108 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



made of drift wood; marked 134 deer for the Bureau of Education; 

 counted the herd; cut out and marked 398 deer for the new herd 

 at Shishmaref; and estimated the number of deer belonging to 

 each individual herder. The fawns had not been marked for two 

 seasons, and the 80 females sold by Stanley, 38 by Thomas, 33 by 

 George, and 17 by James, which were sold to the Bureau of Educa- 

 tion last February, were taken from the herd regardless of ear- 

 marks. This made it necessary for James, Frank, and myself to 

 estimate the approximate number of deer each herder owned in the 

 herd at present. 



I inclose the tally of 1,391 deer we drove inside the corral and an 

 estimate of the few deer outside. 



On July 30 we took out of the main herd all the deer belonging 

 to Thomas Sokweena, Joseph Enungwouk, Frank lyatunguk, John 

 Sinnok, Harry Karmun, and Walter Kiyuktuk, and sufficient number 

 of mission deer to make a herd of 398. They plan to keep on the 

 south side of Shishmaref Inlet this winter. 



I purchased for the Bureau of Education 97 mission deer and 37 

 private deer. In marking these we used the aluminum button 

 markers you mailed me. We are all well pleased with them. They 

 are especially suitable for marking a Government or mission herd, 

 as they do not mutilate the ear so as to prevent re-marking with an 

 earmark when given out to apprentices. The earmarks, we think, 

 are preferable for the individual herder. They enable them to 

 recognize the deer without roping them. This ear marking is too 

 often done irregularly, carelessly, with a sheath knife. Mont- 

 gomery Ward & Co., Chicago, have a cattle punch which I think 

 would answer admirably. By using half of dies Nos. 1, 4, 5, and 6 

 in the inclosed description a great variety of regular earmarks 

 could be made. Holes punched or cut .through the ears of deer 

 generally tear out and can not be recognized without roping the deer. 



The importance of the midway relay stations or herds between 

 Kotzebue and Barrow, which you speak, of in your letter of June 28, 

 can hardly be overestimated. I hope your plans in this direction 

 can aU be carried out this winter. In no other way can we have a 

 satisfactory and speedy reindeer mail service. In this connection 

 I wish to emphasize the importance of the Government encour- 

 aging the training of more sled deer by the Eskimo herders. This 

 might be done by offering a price ranging from $45 to $60, according 

 to age, size, speed, etc., for well-broken deer. 



I suppose Doctor Hamilton will l)e able to give me much informa- 

 tion in regard to the work you have planned, which you have not 

 been able to give by mail. I am anxiously awaiting his arrival. 



The schooner Fortuna arrived here July 15 and finished discharging 

 July 21. The new building is almost sheathed all over and roof 



