DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 37 



find food so easily that they do Dot have to travel a long distance 

 before getting enough to satisfy them. 



In the past year's experience we found that some things in which we 

 anticipated the greatest difficulties were passed over with the least 

 trouble; such, for instance, as the straying off or stampeding of the 

 reindeer in snowstorms. 



Winter may be said to have set in on September 14, the date on 

 which snow first fell at the station, although it was first seen on the 

 tops of the mountains east on August 28. ]So severe storm occurred, 

 however, until Xovember 8, when we experienced the first blizzard. 

 It was quite severe, although the mercury showed 4° above, and lasted 

 two days. The reindeer stood it splendidly, and when it cleared up it 

 was found that none had strayed away. 



This may be taken as a fair illustration of the experience with the 

 many storms that occured, until the midnight sun may be said to have 

 made them impossible, with but one exception. On February 12 a 

 severe blizzard commenced about 5 o'clock p. m., with the mercury stand- 

 ing at 5° below zero, and it raged furiously for forty-eight hours. 

 Shortly after the storm commenced the herders could see but a few 

 feet from them and when it finally calmed down a part of the herd 

 were found to be missing. After looking for them a couple of hours, 

 they were seen being driven toward the herd by a native who had found 

 them quietly feeding about 3 miles away. There were thirty-nine of 

 the strayed ones, and it was evident they had not stampeded and 

 traveled with the storm, as cattle do, but had simply wandered away 

 from the main herd, probably without being conscious of it. 



In a few hours the storm again commenced, and it may be said to have 

 continued until February 26, there being only a few hours now and 

 then when a blizzard w T as not raging. 



In storms of this character there is nothing the herders can do but 

 pass the time as best they can. They can not leave the herd to return 

 to camp until the relief watch arrives, and sometimes it is several 

 hours before they can find the herd, when those who have been exposed 

 to the storm return to the station as quickly as the state of the 

 weather will permit. 



I will say in this connection that not a single case of freezing oc- 

 curred among the herders during the winter, while it was a common 

 thing for natives to be seen frost-bitten. 



Another trouble which we anticipated and which occasioned us con- 

 stant anxiety was that the ground would be covered with snow to such 

 a depth that, should a crust form, the reindeer could not paw through 

 it for teed. 



From all we are able to learn, perhaps more snow fell last winter than 

 usual. In ravines and gulleys having embankments 15 and 20 feet 

 high, by the 1st of February the}' were filled to the top, and crust 

 formed several inches deep, nearly as hard as ice. On level ground in 

 many places only 3 or 4 inches of snow fell. 



