*76 EEPORT ON INTRODUCTION OF 



receive iu exchange drilling', flour, ammunition, etc. We found it nec- 

 essary at different times in tbe year to send sealing' parties out to the 

 coast to bunt for tbe station. In October and November some of our 

 men netted and sbot 44 seals; in February, 21, and in May and June, 

 more than 50. 



AMUSEMENTS. 



The Eskimos bave not been without their amusements. This year 

 the natives of the village built a large kosge (dance house) and feasted 

 and danced half of November and all of December. Two years ago the 

 aristocracy of Cape Prince of Wales had been invited to attend a feast 

 and dance here. These natives, however, were unable to catch enough 

 fish to entertain their distinguished visitors, so the dance was post- 

 poned until this year. On Christmas day fourteen sleds arrived here 

 from Cape Prince of Wales, bringing walrus meat, whale blubber, deer- 

 skins, wolverine and wolf skins as presents to their hosts, and in return 

 a grand masked dance was given in their honor, and red fox, beaver, 

 otter, and other pelts were presented to the guests. 



We gave our herders a "taffy pulling" on Thanksgiving night, and 

 tried to entertain them with a Christmas tree and Santa Claus on Christ- 

 mas night. If they were delighted, surprised, or gladdened, their faces 

 did not reveal it. 



SCHOOL. 



School opened September 20 and closed April 27. The attendance 

 has necessarily been small. Many of the children have not sufficient 

 skin clothing to go out of their homes on very cold days. Those who 

 are clothed properly have to spend most of their time catching frost fish 

 through the ice. The opening of the new dance house, the first one 

 they have ever had here, kept many children away from school in 

 November aud December. 



In January the frost fish failed them. Their dried fish being all gone, 

 most of the people had to move out to the seacoast to seal, or down to 

 Grantly Harbor where fish were plentiful. After the herders went to 

 camp (January 6) there were no natives here for school until they 

 returned on March 27. Commencing with April, a school was con- 

 ducted almost exclusively for the herders, in which special attention 

 was given to English terms and words used iu connection with the deer, 

 physiology, and hygiene. The enrollment was 69. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The United States can surely afford to be magnanimous with the first 

 Alaskan herders who, after learning how to manage and care for rein- 

 deer, start independent herds. Nothing should be given them outright 

 to make them lose their self-respect; but by helping them in the man- 

 ner indicated in the following general suggestions, we believe that in 



