42 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



When I had concluded my investigations, I ordered the deer turned 

 loose, but the Siberians said they wanted some milk, and forthwith one 

 of them put his face to the bag - of the doe, and lying there fully two 

 minutes, seemed to be extracting a good deal of nourishment. When 

 he got up he spat a mouth full out, and it looked like almost pure cream. 

 Another Siberian quickly took his place, and was at once quaffing it 

 with as much enjoyment as if it had been pure nectar. His place was 

 given to a third Siberian, who gave way to one of our native herders, 

 who announced himself much pleased with the drink, that he now 

 enjoyed for the first time. 



The Siberians all took another turn at nursing, after which the deer 

 was set at liberty, scampering back to the herd at a pace that showed 

 she felt pleased to be relieved from her strange predicament. 



As has been before stated, wild reindeer are scarce in this portion 

 of Alaska, and in the past year but three have been seen in the vicinity 

 of the station. Soon after the reindeer were landed, three were seen 

 to approach withiu a mile of the herd, but they fled immediately on the 

 approach of the herders, and, although several of the natives from the 

 village started out in pursuit of them, they fled quickly, and after some 

 hours the natives returned without having obtained a shot at them. 



Among all the natives that have visited the station from the various 

 sections during the past year, not an instance of seeing wild reindeer 

 has been reported. The captain and officers of the whaling ship Mary 

 D. Hume, that sailed into the harbor on its way to San Francisco last 

 September, reported that they are killed in large numbers by the 

 natives in the vicinity of Herschel Island, but that they are rapidly 

 becoming scarce. 



The only wild animals that have been seen in the vicinity of the herd 

 at any time were occasional red foxes. If drawn to them from a desire 

 for fresh meat, he was not to be feared, for a single deer could protect 

 itself from this harmless animal very easily. 



Probably the most serious apprehension felt by us at the station 

 as to the various obstacles we would have to contend with was trouble 

 from dogs. Indeed, from what I had heard concerning their blood- 

 thirsty greed for fresh venison, this fear was made the subject of my 

 thoughts by day and my dreams by night. Perhaps my dread of this 

 animal was made more serious because some who claim to be authority 

 on all matters concerning Alaska have uttered an emphatic protest 

 against the project of domesticating reindeer, because the dogs of the 

 Eskimo would eat them up. 



I know this fear was shared by you to some extent, although you 

 thought the evil could be avoided by exercising proper care and watch- 

 fulness, and I am glad to be able to state that but one deer was lost 

 from being attacked by dogs, although on many occasions they were 

 exposed to them in their savage state. In the light of a varied 

 experience in this particular, which will appear further on in my report, 



