DOMESTICATION OF RUMINATING MAMMAI^ 329 



FIRST ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE REINDEER INTO 

 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES 



In 1911 the Forestry Branch of the Department of the 

 Interior undertook the first attempt to introduce reindeer 

 into Canada from St. Anthony, Newfoundland, where, as 

 ah-eady stated, the herd had been established by Doctor 

 W. T. Grenfell. A small herd of fifty deer, comprising forty 

 does, six stags, and four oxen, was purchased from him. 

 They were shipped from St. Anthony on September 7, 1911, 

 to Quebec, via North Sydney, N. S. Accompanying them 

 were three experienced herders, thirty days' supply of rein- 

 deer moss, and three deer dogs. From Quebec they were 

 transported in stock-cars by rail to Edmonton, and thence 

 sixty miles north, which was as far as the railroad had been 

 at that time completed. From that point they were taken 

 in waggons to Athabaska Landing, where they were unloaded 

 into four scows, the final destination of the herd being Fort 

 Smith. After many difficulties the herd, now reduced by 

 deaths to thirty-three animals, was taken to a place about 

 seventy miles from Fort Smith, where a camp was estab- 

 lished in November. In May, 1912, the herd, now compris- 

 ing thirty-one animals, was transported on scows to Fort 

 Smith, where quarters had been prepared for them. Dur- 

 ing the latter part of June the flies ("bull-dog" flies or Ta- 

 hanidce) became very troublesome, and the whole herd of 

 reindeer stampeded, escaped from the enclosure, and scat- 

 tered, with the result that the chief herder was only able 

 to recapture twelve of the thirty-one animals. On account 

 of the abundance of the flies it was decided to remove what 

 remained of this herd elsewhere, for the summer months, 

 and a suitable island in Great Slave Lake was selected, but 

 as no boat could be obtained at that time the reindeer had 

 to remain at Fort Smith until the following year, when the 

 flies again tormented the animals to such an extent that they 



