DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 17 



white men. From Point Barrow a reindeer express can carry the mail 

 360 to 400 miles down the coast to Point Hope. At Point Hope is an 

 Episcopal mission and school and two shore whaling stations. From 

 Point Hope the express would go southeast 420 to 500 miles to ISTulato, 

 on the Yukon River. 



Commencing another line at Bering Straits it would convey the mail 

 from the Congregational mission at Cape Prince of Wales, the Govern- 

 ment reindeer station Port Clarence, and the Swedish mission at 

 Golovin Bay to Nulato. From Nulato the express could go southward, 

 taking in a large number of mission stations and trading posts, across 

 the Alaskan peninsula to Katmai on'Shelikoff Straits, where it could 

 connect by steamship with San Francisco. From Nulato to Katmai 

 would be, approximately, 850 to 900 miles. 



But as the Post-Office Department will first open mail communications 

 with the mining camps on the upper Yukon, it will be more feasible 

 for the present to run the reindeer express up the Yukon River to the 

 mining settlements, and connect the southwestern settlements with 

 this trunk line. At Nushagak (Carmel) on Bristol Bay, southwestern 

 Alaska, is a Moravian mission and school, a Russo-Greek mission, and 

 several large salmon canneries. Starting at Carmel the express can 

 carry the mail via the Moravian station at Quinehaha and the salmon 

 canneries in the vicinity of Bethel, 400 miles. At Bethel is a Moravian 

 mission school and trading place. From Bethel up the Kuskoquim River 

 via Moravian mission Ogavigauiute, the Russo-Greek mission Oogoviga- 

 mute, the Roman Catholic mission, Okhagamute, thence across to the 

 Russo-Greek mission at Ikogmute on the Yukon River, up the Yukon 

 River to the Roman Catholic mission at Koserefski, the Episcopal 

 mission at Anvik, the Russo-Greek mission and seaport trading place 

 at St. Michael, and the Swedish mission at Unalaklik to Nulato, about 

 500 miles from Bethel. At Nulato the branch lines from Point Barrow, 

 Cape Prince of Wales, and Carmel unite in a trunk line up the Yukon 

 River to St. James Mission (Episcopal) 200 miles. 



In the future, if found necessary, a route can be had up the Tanana 

 River, across to the Copper River and down the Copper to Nutchek, 

 on an island in Prince Williams Sound. But for some years to come 

 there will be no need to go that way. 



Continuing up the Yukon River from St. James Mission the route 

 would lead to Fort Yukon (250 miles), where it would be joined by the 

 branch line from the whaling fleet (400 miles); from thence to Buxton 

 in the mines (200 miles), where it would connect with the mail to Haines 

 and southeast Alaska (770 miles). The trunk line with its several 

 branches would number 4,000 miles. To Katmai and Nutchek would 

 add 900 to 1,000 additional miles. 



The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey has furnished an excel- 

 lent sketch map of the vicinity of the Teller Reindeer Station and of 

 these proposed routes, both of which are included in this report. 

 S. Ex. 92 2 



