. INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 87 



These people ai^c more accustomed to life in the interior of the country. 

 They take an interest in fishing-, whicli does not hinder, but, on the con- 

 trary, adds to, their usefulness as herders, since fishing as it is here 

 conducted can well be united with herding, and both things can be 

 looked after at the same time, while seal catching and herding can not 

 be done simultaneously, the territory of each being so far apart. In 

 the next place, I think it would be better to take the appreutices 

 directly from the Eskimo people aiul iu)t from any of the mission 

 stations. The habits they have acquired at such stations and the 

 many toils of a herders life are widely separated. How far it is 

 advisable to keep appreutices of the Eskimos and Indians together 

 it is not easy to determine, but it does not seem to me to be advisable. 

 These two races are so different in language and customs that they do 

 not seem to thrive together. I do not meau to say that the Indian 

 should not have an opportunity to learn the art of herding reindeer, 

 but I should think the matter might be so arranged that those two 

 races could be apprenticed in different places. I have simi^ly men- 

 tioned this so that you may take it into consideration. 



So much has been said and written about the impending and present 

 want of food among the Eskimos that I need not repeat it here. I have 

 neither the ability nor a sufficient knowledge of the facts, outside of a 

 very limited territory, to be able to present anything new or of impor- 

 tance in this direction. I may, however, mention a way in which the 

 present want might be temporarily supplied without great cost on the 

 part of the Government. It appears that the fishermen are the first to 

 need help, since they neither possess nor are able to purchase suitable 

 tackle. Their implements are at least five hundred years behind the 

 times. They are made from strij)s of seal skin (seal thong). This 

 material grows annually more expensive and difficult to get, since the 

 seal fishing' decreases and the use of the skins increases. The demand 

 for seal skins is greatly increased on account of the large number of 

 white people who annually come to this country. The Eskimos of the 

 interior — that is, those Eskimos who live by fishing- — are not able to 

 kill any of the seals themselves, as they live too far away from the 

 fishing ground. They have to buy both the skins, thong, and oil, as 

 they need seal oil for light and food. All these things, which are so 

 necessary for their support, must be paid for with fish, as they have no 

 furs to barter with, and as the price of the seal is continually rising, it 

 takes a large part of their fish supply to pay for these things. 



There is still an abundance of fish, if the Eskimos only had better 

 fishing' tackle and more knowledge in the use of it. I therefore take 

 the liberty to recommend to the Government to furnish a supply of twine 

 for fishing tackle — ]S"o. 2 soft laid — and to distribute it among the popula- 

 tion here. The expense would not be large, since about 500 pounds of 

 thread would supply a very large number of people. Instruction in 

 making and in the use of modern fishing' tackle and the distribution of 



