Introduction of domestic reindeer into Alaska. 43 



task, but by the time I reached New Tork I had made up my mind 

 how to go to work. 



The large majority of the people with whom I talked, and who 

 claimed to be familiar with the circumstances in Lapland, insisted that 

 my journey would be useless, claiming that the Lapps could not be 

 induced to leave their firesides on the mountains. Personally, I was 

 very hoi^efnl, providing I could reach Lapland before the Lapps started 

 on their summer wanderings and got scattered over all the mountains, 

 so that it is almost impossible to find them or get them together into 

 one place. I was aware that there was to be a Lapp market at Bosekop, 

 about 70 miles southwest of North Cape, the 7th, 8th, and 9th of March, 

 1894, and to this market there would come hundreds of Lapps per- 

 sonally known to me for the purpose of selling reindeer meat, skins, 

 reindeer thread, hair, shoes, antlers, etc. This market is held at fixed 

 times in each year, and it had been one of the points which I visited 

 while I was employed for several years by a large firm as buyer, and 

 hence my acquaintance with many of the Lapi^s who congregate there. 



To reach North Cape, in Norway, from New York in so short a time — 

 fifteen to sixteen days — was hardly to be expected in this season of 

 the year. I therefore telegraphed from New York to a commercial 

 house in Hammerfest, asking it to make my coming and my errand 

 known to the Lapps, if possible, before they met at the market, in order 

 that they might begin to discuss the matter with their families at home 

 and so be prepared to come to a decision. The wisdom of sending this 

 telegram was afterwards demonstrated, and it saved me much travel 

 and expense after I reached Lapland. Having made all my prepara- 

 tions I went on board the Majestic and at G o'clock on the 21st of 

 February the steamer left New York with five hundred passengers on 

 board. 



The weather was fine for that season of the year, and on the 27th, 

 at 12.45 J), m., Ireland was sighted. During the afternoon of the same 

 day passengers and mail were landed at Queenstown, and the next 

 morning at 8 o'clock we arrived in Liverpool. It took about four hours 

 to laud the passengers and their baggage, and two hours more were 

 spent in getting through the custom-house. From the custom-house I 

 went directly to the railroad station and took a train at once for Hull, 

 where I arrived at o'clock in the evening in a j)ouriug rain. Half an 

 hour later I was pacing the deck of the Wilson steamer Juno, and at 8 

 o'clock the same evening, February 28, this vessel left the dock and 

 l^roceeded into the North Sea, bound for Trondhjem, Norway. 



This season being unfavorable for tourists, there were few passen- 

 gers. Had I been delayed a few hours across the Atlantic I would 

 have had to wait a whole week in England for the next steamer to Nor- 

 way, there being only weekly steamers during the winter. Thus I saw 

 the waves of the Atlantic and those of the North Sea and crossed 

 England all on the same day. The North Sea was rough, as usual in 



