INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 45 



done every thiug possible to make my mission known among the Lapps, 

 both through their agents in Lapland and at the Lapp market. Messrs. 

 Feddersen «& Nisseji, the gentlemen to whom I had telegraphed from 

 New York, gave me many valuable suggestions after they became bet- 

 ter acquainted with the i)urpose of my journey. I was yet a long way 

 from the Lapp market, but I telegrai)hed to some of my friends who 

 were attending the market, and in this manuer about thirty Lai^ps 

 were persuaded to await my arrival and hold a conference with me per- 

 sonally. 1 left Hammerfest on the evening of the 11th on a small tug- 

 boat for Bosekop, where the Lapps had been waiting for me for two days. 

 They received me as an old acquaintance. We chatted awhile about 

 the result of the Bosekop market, about tlie prices of meats and skins,, 

 about the sleighing, etc. I told them news from America, and treated 

 them to some delicacies that I had brought with me from Kew York- 

 As they had never before tasted anything from New York, they looked 

 upon this as a great compliment. The first day was spent in this man- 

 ner, and tlie next day we met again to discuss Alaska and my errand. 

 Two of the Lapps whom 1 had thought of interesting in my mission 

 were absent, and I was told that they had gone to Russian Lajiland to 

 attend a Lapp market there. 



In explanation of the slow progress I was making, it is necessary to 

 state that the Lapps, like the reindeer, can not be crowded or forced iu 

 any way, and l,east of all in business matters. Time alone, and I had 

 but little of it at my disposal, is able to i)roduce a result. After the 

 first meeting they seemed to look upon my i^roposition with favor, and I 

 felt greatly encouraged for the next day. It was my purpose to engage 

 only such Lapps as owned herds themselves, and not such as for any 

 reason had lost their herds. A man who is not able to take care of 

 his own proi^erty is not likely to be able to look after the property of 

 others. On the afternoon of the 12th of March the Lapps met again, 

 and 1 then told them all that I knew about Alaska and the reindeer 

 enterprise there, and also restated my errand. I explained what kind 

 of people I wanted. I informed them what their pay would be, that 

 they would be transported free of cost, and described the details as 

 fully as possible. During my talk to them they kept perfectly silent, 

 and for a long time they seemed to be considering the matter, but no 

 further progress was made that day. During the next four days the 

 discussion was continued, and I had to answer hundreds of questions. 



On the morning of the fifth day all the Lapps were ready to depart 

 for their summer quarters. In the course of the night they had gath- 

 ered their reindeer and were ready to start. It looked as though they 

 would compel me to go to the mountains — that is, to Kantokeino, 120 

 English miles away — and continue the discussion there. I secured what 

 seemed like a final opportunity to engage them in conversation. I then 

 indicated to them that I would hire Lapps from some other place if they 

 did not decide the matter at once, and so they would lose their chance 



