62 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



here occurred earlier than in Lapland. Hence, every effort was made 

 to arrange for the pairing later than formerly, and I believe we gained 

 a few days; and, which is of great importance, in the month of April. 

 From the report of the first year from this station, it is noticed that 

 the fawns were dropped between the loth of April and the 3d of June, 

 but we were unable to accomplish much in this direction last year, but 

 next fall another effort will be made to regulate this matter if no 

 obstacles interfere. It was stated last fall, by people who were suj)- 

 posed to know something about herding reindeer, that if we continued 

 in this manner the herd would not be able to live through the winter; 

 but we took but little notice of such predictions, as our Lapps were not 

 infants in the art of herding reindeer, but men who had seen and 

 handled reindeer more than one year. 



The reindeer here are more wild and unmanageable than those in 

 Lai)land. The reason for this is probably the fact that the Siberians do 

 not train the animals for sled deer, but let them go as they i^lease, sim- 

 ply watching them and keeping them together. In Lapland the rein- 

 deer may be seen pasturing among the tents, or perhaps better, a herd 

 of reindeer may be seen w4th tents in the midst of them. Bogs, men, 

 and deer are mixed together, and it is to be hoped that we will be able 

 to domesticate this Alaskan herd in the same manner by continually 

 working with them and letting the herders, the apprentices, and the 

 dogs stay with them. 



From the extract of the reindeer account it will also be seen that at 

 the beginning of the time of calving there were 118 females, 52 males, 

 and 90 fawns belonging to the station; that the increase this year was 

 118. From this statement it may appear to you that we did not lose 

 any fawns, but this is not the case. In the first place, one cow had 

 two fawns, one of which had to be killed, as the reindeer cows are not 

 willing to recognize twins, but she chooses one of them, feeds and takes 

 care of it, while the other is invariably hooked and kicked and denied 

 all maternal care and nourishment. 



Apparently the Eskimos and the reindeer are very much alike in this 

 respect. I was told that the Eskimo also, under similar circumstances, 

 choose one and kill the other of the twins. This is not the only fawn 

 that died. There were more of them, and how it happens that we have 

 as many living fawns in the herd to-day as there are grown-up females 

 is to be explained by relating one of the many methods by which an 

 attempt is made to force the increase of the herd in Lapland. One 

 more fawn is one more reindeer, and one more reindeer is money to the 

 Laplander; hence, many experiments are made in this direction. It is 

 estimated that under ordinary circumstances there must be more 

 fawns than there are grown-up females, and to produce this result 

 some of the fawns that are only 5 to 6 months old are paired. The 

 most of the fawns dropped by these young heifers die, but some of 

 them are saved by careful treatment, both at the time of their birth 



