INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



47 



station and had rnn away to be with the reindeer, and I at once secured 

 him at a low price and took care of him nntil the otlier Lapps arrived. 



From the 10th to the 13th of April 1 was busy getting ready to 

 receive the Lapps. In company with those I had hired, there came one 

 more family all ready for the journey. I thought it unfortunate to 

 send the boj^, who was only 18 years old, alone to the Roman Catholic 

 station, lie was hardly capable of handling a herd of reindeer, par- 

 ticularly in a strange country and among strange people, so I engaged 

 this additional family to go with him. This family was the lifth that 

 I had originally planned to hire. When they saw that other good and 

 reliable people were willing to go, they concluded that there could be 

 no doubt about the character of our enterprise. 



After getting the baggage as dry as possible, it was all packed on 

 the 14th of April, and on the 15th we went aboard the steamer Nord- 

 land, and arrived in Hammerfest on the 16th. On this first day of our 

 journey there was no end of music, singing, and tears. Some of the 

 relations and friends of the Lapps had come down fron) the mountains 

 to see them off. These relations and friends accompanied us to Ham- 

 merfest. We had to spend the 17th in Hammerfest waiting for a 

 steamer. 



The Lapps whom I had engaged and who were now with me on their 

 way to Alaska were the following: 



'Months. 



2 Ye-irs. 



The Lapps do not like to leave their ancient homes. They are very 

 conservative, devoted to the customs and manners of their fathers, and 

 exceedingly fond of the fresh mountain air. They are also very cautious 

 in all their business transactions. When we add to this the fact that 

 they have frequently been deceived by persons who wanted them for 

 exhibitions in foreign lands, it will readily be understood that it was no 

 easy matter to secure them for far-off' Alaska. 



Cranks are to be found everywhere, and also among the Lapps. Such 

 cranks think it their duty to meddle with everything that takes place, 

 no matter whether it concerns them or not. I found such a crank 

 among the Lapps, and he gave me much trouble. He took the position 

 that a great mistake had been made by not consulting him. He was 

 angry and went to the royal Norwegian officer, who was to witness our 



