INTRODUCTION OK DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASkA. 101 



loose snow which we had to plod through. This, together with the 

 fact that the way was unknown to us, took us all day and part of the 

 dark evening to get there. The next morning, March 16, we insj)ected 

 the herd and found it in good condition, exce])ting the fact that there 

 were no sled deer. Seeing that one of our deer was killed and tlie 

 other ones had made such a long and hard journey before, one 

 coidd not expect them to make the return tri]), so I asked for fresh 

 driving deer. They were given wilHngly, but as 1 said there were 

 hardly any of that kind. The consequence was that one of the lot 

 was only a year-old male fawn which was broken paitly, and one 

 3-year-old deer which we had to break ourselves as we traveled; a third 

 one had gone the long wa^^ from Point Barrow and arrived at Kotzebue 

 only a few weeks previously. So with one deer which was really a 

 fresh driving deer, one fawn which we drove only half a day on the 

 trip, one unbroken deer, one which had traveled from Barrow a short 

 time before, and one Golofnin deer which we wished to return, we 

 started south al^out noon that same day. 



At Kotzebue, as in Kuskokwim, I found peace and harmony 

 between the local superintendent and the herders, as well as among 

 the herders themselves. I had a long talk with the herders and for 

 the short time the^^ have had the deer they have taken so much to 

 them that they would not be without them for any price. Frank 

 Nilima, the chief herder, had also the highest of compliments for the 

 Eskimo herders as well as for the place. It certainly is an ideal deer 

 camp. It is well sheltered and there is an abundant moss suppl}^ for 

 the deer, and wood and water of the best quality for the herders. 

 Fish and game are also plentiful. Isaac Hatta, a Laplander, has been 

 staying with Nilima for some time and was there at the time of my 

 visit. Now, having heard that there were two Eskimo boys, Orpelle 

 and Electoona, or Electure as he is also called, staying some 60 miles 

 or so up the coast toward Point Hope with a herd of reindeer, I made 

 arrangement with said Hatta to go and bring those two boys to the 

 Kotzebue herd at once before the fawning season began. Said boys 

 had left Point Barrow early in the fall, en route for Kotzebue, with 

 some 130 deer together, but never came farther than Cape Cavalino, 

 where they stopped with some other natives and squandered their 

 herd. By letter from Dana Thomas" I am informed that above boj's 



«Apkil 15, 1904. 

 Dr. C. O. LiND, 



UnalaMeet, Alaska. 

 Dear Doctor: Hope that you reached home safel}' and found all W(>]1 there. Isaac 

 Hatta left for upper coast a few days after your departure. The Barrow boys did not wish 

 to come, but finally agreed to do so and reached mission during my absence at Candle on 

 April 3. I found them at reindeer camp upon my return. The two had 123 deer upon 

 arrival here. Sixteen had died or been killed since leaving Barrow. Deer in very bad con- 

 dition and natives pretty hard up — in fact, they haven't anything that they need and have 



