Whenever  a  successful  trader  among  them  accumulates  property  and
food,  and  is  known  to  work  solely  for  his  own  welfare,  and  is  careless
of  his  fellow  villagers,  he  becomes  an  object  of  envy  and  hatred  which
ends  in  one  of  two  ways — the  villagers  may  compel  him  to  make  a  feast
and  distribute  his  goods,  or  they  may  kill  him  and  divide  his  projjerty
among  themselves.  When  the  first  choice  is  given  him  he  must  give
away  all  he  possesses  at  the  enforced  festival  and  must  then  abandon
the  idea  of  accumulating  more,  under  fear  of  being  killed.  If  he  is
killed  his  i)roperty  is  distributed  among  the  people,  entirely  regardless
of  the  claims  of  his  family,  which  is  left  destitute  and  dependent  on
the  charity  of  others.  This  was  done  at  the  time  of  the  killing  of
A-giina-pai'-iik,  at  Unalaklit.  This  man  was  a  native  of  the  Kaviak
peninsula,  on  the  coast  of  Bering  strait,  and  had  been  forced  to  leave
there  after  having  killed  a  man,  for  fear  of  the  dead  man's  relatives
taking  blood  revenge.  He  had  located  at  Unalaklit,  and  by  his  domi-
neering character  and  ability  as  a  trader  became  one  of  the  niost  prom-
inent leaders  among  the  peo])le  of  that  region.  He  plotted  to  capture
and  rob  the  trading  station  at  St  Michael,  and  was  prevented  from
carrying  out  the  plan  only  by  the  timidity  these  people  manifest  when
dealing  with  white  men.
