76 BIG GAME SHOOTING IN ALASKA chap. 



subject to the persecution and utter extermination which over- 

 took the unfortunate buffalo on the prairies of North-West 

 America within recent years. Hitherto the actual hunting 

 in Alaska has been carried on chiefly by miners and 

 prospectors, for the purpose of obtaining food for themselves, 

 and also by the natives with the same object, and that 

 of trading in the meat, fur, and heads. 



To this general rule the few exceptions have consisted 

 of small parties of English and American sportsmen, who 

 have visited Alaska to collect specimens for science and 

 for sport. Of the former perhaps my friend Mr. J. T. 

 Studley may be called the pioneer, and his first trip to the 

 Kenai Peninsula in 1898 furnished such trophies that it 

 inspired a few others to follow his example. Foremost 

 amongst these may be reckoned Mr. F. Paget in 1901 and 

 1902, Colonel Claude Cane in 1902, and Mr. A. S. Reed in 

 1900 and 1 90 1. The last-named sportsman has undoubtedly 

 the greatest experience of the country, and the finest collection 

 of big game trophies from Alaska of any hunter who has yet 

 visited that district for sport, and to him the present writer 

 is indebted for a store of useful information and kindly 

 assistance impossible to obtain elsewhere, for which he is 

 duly grateful. The same remarks apply to the information 

 supplied by Colonel Cane, whose account of his expedition 

 finally decided me to undertake this trip in 1903. Another 

 party of English sportsmen, consisting of Messrs. Lister 

 and Cowan, visited the Cook's Inlet country in 1901. Of 

 American hunters in Alaska the best-known men have been 

 Mr. Dal de Weese in 1898 and 1899, and Messrs. Kidder 

 and Blake, who also spent two seasons in the country. 



Mr. A. J. Stone, representing the New York Museum, has 

 done good work collecting for several seasons in Alaska. 



