INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC UKINDKEK INTO ALASKA. 59 



one would call a perfect success. Our last camp was really so good 

 that it took us a long time to get away from it. Then having gone 

 only a short distance this forenoon, Nallogoroak ^\ent astray after 

 some ptarmigan, and after a while the whole party was delayed over 

 half an hour waiting for him; but when he finally came, he brought 

 four birds. About noon Bals and I stopped to make tea, and had 

 it all ready when Sara and Nallogoroak came, again having been 

 after birds. This time Nallogoroak had shot three more birds, 

 which were added to our stores. Sara had broken his sled, which 

 accident took us fully an hour to repair; and on account of it 

 we were not able to get to the good camping place of which we had 

 previously thought. Darkness came on, and forced us to stay among 

 some small wallow bushes, on the open tundra. The wind has blown 

 hard all day, but the weather has been, and still is, clear. One 

 thing that bothers us exceedingly much to-night is the stove pipes. 

 Because of the constant flopping of the tent, they jerk ofT so often 

 that it is aJl one man can do to just stand and hold them in place, 

 while I try to prepare the ptarmigan for supper. The distance 

 traveled is only about 16 miles. 



Wednesdaij, November 18. — The morning of the day was rather 

 dark and threatening in whatever direction one could look. The 

 heav}^ wind that had been blowing from the south the last few days 

 had brought mild weather, and the snow, to our great disappoint- 

 ment and hindrance, had almost entirely disappeared during the 

 night. Fortunately, we had only 5 or 6 miles to the portage at the 

 head of Pastolik River, where we were to change our course to the 

 east, in order to gain entrance to the portion of the countrj^ drained 

 by the Clear River. 



We left camp at 7 a. m., and at 11a. m. we had fuially toiled 

 over the mossy nigger heads and reached the summit of the divide. 

 To our great help and happiness, there was more snow on the east 

 side of the mountains. The afternoon has been more in our favor, 

 so we have been able to make up partly for the unfavorable morning 

 hours. After crossing the divide our course has been winding along 

 in a similar manner to the creeks. On a little divide between two 

 small tributaries to the Clear we are comfortably camped this eve- 

 ning. This is a well-sheltered place, with plenty of dry wood. We 

 arrived here at 4 p. m., and have supper over at the early hour of 

 6 o'clock. Being nice and warm, it would be a pleasure to sit up for 

 a while chatting, but as we do not understand each other, but to a 

 very limited degree, I find it more profitable to turn into the sleeping 

 bag and prepare for an earh^ start to-morrow. 



Thursday, November 19. — Surely we had an early start this morning. 

 Breakfast was over at 6 o'clock and half an hour later we were trudg- 

 ing up a big mountam, winding along the course of a creek. It has 



