DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 6 I 



practice, however, was never indulged in except by the men and boys, 

 and they were made to occupy places in the rear of the room. 



The first impression I had formed of the Eskimo in the matter of 

 intelligence was fully confirmed before I had taught many days. They 

 all have large heads, high foreheads, clear, bright eyes, and many of 

 them are keenly intelligent, and I believe they will compare favora- 

 bly in intelligence with any of the white race. As a class, too, they 

 are what may be termed good looking, and among the number many of 

 them are very pretty. For people who use their teeth as much as the 

 Eskimo, who never engage in any kind of work, from sewing a light 

 skin to forming the heavy soles ot their boots, without biting it with 

 their teeth considerably, they have remarkably good ones. They area 

 beautiful white, very even and regular, and many a white woman would 

 get the best of a trade in an exchange of teeth with most of the Eskimo 

 women. 



The Eskimo are passionately fond of music, especially singing, and 

 could grasp a tune very quickly. They prefer, however, those of a 

 quick and lively character, and enjoy most those having a stirring 

 chorus. 



The progress made by the scholars was very satisfactory. Special 

 pains were taken in teaching pronunciation rather than to make fast 

 progress in learning to spell and read. I believe, at the close of the 

 school, they had gotten so far towards an idea of the English language 

 that they will enter upon their studies next winter with renewed interest. 



The following will show something of the work done, but a more com - 

 plete idea will be found in the monthly sheets forwarded to you in the 

 regular reports : 



Number months taught 4 



Number of children from 6 to 14 years of age in community 17 



Number of children from 16 to 21 years of ago in community 18 



Average daily attendance during term 25. 50 



On the 31st of August last a number of natives were started digging 

 a ditch to bring water from a little lake about a half mile north of the 

 station, so as to have fresh running water close at hand, and to carry 

 it down to the beach. It is customary for vessels that come here for 

 water to tow casks ashore with small boats, and, after rolling them up 

 on the beach to carry water from the creek 50 feet or more and empty 

 it into the casks. It is a tedious job, as most of the ships carry from 

 ten to. twenty casks, and it occurred to me that if the water could be 

 brought to the station, through a ditch, it could easily be carried beyond 

 the beach in troughs and thus made to flow into the casks. 



In about four days a ditch was dug and an excellent flow of water 

 had, but we proposed to increase the quantity by damming up the creek 

 that supplies an outlet for the lake, some distance from the station. 



The large quantity of water standing in pools all over the level land 

 north of the station prevented the men from digging the ditch more 

 than a foot or so deep, and work was discontinued until cold weather, 



