242 INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 



boys could then attend school in the forenoon and shovel snow and 

 attend to other duties in the afternoon. 



At Shoolook's request I tried to gain admission to Kenaak's house in 

 order to do what I could to help his sick wife. A large number of 

 persons were in the outer room and they told me not to enter the 

 living room, M'here Assoone, the chief, and the most reputaVde native 

 doctor, was beating his drum loudly and chanting. A woman 

 responded somewhat frantically to his cries, presumably the patient. 

 I felt sorry as I turned away. The excitement, however, sometimes 

 brings about a reaction that is helpful to patients, and so 1 hoped that 

 the mind would be strengthened and so assist in her recovery. It 

 seemed a pity that her husband would have to render himself poor in 

 paying native-doctor fees. 



March 23: School. 34"^; southAvest wind, strong; snow and fog. Ice 

 jam on the west shore. 



March 24: School. 3(P, 32°; south and southwest winds, light; fair. 



March 25: Saturday. 30°, 33°; southwest Mind, strong in evening; 

 snow flurries. The snowfall during this month has been the heaviest 

 of the winter. I ''cleaned up" sitting room and bedroom, putting 

 many things in order. 



March 'ICm Sunday- school. 30°, 32°; south and southeast winds, 

 light; foggy. Enak had a hard time, in the absence of Aminga. inter- 

 preting my brief remarks. 



March 27: School. 30°, 32°; southwest wind, light, cloudy. There 

 were only five boj^s, all of them being Drimary scholars, during the 

 early morning period. 



March 28: No school. 10°, 5°; northeast wind, strong; snowed all 

 day. Five walruses were brought in. One native took his canoe on 

 runners, which was pulled by a dog team, to the east side of the prom- 

 ontory. I attended to some sick people. 



]\larch 29: School. 5°, 0°; northeast gale. Snowed during morn- 

 ing. I was very glad to have 28 pupils at school. 1 had them prepare 

 some exercises for the inspection of Dr. Jackson when he comes next 

 summer. Shoolook, who had '' drummed up " a number of the scholars, 

 was a guest at school. Abrahamsen had to cut a hole through the ice 

 in the lake in order to get water for the house. The people generally 

 melt blocks of ice and hard snow. The hole has to be kept open daily: 

 and at length a new one has to be cut when the old one has closed up 

 tightly after a hard freeze. The ice is about 5 feet thick. 



March 30: No school. 5°; northeast gale; snowed all da}'. The 

 ceiling near the pipe in the schoolroom smoldered and threatened to 

 cause damage. Abrahamsen had to cut the wood flooring so as to 

 remove the charred part and to give the pipe a "wider berth.'' Did 

 nf)t hold school, as I thought it would be best to let the fire go out. 

 Betwinphut guided me to Keneak's house, while 1 was greatly bewil- 



