FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 93 



able to haul somewhat larger loads, find their own subsistence in the 

 moss which covers practically all of the sub-arctic region. No matter 

 how cold the weather, or how deep the snow, the deer can paw their way 

 down to the moss and thus keep themselves in good condition on the 

 longest and roughest trips. Another point in favour of deer is that, 

 should misfortune overtake a party of Arctic travellers and it become 

 necessary to kill the transport animals for food, the flesh of the deer is 

 palatable and nourishing, while only dire necessity would impel anyone 

 to use dogs for food. 



" It seems to have been the idea of the United States government 

 that the establishment of large herds of domesticated reindeer in Alaska 

 would be a long step in the direction of solving the transportation 

 problem of that district and, in addition, would, to a considerable 

 extent, provide a food supply for the natives who otherwise would, from 

 time to time, become charges upon the public treasury. 



'This experiment by the United States government was followed 

 with great interest by many Canadians who were interested in the de- 

 velopment of our northern territories, and particularly by Sir Wilfred 

 Grenfell, who, in connection with his medical missionary work on the 

 Labrador coast, found himself confronted by practically the same con- 

 ditions that obtained in Alaska, viz. : severe climate, absence of means 

 of winter transportation other than dogs, and scarcity of food supply 

 for natives and fishermen during periods of unusually severe weather. 

 " At Sir Wilfred's request, the Dominion Government, in 



The Reindeer ^nr,^ t i t o o/^^ -kt • • i 



in Labrador 1907, purchased a herd oi some oOO JNorwegian reindeer. 

 These were handed over to Sir Wilfred to be used by him 

 in connection with his work. It was originally intended that the herd 

 should be established on the North shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 but he finally decided that his mission station at St. Anthony, on the 

 northeast coast of Newfoundland, was a more suitable place for the 

 experiment. There is an abundance of reindeer moss at, or near, St. 

 Anthony, the climate is in all respects suitable and, should occasion 

 require it, the deer can readily be shipped from there to any desired 

 point on the Labrador coast as conveniently as from tlie point first 

 selected. 



" Sir Wilfred's experiment proved successful from the start 

 and his herd of reindeer now numbers over 1,200. A considerable num- 

 ber of stags and barren does have been killed for food and there have 

 been the usual unavoidable losses by death and accident. Tie reported 

 in May, 1911, that the moat is excellent and the skins valuable and that, 

 in his opinion, reindeer will, in the future, bo as valuable in Labrador 

 as in Alaska and will afford an export industry of meat from a district 



