are to be directed. They arc thrown with much force and pre cision, along a small board held horizontally, to the distance of sixty yards. They have likewise lances, bows, and ar rows; but warfare among them is now unknown.
The Aleutians slim much neatness and dexterity in their different works. Besides the fabrication of arms and bai darkas, the men occupy themselves in carving diminutive figures of terrestrial or aquatic animals from the teeth of the sea cow, which are much harder than common ivory ; and the women are engaged in making fine mats, little baskets, and pocket-books of straw, particularly during the long winter evenings. The latter are woven together with so much regularity, and in such symmetrical figures, that they might be supposed the work of European artists. They also dye various ornamental substances, as straw and leather, of fine and florid colours, with very simple mate rials.
Though reputed savages, the Aleutians are far from be ing deficient in capacity : they are mild, polite, and hospi table ; and, in their intercourse with Europeans, are diligent and submissive ; but, if roused by offence or maltreatment, they become, rash and malevolent, regardless of all danger, and even expose themselves to certain destruction.
Dancing to the tambour or drum, with an accompani ment of pebbles rattled in a blown bladder, is here a fa vourite amusement, which is free from those lascivious gestures usually seen among barbarous tribes. Both sexes, clothed in their best attire, with richly ornamented head dresses, join in the dance ; but the masks which they for merly wore on such occasions, are said to be laid aside. An amusement among the young men of the island of Tanaga consists in leaping from the skin of a large sea lion, held up and stretched out by some of their companions, from which they spring to an astonishing height. love of snuff and brandy is very strong ; and they will be content to la bour a whole day for a single leaf of tobacco, which they contrive to grind to powder, adding a mixture of ashes and water.
Many islands of the Aleutian chain had a very consider able population, when originally visited byiEuropeans ; but the people, along with the animal tribes, have been conti nually declining. Between the years 1750 and 1760, the inhabitants of Oonalashka were calculated at several thou sands ; the males of the whole islands were judged not to exceed 1100 or 1300 about the year 1790; but in 1806, their number was supposed to be reduced to 300. Probably there was a large preponderance of females, owing to va.
rious circumstances in their mode of life. Northern nations are seldom populous ; and, with few exceptions, nature seems there to be alike hostile to animal and vegetable in crease. It is the oppression, however, which the Aleutians have suffered ever since they became first acquainted with Europeans, that has progressively diminished their num bers. At first, they ventured to resist the usurpation of the Russians ; but they were speedily subjugated, and are now held in a state of abject slavery. Their islands are resorted to solely for the profit and convenience of their in vaders, to whom they pay a tribute in furs ; and they have admitted of permanent establishments which send out parties of hunters, who compel the attendance of the natives. Sometimes, in the plenitude of their autho rity, they dispatch the hunters to distant islands, from whence many of them never return, or carry them to the continent of America, where the animals have hitherto had a wider range to escape destruction. Formerly, on ar riving from Ochotzk or Kamtschatka at any of the inha bited islands, the Russians were accustomed to take a few inhabitants as hostages for their security ; but now they as sume possession of a village as if it belonged to them selves ; distribute their traps, to be employed by the men in catching foxes ; select such women as please them best ; and exercise a most despotic sway over the whole. Yct the state of their hunters is represented as very miserable. They are engaged by a trading company, which pays them little regard ; they remain eight or ten years together among the Fox Islands, suffering hardships and dangers, and so much exposed to the ravages of the scurvy, that not many survive to revisit their native land. See Forster's Voyages in the North ; Coxe's Russian Discoveries ; Cook's Third Voyage, vol. ii. ; Billing's Geographical and Astrono mical Expedition ; Langsdorff 's Voyages and Travels. (c) FOX. See HUNTING and I\ IiimmALIA.