4g THE ASIATIC FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



In the fall of 1882 a couple of horses were brought over from Petropaulski, let loose, 

 and allowed to take care of themselves during the entire winter, which was a rather 

 severe one. The winter gales swept the level places nearly bare of snow, and the 

 horses found more than plentiful food in the dry grass thus exposed. So far from 

 suffering hunger, the horses in spring were found to be sleek and well fed; in fact, In 

 better condition than when they arrived on the island. They were afterwards sold to 

 a native, but died later, a circumstance undoubtedly due to the ignorance or lack of 



care of the owner. 



The sledge dogs are still one of the most interesting features of Bering Island. 

 There must be at least 600 dogs in Nikolski,' but while formerly they were allowed to 

 run loose, and afterwards kept chained outside of the owner's house, Mr. Grebnitski 

 has of late years banished all the dog pens to the sand hills back of the village, much 

 to the improvement of good order and comfort in the village. Each dog has a hole 

 in the ground large enough for him to lie down in while chained to a stout pole near 

 by. Here they pass their days howling or sleeping when not out traveling. For 

 traveling a number of them, mostly 11 or 13, are hitched in pairs to a low sledge. 

 A trained leader is tied on iu front. This is an intelligent and valuable animal, and 

 is guided entirely by the driver's voice. In winter, on the snow, such a team will 

 haul a load weighing 400 pounds, and I have traveled 40 miles in a day, though 

 without any baggage worth mentioning. But they are also used in summer on the 

 bare ground. Of course, the rocky places are avoided as much as possible, and 

 the summer tracks are preferably located over the marshes and in the low places. On 

 frequented routes, as between Nikolski and north rookery, or Saranna, the constant 

 travel has worn deep ruts in the ground— in some places 2 to 3 feet deep. These ruts 

 being veritable ditches, drain the surroundings, and are, therefore, usually in a very 

 slippery condition, to which the droppings of the dogs add materially, making It fast 

 if not pleasant traveling. Some of these routes are shown by dotted lines on the 

 map of Bering Island (plate 91). 



Most of the dogs differ greatly from the Kamchatkan dogs, belonging, in fact, to 

 an entirely different race. They have large, hanging ears, and were originally brought 

 to the island from Okhotsk. Of late years teams of Kamchatkan dogs, which have 

 erect, pointed ears, and are very much like the ordinary Eskimo dogs, have been 

 imported, as the original hang-eared dogs were degenerating from inbreeding, and 

 now mongrels of all possible shades and with ears of all possible shapes are common 

 enough. The hang-ear dogs are furthermore distinguished by having the regular dog 

 bark, while the Kamchatkan dogs can only howl. 



The recent introduction of reindeer into Bering Island seems to have been a 

 success. Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co., in 1882, by the efforts of Dr. B. 

 Dybovski, secured 4 male and 11 female reindeer in Kamchatka, which were safely 

 landed on Bering Island July 15. During the following winter 2 females were killed 

 by natives, but the herd increased by the birth of 6 or 7 calves. The reindeer took 

 up jjastures in the southern, mountainous part of the island, and are said to have 

 multiplied rapidly. I did not see them in 1895, but I heard estimates of their number 

 varying between 600 and 1,000 deer. A careful selection of bucks for killing would 



'According to Saritcli (Otchet, App. No. 9) there -were 200 dogs iu 1868; 245 in 1870; 460 in 1874; 

 724 in 1886; 562 in 1892. On January 1/1897, tliere ^vcre 503 sledge dogs in Nikolski, according to 

 Mr. Wachsmutli'.'s report. 



