special Nehanni vocabulary, the philological evidence is wanting--I
begin with the notice of the _Nehannis_, as known to the Hudson's Bay
Company, and afterwards superadd a sketch of the _Sitkans_, as known to
the Russians of New Archangel; the two notices together giving us the
special description of a family, and the general view of the class to
which that family belongs.

That the Nehannis are brave, warlike, and turbulent, is no more than is
expected. We are far beyond the latitude of the peaceful Eskimo. That
they are ruled by a woman should surprise us. Such, however, is the
case. A female rules them--and rules them, too, with a rod of iron.
Respect for sex has here attained its height. It had begun to be
recognized amongst the Athabaskans.

The Nehannis are strong enough to rob; but they are also civilized
enough to barter; buying of the inland tribes, and selling to the
Russians--a practice which seems to divert the furs of British territory
to the markets of Muscovy. But this is no business of the ethnologist's.
They are slavers and slave-owners; ingenious and imitative; fond of
music and dancing; fish-eaters; active in body; bold and treacherous in
temper; and with the common Koluch physiognomy and habits.

_These_ we must collect from the descriptions of the Russian
Koluches--the locality where they have been best studied being Sitka
Sound, or New Archangel. We must do it, however, _mutatis mutandis_,
_i.e._, remembering that the Sitkans are Koluch of an Archipelago, the
Nehanni Koluch of a continent.

The Koluch complexion is light; the hair long and lank; the eyes black;
and the lip and chin often bearded.

The _Konaegi_ are the natives of the island Kadiak. Now Lisiansky, from
whom the chief details of the Sitkan Koluch are taken, especially states
that, with few exceptions, their manners and customs are those of these
same Konaegi; one of the minor points of difference being the greater
liveliness of the Sitkans, and one of the more important ones, their
treatment of the dead. They _burn_ the bodies (as do the Takulli
Athabaskans) and deposit the ashes in wooden boxes placed upon pillars,
painted or carved, more or less elaborately, according to the wealth of
the deceased.

On the death of a _toyon_, or chief, one of his slaves is killed and
burned with him. If, however, the deceased be of inferior rank the
victim is _buried_. If the death be in battle, the head, instead of
being burned, is kept