28 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



filled with water. The ground is loose and spongy, and in stepping 

 upon it one will sometimes sink down several inches. It is what is 

 known as tundra. 



The character of soil among the tundra is generally a dark, sandy 

 loam, sometimes having sand or gravel for subsoil, but gray or bluish 

 clay is often found. In places where I have drained off the water the 

 soil seems to settle, and iu a short time has the appearance of prairie 

 land with more or less tenacity of sod. 



While exploring the country to the east on this trip, I dug into the 

 earth several times, and found the soil to be dark, sandy loam. In 

 one place it was over 4 teet deep, having blue clay for subsoil, and not 

 a stone was encountered. 



The result of my explorations on this trip showed an inexhaustible 

 supply of reindeer food everywhere. I had one of our Siberian herd- 

 ers with me, and he gave me to understand that the advantages of this 

 country for grazing purposes were far in excess of those with which he 

 was familiar in Siberia. The question yet to solve was whether the 

 food was accessible to reindeer in the winter, or whether the snow 

 would cover it to such a depth, and crust form over it so hard as to make it 

 impossible for them to paw through it for food. 



During the summer, Mr. Gibson, the assistant superintendent of the 

 station, explored the country to the north and northwest of here, reach- 

 ing a point about 25 miles toward Kotzebue Sound. He found the 

 country a little more hilly than I encountered east, but possessing an 

 abundance of grass and moss. He had one of the Siberian herders 

 with him, and he expressed himself as satisfied with the appearance of 

 the country for grazing purposes, and that it possessed far greater 

 abundance of feed than that of the reindeer ranges in Siberia. 



In March last Mr. Gibson also made a trip south of the station along 

 the coast, reaching a point as far as Golovin Bay, and in his absence of 

 three weeks viewed considerable country aud talked with many natives 

 concerning that back in the iuterior. The result of his observations 

 confirmed my hopes in regard to the country in that direction. 



During the past winter the station was visited by a Mr. John A. 

 Dexter, who has spent the last two years in mining in the vicinity of 

 Golovin Bay and has explored a considerable part of the country be- 

 tween that point and St. Michaels, and also into the interior towards 

 the Yukon. From him I learn that that section compares favorably 

 with the one already described in its advantages as a grazing country, 

 besides possessing what may prove to be an additional advantage, 

 namely, the existence of several varieties of timber in greater or less 

 quantities. 



Mr. Thomas Lopp, one of the teachers at Cape Priuce of Wales, who 

 has spent three years in this country, made a trip during last winter 

 as far north as Point Hope. He had visited this station the summer 

 before and was familiar with the objects contemplated in its establish- 



