INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 227 



September 13: Traded for two small Eskimo dog puppies, 



September 14: Some girls redeemed their sex from the stigma of an 

 apparently hopeless condition of illiteracy by attending sctool to-da}-. 

 They were very shy. 



Abrahamsen built a dog house. 



September 15: Accompanied by some boys, I explored the plateau 

 of the neighboring mountain, a long promontory known as Cape 

 Chibukuk. Was surprised at the sure-footedness and activity of the 

 boys. Saw some thin ice up there. 



September 16: Thermometer, 37°; fine snow fell at times. 



September 23: The attendance at school was "slim" to-day, as a 

 large number of boys were obliged to help their fathers construct 

 winter houses. The attendance in one day during the past week 

 reached the maximum — forty-eight. 



September 21:; Snow fell. Abrahamsen and I looked for ships, 

 through a telescope, on top of the mountain, but did not see any. 

 The snow-covered mountain at Indian Point, Siberia, 40 miles 

 across the water, shone resplendent in the sunlight. 



September 25: At Sunday school, "Captain Jack," in his efforts to 

 interpret my remarks about truth telling, evidently was greatly 

 embarrassed, as some of the people appeared to enjoy the joke of a 

 man having the reputation of " ' two tongues " being obliged to impart 

 the duty of honest speech to his neighbor. He is an Indian Point 

 native, and has an unsavory reputation, but as he understands English 

 better than anyone else here I have used him occasionally as an inter- 

 preter. English is not understood well by anyone in the place, I 

 may add, and no doubt a large portion of my remarks consequently 

 fails to reach the minds of the auditors. 



September 28 : Snow fell. A walrus and two seals were killed. I had 

 a ride on a sled drawn by Eskimo dogs, a very novel experience for 

 me, and softened my heart toward the discordant howlers. The dog is 

 really a valuable aid to his master, carrying him on his sled to the dis- 

 tant hunting grounds. Five or six dogs are hitched side by side to one 

 sled as a rule. The thermometer indicated a freezing temperature 

 to-day. 



September 30: I was sorry to hear that whisky making has been in 

 progress for some time here of late. I had "proof positive," as my 

 informant, none other than the well-seasoned "Captain Jack," was 

 himself at the moment of communication thoroughly saturated with 

 the drug. I had therefore the necessity of convicting him against his 

 protestations of innocence, and then of warning him that a repetition 

 would sever the slight tie of friendship which existed between us. 



It happens that the native wife of a Portuguese trader, who had 

 taken up his residence here two years ago, after leaving Port Barrow, 



