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natural. While out on the trip we knew we should be remembered by the weekly prayer meeting of our Eskimo Christians here, and I think they feel that their prayers were not unheard.

In the wilderness.-The weather favored us wonderfully. Lieut. D. H. Jarvis, who planned and commanded the expedition, was an ideal, unselfish commander in every respect. The managing of the deer he intrusted to us. It was a new experience for our five herders and two from adjoining settlements and a very doubtful undertaking to attempt to drive 436 deer a distance of 700 miles to reach Point Barrow. All the old Eskimo said we would never reach Point Barrow. Two days after leaving Kotzebue Sound a howling blizzard scattered our deer. We found all but 34 after the storm had subsided and moved on. These 34 were found by the natives and driven in and delivered to us afterwards.

The practical value of a Christian mission at Cape Prince of Wales and the sensible method of conducting such a mission have been abundantly illustrated in this expedition of Mr. Lopp.

Missionary visits.-Mr. Lopp has carried on missionary visits among other stations and reached the Eskimo in their settlements. He has learned the language of the people and speaks somewhat fluently to the Eskimo in their own tongue. Just south of Point Hope service has been held at a whaling station, where several families gathered from up and down the coast to receive the message of good

news.

It was certainly a reasonable act of the United States Congress in voting an appropriation to Mr. Lopp and those who went with him in this heroic and hazardous journey for the rescue of these ice-bound whalers. The value of the mission at Cape Prince of Wales has received practical demonstrations in every way possible during this year.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Hon. W. T. HARRIS, LL. D.,

SHELDON JACKSON.

Commissioner of Education.

CHAPTER XLI.

EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BUREAU OF EDUCATION, ALASKA DIVISION,

Washington, D. C., December 31, 1898.

SIR: I have the honor to submit to you my eighth annual report on "The introduction of domestic reindeer into Alaska."

The year just closed has been one of more than usual interest. It opened with the Government relief expedition, in charge of Lieut. D. H. Jarvis, of the United States Revenue-Cutter Service, to the whalers in the neighborhood of Point Barrow, Alaska, and with a Government commission to Lapland, Norway, for the procuring of a colony of Laplanders and the purchase of a herd of reindeer trained to harness, to be used in transporting relief to the destitute people in the mining regions of Alaska: also, the establishment of a new reindeer station in the neighborhood of Unalaklik, 60 miles north of St. Michael. It being necessary to send Mr. William A. Kjellmann, the superintendent of the reindeer stations in Alaska, to Norway in charge of four families of Lapps, whose term of service had expired and who according to contract were to be returned to Lapland, Dr. A. N. Kittilsen, the physician and assistant superintendent, was placed in charge of the herd at the Teller Reindeer Station, with Mr. T. L. Brevig as his assistant. Mr. Frederik Larsen (Lapp) was kept with the herd as overseer, and Messrs. John Tornensis and Mikkel Nakkila (Lapps) were kept at the station during the fall of 1897, repairing and making sleds and harness, preparatory to the removal of a portion of the herd to the new station near Unalaklik.

On the last of October Dr. Kittilsen made a trip to Cape Nome, where he received from Antisarlook 53 male, 65 female, and 3 fawn reindeer for the Government, which had previously been loaned and were now being returned. He also secured 4 females and 3 fawns belonging to Tatpan, of Golovin Bay.

In the middle of November a trip was made to Cape Prince of Wales, returning November 28 with 3 head of deer belonging to the Government.

As Tautook, Sekeoglook, and Wocksock (Eskimo) had served their apprenticeship of five years, it was proposed to establish them at the Teller Station with a herd of their own when the Government herd should be taken to the new Eaton Station. Accordingly on December 3 each of the three received, according to contract, 20 females, 3 males, and 2 sled deer. These, together with those previously owned by them and since born in their herds, gave Tautook 77 head, Sekeoglook 59, and Wocksock 50, making a herd of 186 between them. The apprentice Ojello, being quite sick, was left with his family at the Teller Station.

On December 19, leaving Mr. Brevig in charge of the Teller Station, Dr. Kittilsen, in charge of the Lapps and apprentices other than those mentioned as having been left at the Teller Station, started across the country for Unalaklik with 450 reindeer and 40 sleds, arriving at Golovin Bay on the 29th of December. There were 17 in the party, counting women and children. The 7 deer brought from Cape Nome for Tatpan, an apprentice above mentioned, were transferred to the herd at Golovin Bay, and 17 deer belonging to Martin, an apprentice at Unalaklik, were lassoed and taken into the Government herd to be driven to the Eaton Station. On January 3 the journey was resumed, but two days later a snowstorm of unusual severity was encountered, and the party went into camp, the deer being returned to the neighborhood of Golovin Bay, where the pasturage was more accessible. While in camp, January 10, Lieutenant Jarvis and Dr. Call, of the relief party for the whalers, arrived from the south and asked for reindeer transportation to Port Clarence. Accordingly, on January 12, Dr. Kittilsen, taking two

of the apprentices, drove back with Lieutenant Jarvis and Dr. Call to the Teller Reindeer Station, where they arrived on the 19th. Leaving Lieutenant Jarvis to push on to Cape Prince of Wales and Dr. Call to Cape Nome, Dr. Kittilsen, with the apprentices, on January 26, started on their return to Golovin Bay, reaching there February 9. During Dr. Kittilsen's absence Lieutenant Bertholf, also of the Point Barrow relief expedition, had arrived at the reindeer camp near Golovin Bay and induced Frederik Larsen to take five deer and sleds to help him across Kotzebue Sound with provisions for the relief party, claiming that it was impossible to get the goods across the country with dog teams. After arriving at Kotzebue Sound, Lieutenant Bertholf retained the reindeer teams for his further trip to Point Hope, returning Frederik Larsen to Golovin Bay.

