DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 71 



In traveling we have used for deer sleds the Eskimo hunting sled, 

 and for hauling, the Eskimo freight sled. When hauling heavy loads 

 the deer go in a brisk walk. A train of sleds is formed with only one 

 deer hitched to each. The first deer of the train is led by a driver, 

 and each of the others is tied to the sled in front of it and a second 

 driver walks behind. By this arrangement two men can haul ten sled 

 loads of wood or freight at a time. 



• MILKING. 



Sucking is the only way the Siberians have for milking reindeer, and 

 they are loath to understand why '' white men" can not appreciate it 

 when taken from the cows in this manner. Later in the season, upon 

 the arrival of the Lapp herders, they had no difficulty in milking the 

 same reindeer while standing. The milk is very rich and palatable, 

 and we have fed it to our babes with good results. The milk in Sep- 

 tember was so thick and rich that we diluted it with four parts of water 

 before using, while the milk in June was much thinner, requiring only 

 one part of water to reduce it to the richness of cows' milk. For 6 

 herders to catch 5 cows, hold them down, and milk with thumb and 

 forefinger 1 quart of milk usually requires about two hours. 



HERDERS. 



We have had 3 Siberian herders with us, 2 of them, Anker and 

 Dantin, from South Head, and the other, Nootadl got, from near 

 Cape Serdze. On the whole we have found them very useful, but at 

 times they have given us so much trouble that we have wished they 

 were on the other side of Bering Strait. Unlike the Eskimos, they 

 have no control over their temper. Anker on one occasion beat his 

 wife shamefully, and at another time became angry at a tired deer, 

 and, because it refused to rise, beat it almost to death and then broke 

 its jawbone by stamping it. He was stubborn, jealous, and conceited. 

 His jealousy was especially manifest when the Alaskans or ourselves 

 drove the deer. In February, when Mr. Grubin was making fair prog- 

 ress breaking a wild deer which the Siberian had said could never be 

 broken to the sled, his jealous feelings were aroused to such a state 

 that he became very insolent and claimed that he alone last fall was 

 left in authority over the herd. We then discharged him, and since 

 then our Alaskans have asserted themselves more and showed what 

 they were capable of doing. 



The other two have shown themselves willing to teach and show the 

 Eskimos, but on account of their uncontrollable temper they have each 

 been the aggressor in fights with the Eskimos, which would have 

 resulted in their death if no one had been here to separate them. 

 They would like to serve another year. 



We feel encouraged at the progress made by our Alaskan herders. 

 They have taken great interest in lassoing and driving deer, and, with 



