DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 45 



off. Negotiations are commenced with the deer men and a certain 

 number of deer purchased. The men are at once dispatched to drive 

 the deer near to the beach, catch and bring them off to the ship. 



In the meantime the wind may change, and the great fields of ice 

 that a few days or hours before were driven seaward are now driven 

 landward, and it has sometimes happened that the ship has been com- 

 pelled to heave up the anchor and leave without procuring the deer 

 already bought. And at other times in holding on to the last moment 

 in order to get the deer on board the ship has become inclosed in the 

 ice and has been held a prisoner until the wind again changes and 

 scatters the ice seaward. Again, the ship, by constant butting, has had 

 to break her way through the ice. In doing this upon two seasons the 

 ship has broken her propeller. 



July 21, at 8.30 a. m., the sailing launch and second cutter in charge 

 of Lieutenant Dodge were sent into the lagoon after reindeer. At 10.50 

 a. m. the steam launch in charge of Lieutenant Eeinburg was sent into 

 the lagoon to assist with the deer. At 3.55 p. m. the boat returned to 

 the ship with 16 reindeer. 



Got under way for (Jhachong at 5.40 a. in., July 22; at 8.20 a. m. was 

 abeam of Utan; at 1.20 p. m. stopped and picked up Lieutenant White 

 and party, and at 1.50 p. m. came to anchor off Chachong. Lieutenant 

 White reported having purchased a number of reindeer at this place. 

 Men were dispatched at once to drive the herd to the place. 



At 3 p. m. Lieutenant White and party left the ship to visit the deer 

 men in the vicinity of Cape Serdze. 



July 23, the captain being notified that the herd had arrived, the 

 sailing launch and second cutter, in charge of Lieutenant Iieinburg, 

 were sent ashore for deer. Dr. White and myself also went ashore. 



At 2.30 p. m. the second cutter returned with 8 reindeer and at 5.30 

 p. m. the launch and second cutter arrived with 14 more, making 22 in 

 all secured at this place. 



Fifteen others had been contracted for, but when the time came the 

 owners refused to sell. This was probably due to the influence of tie 

 medicine man, who had a misunderstanding with Lieutenant White. 



While ashore Dr. White and myself ascended a high hill about a 

 mile east of the village of Ceshan (Tsha-Tshang). The top of the hill 

 contained an area of perhaps 20 to 25 acres, and along the sea front 

 had a number of stone heaps and circles, probably connected with the 

 religious rites of the people. The inclosed drawings were made for 

 me by Dr. J. T. White, surgeon on U. S. S. Bear. Fig. 1 is about 4 

 feet high, and fig. 2 about 3. Fig. 3 was about 8 feet in diameter and 

 the inner square about 4 by 5 feet. Fig. 4 is an irregular circle about 

 6 feet in diameter and the inner oblong about 2 by 4 feet. The stones 

 are large, fiat flakes of basalt. In the same locality was a circle 50 

 feet in diameter with a small heap of stones in the center. 