On the 13th of March camp was broken and a start made for Unalaklik, which place was reached on the 21st. The spring was utilized in cutting and hauling several hundred logs for the erection of houses at the new station, located near Unalaklik and named " Eaton," in honor of Gen. John Eaton, ex-Commissioner of Education. After the logs had been hauled to their destination, the herd was moved to the foot of the mountains southeast of Unalaklik, where a good fawning place was found.

In April an expedition was made to Golovin Bay to return some provisions which had been borrowed from the Swedish Mission Station during the detention of the herd in that neighborhood the previous winter.

PERSONNEL.

Mr. William A. Kjellmann was continued as superintendent of the stations in Alaska, but being detailed for special duty in returning Lapps to their native country and in procuring a new colony, he was absent from the field until July. Returning from Norway and reaching Eaton Station, he immediately utilized the temporary presence of the large colony of Lapps by dividing them into three parties, one to have charge of the herd, a second party to freight the supplies from the landing place on the coast to the station, and the third party to erect the necessary buildings. This enabled him to make rapid progress in getting the new station in order for winter. When the station was last heard from, arrangements were in progress, by which it was expected that a large number of the Lapps would be distributed along the Yukon River for the purpose of carrying the United States mail, and the smaller number kept in the service of the reindeer stations. During the absence of Mr. Kjellmann, Dr. A. N. Kittilsen was in charge at the Teller Station until December, when he went with the herd and took charge of the new station on the Unalaklik River until the arrival of Mr. Kjellmann. On the arrival of Mr. Kjellmann. Dr. Kittilsen resigned and left for the mines, his place as physician being taken by F. H. Gambell. M. D., of Iowa. Upon the departure of Dr. Kittilsen from the Teller Station, Rev. T. L. Brevig was placed in charge.

With the increase of stations and enlargement of the work, Mr. Hedley E. Redmeyer was also made an assistant superintendent.

Herders.-Messrs. Tornensis, Nakkila, and Larsen, the Lapps that remained in Alaska, continue in the service of the Government. During the trip of myself and Mr. Kjellmann to Norway we secured 113 Lapp, Norwegian, and Finn men, women, and children, who were removed to the Eaton Station, from which they are to be distributed to various localities where most needed.

At the closing of this report it has not been determined how many of them will remain in the service of this Bureau and how many will go into the postal service of the country.

Apprentices.-During the year three of the apprentices, namely, Tautook, Sekeoglook, and Wocksock, of the Teller Reindeer Station, have gone into business for themselves, having served as apprentices for five years (the full term), locating their herd in the neighborhood of the Teller Station. Electoona and Ahlook, from Point Hope, and Ojello, from Point Barrow, with their families, were sent to Points Hope and Barrow to take charge of the herd driven up for the relief of the whalers, or of such portion as was not slaughtered for that purpose. To assist the Eskimo apprentices, Jacob Larsen Hatta, wife, and two children, and Mr. Lars Larsen Hatta (Lapps) were also sent.

This herd was to be divided into two equal portions, one of which was to be loaned to the Presbyterian Mission at Point Barrow, and the other to the Episcopal Mission at Point Hope. Ten of the former Eskimo apprentices have now herds of their own, and are careful and diligent in increasing them. Their herds aggregate nearly 500 head.

BUILDINGS.

The Rev. T. L. Brevig, who arrived at the Teller Reindeer Station in 1894 as teacher, needing a year's vacation, returned to the States last fall. The care of the public buildings thus vacated was given to Dr. Brandon, who in return for the same agreed to care for the buildings and also counsel with the Eskimo herders in the neighborhood.

At Eaton Station substantial log buildings were erected for the superintendent, physician, and herders' families; also for the necessary storehouses.

THE HERD.

The Government herd was driven during the winter from the Teller to the Eaton Station, a distance of about 300 miles.

The 120 reindeer that had been loaned by the Government to Antisarlook in January, 1895, were returned by him last winter, he retaining 160, the same being the increase during the three years that the herd had been in his possession. Seventy-five deer were given by the Government to Tautook, Sekeoglook, and Wocksock, who had finished their term of apprenticeship, and in accordance with the terms of their contract, to enable them to commence an independent herd. One hundred and sixty deer belonging to Antisarlook's herd at Cape Nome and 301 deer belonging to the missionary and Eskimo herd at Cape Prince of Wales were borrowed by the Government, making a total of 461 reindeer for the relief of the ice-imprisoned whalers at Point Barrow. Of these, 180 males were slaughtered for food, the females being kept as a nucleus of a permanent herd at Point Barrow.

At Golovin Bay the union herd, belonging jointly to the Swedish Evangelical Union Mission and Episcopalians, was increased during the year by 99 fawns born. It is expected this winter that the herd will be divided, and the portion belonging to the Episcopalians will be driven across the country to Weare, at the mouth of the Tanana River.

Instructions were left at the Eaton Station to loan 100 head of reindeer to the Roman Catholic Missions on the Yukon River, and send with the herd an experienced Lapp to take the oversight of the herd and instruct the native apprentices in its care and management.

Number and distribution of domestic reindeer in Alaska, 1898.

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