INTEODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEEK INTO ALASKA. 229 



October 8: Myukuk, an Indian Point native, under the influence of 

 strong drink, tried to batter down one of the doors of the house with 

 a large rock last night. 



October 11: Tried to persuade Shoolook to abandon his purpose of 

 becoming a bigamist. Several natives here have two wives. In 

 Siberia the custom not only of bigamy is quite common, but even 

 polygam}^, 1 am told. The excuse offered is that a man likes to have 

 a number of women constantly ready with their needles to sew for 

 him, so that he can maintain trading enterprises on a grand scale. 



October 14: Snow fell during the night. 



October 15: Boarded the Alaska^ Captain Cogan, which was "lying 

 to" about 1 mile from shore. Had a very pleasant conversation with 

 the captain and Mr. Wood. Sent letters in their care. 



October 17: A whaler "hove to" about 1 mile from shore in the 

 afternoon, but on account of the high surf I did not venture upon the 

 sea, nor did anyone from the vessel attempt to call at the station. 



Have received no mail since my arrival and no news about the war 

 with Spain. The severance of the ties that bound me so closelj^ to 

 kindred, country, and friends is as complete as the deprivation from 

 mail facilities can make it. One can only hope that all the interests, 

 as well as the persons dear to him, are flourishing, and begin to count 

 the months ere the ships will come from Southern ports on their sum- 

 mer cruise in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. 



October 19: School was held as usual. The thermometer registered 

 29°. The wind blew from the north. 



October 20: Ice on the lower end of the lake. This sheet of water 

 is nearly 3 miles long and about 1 mile wide. There are no fish in it, 

 I understand. It serves as an excellent fresh-water reservoir for the 

 community, as nothing pollutes the streams from the mountain that 

 feed it. 



October 22: Timkaroo celebrated to-day with a dance called " ola 

 hola." He and his assistants were in festive garments, wearing chap- 

 lets on their heads. A feast preceded the tossing of women in a 

 blanket of walrus skins sewed together. One woman in the latter 

 exercise was thrown " foul," and after a swoop of 10 feet or more in 

 the air, fell on the hard ground. Timkaroo forbade me to render any 

 aid to the woman, as he assumed, with no remonstrance from the peo- 

 ple, the functions of native doctor. The left clavicle was broken, but 

 pronounced to be healed after a few minutes, during which he placed 

 pebbles under her as she sat on a walrus skin, and kept muttering 

 rapidlj'' about her ears some unknown jargon. Trading later wound up 

 the performance. 



October 23: At Sunday school spoke about the " miraculous draught 

 of fishes," making use of an illustrated chart. Abrahamsen and I 



