176 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



day the reindeer are gathered together in the same manner as hefore, and the 

 slaughter continues as many days as the Lapp wishes to kill reindeer. 



Many a time I have heen a spectator, and even taken part, in the killing of more 

 than 200 reindeer, which was accomplished in less than four hours. 



When the snow becomes deep and hard in the mountains the Lapp gathers all his 

 reindeer in a herd and removes them down into the forest, where the snow is not so 

 deep and hard, in order to make it more easy for the reindeer to get tlieir food. On 

 occasion of these removals the Lapp, with his reindeer herd, sometimes goes as 

 far as 200 miles from the mountains, to the shore of the Botensea and out on the 

 islands, carrying his household goods and children upon sledges drawn by male rein- 

 deer, which are trained for this purpose. They can drive very fast, oftentimes from 

 50 to 60 miles a day, if the sledging is good. The shape of the sledge is that of a little 

 skiff, so that it can be drawn when there is no road. 



When the spring comes again, the Lapp, with his reindeer, goes back to the moun- 

 tains. They have to make this same round of travel every year. 



In education the Lapp, on an average, is well advanced, as the Government has 

 established schools everywhere among them, in which not only their own language 

 but the Swedish also is taught, because they are constantly brought into contact 

 with the country people, and their territory borders on that of the farmers. This 

 last is not the case in Norway, Finland, or Siberia. 



What I have above described about the Lapps' commercial interest in the reindeer 

 shows that none of them can be persuaded to go to Alaska. They live as prosper- 

 ously as possible in their own country and do not need any thing better. 



But there is another class of Lapps that will willingly go anywhere in the world 

 that you wish, provided you pay their fare and expenses. These are commonly 

 called the "lochen" Lapps (country Lapps). They were born in the mountains. 

 Through drinking brandy they have become good for nothing, and it is of no use to 

 take them to Alaska. They live now in the country among the farmers, and make 

 their living by begging. The best recruits you can get for taking care of reindeer 

 in Alaska are certainly the servants among the Lapps who own reindeer. Two or 

 three strong and healthy men, about 25 years of age, with as many women, are all 

 that you need for the care of a large herd of reindeer. 



I am always at your service if you wish to know anything further about the care 

 of reindeer. 



Yours, sincerely, 



William Almquist. 



Dr. Sheldon Jackson, 



Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C. 



Chicago, March 11, 1SD4. 

 Dr. Sheldon Jackson: 



I herewith will try to meet your wishes and give yon some information in regard 

 to the usefulness and management of reindeer in Lapland. The reindeer are raised 

 and kept on account of their meat and skin principally, and are used for carrying 

 loads and for driving. They will drag 12 lispnnd (18 pounds 12 ounces each lispund) 

 upon a certain kind of sleighs called alcija (pulkhas) and if a person owns from 8 to 

 10 reindeer these are fastened in a row, one behind the other, with ropes and another 

 sleigh, and in that manner one can transport from two to three times as big a load, 

 at one time. 



I will mention that the Laplander or reindeer owner has his reindeer marked by a 

 cut in the ear, and, in order to prevent similarities in marking, the persons con- 

 cerned have to be on the lookout and invent some mark that differs from all the 

 others, etc. Reindeer are not killed during the summer. I have little more to say, 

 except that the herders have to be careful in finding pastures or tracts with a suffi- 

 cient amount of food for the herds, and in summer that the same have access \o 



