58 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



stealing of reiudeer of which I had obtained proof, and I decided to 

 establish an example for future thieves. With this in mind I made it 

 clear to him, perhaps using rather strong language, that he was a thief 

 and much more ; but he, of course, did not understand anything of what I 

 had said, but his courage failed him when I made motions indicating that 

 he would have the pleasure of trying a pair of handcuffs, upon which I 

 left the house in order to cg.rry out my threat. I did not go after the 

 handcuffs, but directed my steps to liev. Brevig, to tell him of the dis- 

 covery I had made. We had not discussed the matter very much before 

 the culprit came, seated himself on the floor, and gazing at me with an 

 inquiring look, he said, "Me no good," and as he received no answer 

 he took his knife from its sheath and placed it before his breast to kill 

 himself on the spot ; at least, he looked that way. But when Rev. Brevig 

 and myself talked to him, he was persuaded to abstain from the execu- 

 tion of this threat, and lie then asked whether we wanted him to go 

 home and take his life there. We assured him that that was not what 

 we wanted. We sent after one of our apprentices, who understands 

 English, and, emi)loyiug him as our interpreter, we delivered a repri- 

 mand to the Eskimo and then began questioning him in regard to the 

 details. 



From this examination it appeared that he had nothing to eat; that 

 he was about dying from starvation Avhen one of the reindeer from the 

 station was feeding near his house; that ten of his neighbors helped him 

 to eat the meat, lie was told that to steal reindeer was just as wrong as 

 to steal from another man's winter provisions, which the Eskimo regard 

 as a very great crime. In regard to his starving to death, we told him 

 that he well knew that we Avcmld not j)ermit any good and honest needy 

 person to suffer, a fact of which we had given ample evidence. Then we 

 gave him an account of what was done with thieves among the white, 

 civilized people. There thieves Avere incarcerated and punished. Then 

 the Eskimo burst into tears, lie confessed his weakness and admitted 

 that he was not liked by the other P^skimo, not even by his own mother, 

 and that the best thing for him now Avould be to end his miserable life. 

 It may also be added in regard to this perst)n, that he was looked upon 

 as a black sheep among the Eskimo who frequently had warned him 

 in regard to Nanugak, the thug, who last spring -was shot by another 

 Eskimo about 400 yards from our station. 



1 was told that Axsegroak and Nanugak were the two meanest fel- 

 lows in tliis locality. Both of them employed the same tactics; that is, 

 frightenetl the other Eskimos, and in that way made them do just as 

 they pleased. They took this way of getting their livi ug easily. Both of 

 them were lazy and did not care to work for their living. We advised 

 this man to be industrious, honest, and good, in whi(!li case he would 

 be liked both by his mother and by the other Eskimos, and all would 

 then do everything possible to help him along in the world. The fact 

 that ten other Eskimos had helped him eat the meat without doing any- 



