INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 15 



Owing to the serious illness of his wife, and her need of the services 

 of a iihysician, that could not be had at the station, Mr. Kjellmann 

 resigned on the 20th of July and returned to the States. The same 

 day Mr. Jens 0. Widstead, of Wisconsin, the assistant superintendent, 

 was made superintendent, and Mr. Thorvaald Kjellmann, of Norway, 

 was appointed his assistant. 



Having spent five consecutive seasons in arctic and subarctic Alaska 

 and Siberia establishing and supervising schools and the introduction 

 of reindeer, I felt the need of giving a season to the work in southeast 

 Alaska. To accomplish this Mr. William Hamilton, my assistant, made 

 the arctic cruise this season. The itinerary for 1895 is therefore written 

 by him and is incorporated in an appendix (Appendix A). 



The experience of the past year has demonstrated the wisdom of 

 procuring Lapps for herders. Their greater intelligence, skill, and 

 gentleness in handling the deer, and the introduction of their improved 

 methods of treatment, have greatly promoted the Avelfare of the herd. 

 In 1894, 41 fawns out of the 186 born were lost under the supervision 

 of the Siberian herders. This spring under the care of the Lapps but 

 22 fawns were lost of 298 born at the three stations, and 7 of these were 

 from the 75 born at Cape Prince of Wales, where no Lajip was iweseut, 

 thus reducing the percentage of loss among the calves the past spring 

 from 22 per cent in the previous year to about 6 per cent for the pres- 

 ent year. This gj?eat saving is due to the greater skill of the Lapps, 

 and would alone pay the extra expense of procuring them as herders. 

 It has also been found that there is a hearty agreement in the work 

 between the Lapps and the Eskimo. 



Last fall a commencement was made in the distribution from the 

 central herd at the Teller Station. In August, 1894, 119 head of deer 

 were given to Mr. W. T. Lopp, in charge of the mission of the American 

 Missionary Association at Cape Prince of Wales. This spring the 

 herd was increased by the birth of 75 fawns (Appendix C). 



Instructions were left in fall of 1895 to furnish similar herds to the 

 Swedish Evangelical mission at the head of Norton Sound and to the 

 Ejiiscopalians and Eoman Catholics on the Yukon Eiver. 



The Eskimo have been so little accustomed to assistance from the 

 whites that they have been somewhat skeptical concerning their being- 

 permitted to ultimately own the reindeer. As evidence of good faith, 

 in February last a herd of 115 head was entrusted to three or four of 

 the most experienced native apprentices, with an agreement that they 

 were to own the natural increase. This spring during fawning season 

 a Lapp was sent to their assistance, and they lost only 2 fawns out of 

 the 79 born. 



The experience of the past four years has demonstrated the fact that 

 the i)resent system of procuring reindeer is too slow, and will take 

 many years to accomplish the purjjose of the Government. To Gx\)e- 

 dite matters I would respectfully suggest the propriety of placing, with 



