12 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



for Cape Aggen, where we were informed that there was a large herd 

 of reindeer close to the shore. Encountering heavy ice, at noon the 

 course was changed and the ship returned eastward and northward, 

 off Indian Point, where we came to anchor at midnight of the 19th in a 

 dense fog. At 7:30 the next morning, the fog having lifted, the Bear 

 got under way for Ahkunee, on the south head of St. Lawrence Bay, 

 Siberia. Forcing the ship through heavy drift ice, we came to anchor 

 off Ahkunee at 6 o'clock in the afternoon. Again we found our native 

 interpreter drunk, and but little progress was made in negotiating with 

 the deer men for reindeer. However, next day Lieut. Jarvis succeeded 

 in securing and bringing aboard twenty-seven reindeer, and at 8 o'clock 

 on the 21st we were under way for North Head, Siberia; but later in 

 the night, finding that the ice was so heavy that the place could not be 

 reached, the course of the ship was changed eastward for King's Island? 

 where we made fast to a large field of ice in front of the village at 10 

 o'clock on the 22d. At noon the ship was again under way, reaching 

 Port Clarence at 4:25 p. m. 



Upon arrival at the entrance to the port, we found eight whalers at 

 anchor behind Point Spencer. That same evening, Mr. Miner W. 

 Bruce, superintendent of the reindeer station, came on board the 

 steamer and brought the news of the successful wintering of the herd 

 at the Government station. Port Clarence was still a sheet of 

 unbroken ice remaining from the previous winter. At 11 a. m., June 

 23, anchor was hove and the steamer started for the reindeer station, 

 some 7 miles up the bay, forcing its way a portion of the distance 

 through ice about 2 feet thick. The station being safely reached, the 

 afternoon was spent in landing the reindeer and supplies for the sta- 

 tion. June 24th was also spent in landing stores and supplies, looking 

 over and inspecting the station, and taking account of the balance 

 of supplies left over from the previous year. In the evening the four 

 herders from Siberia and one Alaskan Eskimo were paid their salaries 

 for the year. At 8 p. m. the steamer got under way again and returned 

 to the mouth of the harbor, to rejoin the whaling fleet, but shortly after 

 starting ran into drift ice, which became so solid and heavy that we were 

 detained all night in the ice, reaching the fleet at 6:30 in the morning 

 of the 25th. At noon on the 27th the steamer again got under 

 w -ay for Cape Prince of Wales, reaching the mission at G p. m. Many 

 of the natives being asleep, it was some time before they came 

 to the ship. Mr. Lopp and Mr. and Mrs. Thornton, teachers, came 

 on board and received a large bundle of mail which the Bear had 

 brought from their friends. About p. in. we again got under 

 way for Whaien, Siberia, encountering much drift ice during the 

 passage, and also freshly formed mush ice. At 4:30 a. m. the ship was 

 fastened to the ice off Whaien, and communication was had with the 

 natives on shore with regard to the purchase of reindeer. Not being 

 able to secure any there at that time, the reindeer from the interior not 



