ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, 11-10'shan,also called the CATHARINE ARCurELACO. The name of a group of islands, numbering above 150, and con sisting of several clusters, which form an insular continuation of the peninsula of Alaska (q.v.) (Map: Alaska. A 5). They lie on both sides of the parallel of 55° N. bit., separating the Sea of Kamtehatka from the Pacific, and naturally sub divide themselves into five groups: ( ) the Roman dorski Islands, sometimes not regarded as belong ing to the Aleutian Islands; (2) the Sasignan, or "Nearest," Islands; (3) the Rat Islands; (4) the Andreianowsky, very small and little frequented; (5) the Fox Islands, among which is Unimak. the largest in the arehipolago. The islands are all craggy, and have a desolate appearance from the sea. Several volcanoes are periodically active, and warm volcanic springs are numerous. Cool springs are frequent and form broad, rapid streams, which empty into adjacent bays or collect in rocky depressions and form lakes which dis charge their water into the sea by natural chan nels. The whole chain or group forms a connect ing link between the volcanic range of the west, coast of America and Kaintehatka. On account of numerous rocks they are not very accessible to ships. There arc many low. se•ubby bushes, grasses, moss, and lichens. but no strong and stately growth of trees. Cultivated plants do not succeed well. There are foxes and reindeer, and in the neighboring waters are seal, fish and otter.
The natives are known collectively as "Aline ("Aleuts." "Aleutians," or "Aleutian Island ers"), from the Russian designation of a people or tribe of Eskitt10811 stock designation themselves Unungun. They are closely allied in physical characteristics, as in language, to the Innuit, or Eskimo proper; their vocabulary differs consid erably from that of the mainland Eskimo, though granunatic structure and many of the vocables are similar. They formerly occupied nearly all of the islands of the Aleutian chain, and were estimated to number 20,000 to 30,000; in 1900 the population was barely 2000. They are vaguely divided into two tribes or sub-tribes, known re spectively as Unalaska and Atka. They are strong and agile, capable of enduring great fa tigue and extremes of heat and sold, and are peaceful and cheerful. They subsist by hunting and fishing, using implements of wood, ivory, bone, and stone, with the two types of Eskimo water craft (kayak and umiak) ; their summer habitations are tents or huts like those of the mainland Eskimo, while in winter they occupy huts of stone, snow, or other material, or (espe cially on Fox island) underground dwellings. Originally sharing the primitive pantheism of the Eskimo, they were Christianized by Russian missionaries, and are now nominally connected with the Greek Church.