Domestic occupations, even the most laborious, are also left to females;
the men employing themselves only in hunting, and building their canoes.
The slaves are required to assist the women, who often treat them in a
most merciless manner. The females take an active part in the wars; they
not only stimulate the valour of the men, but even support them in the
battle.

Besides the desire of booty, the most frequent occasion of warfare is
revenge. One murder can only be atoned by another; but it is indifferent
whether the murderer or one of his relations fall,--the custom merely
requires a man for a man; should the murdered person be a female, a
female is required in return. A case which would appear inconceivable
has actually occurred,--that one of these most disgusting creatures has
occasioned a struggle similar to that of Troy for the fair Helen, and an
advantageous peace has been obtained by the cession of one of these
monsters. The Kalush, who would probably look coldly on our most lovely
females, finds his filthy countrywomen, with their lip-troughs, so
charming, that they often awaken in him the most vehement passion. In
proof of this, I remember an occurrence which took place during our
residence in Sitka, among a horde of Kalushes who had encamped in the
vicinity of the fortress. A girl had four lovers, whose jealousy
produced the most violent quarrels: after fighting a long time without
any result, they determined to end the strife by murdering the object of
their love, and the resolution was immediately executed with their
lances. The whole horde assembled round the funeral pile, and chanted a
song, a part of which was interpreted by one of our countrymen, who had
been long resident here. "Thou wast too beautiful--thou couldst not
live--men looked on thee, and madness fired their hearts!"

Savage as this action was, another exceeded it in ferocity. A father,
irritated by the cries of his child, an infant in the cradle, snatched
it up, and threw it into a vessel full of boiling whale-oil. These
examples are sufficient to characterise this hateful people, who appear
to be in every respect the very refuse of human nature.

Their weddings are celebrated merely by a feast given to the relatives
of the bride. The dead are burned, and their ashes preserved in small
wooden boxes, in buildings appropriated to that purpose. They have a
confused notion of immortality, and this is the only trace of religion
which appear