Show NORTHERN CAVE DWELLERS queer people that thare are found in cold alaska benjamin E miller who was on the united states steamer bear during her recent voyage to retiring behring strait says the steamer stopped at kings island a rocky islet half a mile square about thirty miles to sea from port clarence alaska and found it inhabited py by a cave dwelling tribe which had lived there from unknown antiquity without suspecting there was any other world but their own little islet or an any y other people but themselves they live in eaves caves hollowed out in the sides of a crumbling volcanic rock and in in the bottom of each was some short native grass forming a bed on which to sleep at the mouth of the cave and just in the interior fires are lighted 2 and nd here they warm themselves in the winter win skins of different kinds are also suspended outside to keep out the snow and cold in the summer the hardy natives leave their holes and live in odd houses 3 made aade of poles constructed near at hand on the edge of the cliff these strange people are usually as strong tron gand and vigorous as can be found anywhere moreover they are entirely contented and as happy as people in any of the great cities of america they have no government no chief and no need of laws living in families and setting forth every day in their idaka for the whale seal and walrus valrus 0 on 11 which they live they thay return each night to their eaves caves or pole tents caring nothing for the outside world odd to relate however the prestige of the native is determined by the clothes he wears As these consist of skins and constitute the wealth of the islanders it will be seen that they are not in this respect so much unlike civilized people but the man with more clothes than anybody else has no more I 1 authority ile he is respected for his sagacity but that is all |