36 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



and Mrs. J. L. Prevost, of the P]piscopal mission of St. James, and of 

 meeting Fatliers Judge, Post, and O'Hare, of the Catholic missions. 



On July 8 we again headed for Siberia, where it was expected that 

 by this time the ice would have left the coast in the vicinity of St. 

 Lawrence Bay. On our way we visited Sledge Island. The village is 

 a cluster of hillocks, each with a square hole in the top, through which 

 one descends into a chamber from 20 to 25 feet square and about 8 feet 

 deep. At the corners and along the sides posts of driftwood had been 

 placed. Other timbers across the top formed the roof. Against the 

 sides dirt and sod were iiiled, making it proof against the intense cold, 

 and also very successfully imprisoning the powerful odors of the seal 

 and walrus meat that lay about in huge chunks. Light is admitted 

 through the translucent bladder of a seal or walrus tightly stretched 

 over a hole in the ceiling. Several of the houses were connected by 

 underground tunnels. Excepting a few old women, the village was 

 deserted, almost the entire population being sight- seeing on the Bear. 



At East Cape, Siberia, on July 9, four or five influential natives were 

 taken on board to aid in procuring reindeer. Learning that there was 

 a large herd about 50 miles to the north, the vessel entered the Arctic 

 Ocean. Early in the morning of July 11 the Bear, picking and forcing 

 her way through the ice, reached the village of Utan, and there on the 

 beach was the herd of deer. As soon as the anchor was lowered a 

 boat was manned and steered carefully among the floes to shore. In 

 order that the deer might be more easily kept together, they had been 

 driven down to the beach, which was covered with ice and snow. On 

 the bank above, however, the snow had disaj)peared and the ground 

 was carpeted with moss and flowers — great patches of forget-me-nots 

 and yellow poppies. Here, as elsewhere on the coast of arctic Alaska 

 and Siberia, the profusion of wild flowers is surprising. 



The herd numbered about 500, and seemed to be owned by about half 

 a dozen men, each man's deer bearing his mark. The deer men are 

 very expert in the use of the lasso, and had no difficulty in throwing 

 the noose around the particular deer to be sold. As each one was 

 caught it was brought down to the boat, its front and hind legs hob- 

 bled, and it was stowed in the bottom of the boat. When a load of 

 about a dozen had been secured they were rowed over to the Bear and 

 placed in stalls. Sixteen deer were secured at this i)lace. Continuing 

 the trip up the coast, the Bear tied up to a huge ice floe, near Cape 

 Serdze, Siberia, and the interpreters were sent inland to bring more 

 deer to the coast. While waiting we spent the time in taking i)hoto- 

 graphs, exploring the neighboring coast, and visiting the native village. 

 There were also some very successful ducking expeditions. The ice 

 closing in, the Bear was compelled to move a few miles farther south, 

 anchoring off Chacoran, where 22 deer were secured. In that latitude 

 at that time of the year there was hardly any night, and on this occa- 

 sion work commenced at 2 a. m., and it was 12.30 (midnight) before the 



