164 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



of people that live near the seacoast. During the run of the winter, the Laplanders 

 call for these fishes, by means of reindeer transportation, whenever they are in 

 want of a new supply. The livers and the oil of the fall fishes are collected, like- 

 wise, for domestic uses and kept in large fish bladders which are blown up for that 

 purpose and are easily transportable. The oil and liver will keep in this manner 

 until the next season. The oil is used in the preparation of food, as a sauce to the 

 fish, and for moistening the bread with it. It is further used for lighting purposes, 

 vehicles, and for preparing skins. 



My advice is to supply every family with from one to two nets for catching 

 salmons, cords and hooks for lines, and from two to three tubs of salt, besides boards 

 from one-half to three-fourths inches in thickness; the boards should be of cedar- 

 wood. This arrangement will insure greater rest to the reindeer and an increase in 

 their number. (Mr. Dahl means, of course, they will not kill the reindeer for food, 

 etc., but leave them browsing and resting at leisure instead of keeping them on the 

 go at all times. ) 



With so small a number as from 200 to 300 reindeer, of which one-third probably are 

 bucks, you easily uuderstaurl that their increase would not be very rapid. Even if 

 there were 1,030 auimals, I would advise strict protection of the flock during the 

 next three or four years. In Scandinavia we count from 500 to 600 reindeer to each 

 family of eight membars, servants and children included, and then these people 

 pursue fishing besides in order to make all ends meet and provide themselves with 

 the general necessaries of life. Even in so large a number as 1,000 animals, the 

 increase is small, provided they are spared by diseases and wolves. 



I have myself been a fisherman, have owned many reindeer, etc., and I should be 

 truly pleased if I could go and live among those poor, forsaken people. I could teach 

 them many occupations, how to catch fish, dry and salt them, make boats and 

 cords, how to spin, and to preserve the oil, besides many other things. I would 

 train the young people so that they in future years could work independently. 

 However, I should not like to accept such a post for a longer term than from two to 

 three years, if God permits me to pursue my duties that length of time; and during 

 that period I could promote the welfare of the people and the country to a consid- 

 erable extent. 



I am a huntsman and have also, for many years, been active in the possession of a 

 doctor (nonexamined), and I am in possession of a license as druggist, which may 

 be of advantage- in Alaska. As I said before, I take the greatest interest in the 

 whole undertaking, which opens such a wide, rich field for the future. 



You must kindly excuse, sir, that I correspond in my mother-tongue (Norwegian'), 

 but I am lacking a sufficient fluency to express myself satisfactorily on this subject 

 in the English language. Both my wife and my son know the English perfectly. 

 No doubt you will still have many subjects to write on before everything is settled, 

 and I am always at your service. I hope that you will soon recover from your 

 attack of " la grippe," and be enabled to reopen the correspondence; in the mean- 

 time I thought it well to send you word. 



If the funds permit I advise you to engage some civilized, clever young Lap- 

 landers from the old country, who easily and more quickly can train the Eskimos. 

 The coasts of Alaska abound in fish, and all that is necessary to utilize them would 

 be implements and a knowledge of how to catch, prepare, and sell them. 



Also, in the old country you will encounter the same difficulties in buying up 

 reindeer in larger numbers, even from rich mountaineer Laplanders, and the same 

 maneuvers as those in Siberia have to be observed. Yet, during the summer, when 

 all the reindeer are near the seacoast, if one leaves orders at the first reindeer 

 station to have ready a certain number of animals at one's return from the last 

 station, it will be easier to gather a larger number of animals on the homeward 

 route. One should never leave out of sight the great importance of obtaining a 

 larger number of cows than bucks. 



