Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-02
OUR HUNGRY EsQUI,1AUk.

ducins In Alaska the Siberian Rel deer.
For several seasons past, says the SIN Fran
cisco Chronicle, the Esquimaux Of dthwest-
ern Alaska have experienced great ierdships
in obtaining . supply Of deer meat FOR their
winter stores. II 10 to be feared that when the
Bear makes her annual visit to the Arctic next
summer many Of the villages will be found 10
have lost their residents from starvation. The
latest advices from the Arctic report failure
not only in the autumn deer hunt, but in the
entire catch Of whales, walrus and seals
Naturally Of q timid disposition, the deer have
learned that the natives with reech-loading
arms are far more formidable foes than when
bows, arrows and spears were employed in the
chase. Again, the Esquimaux spare neither
young nor old when q herd il found. and
little sucking fawns, as well as does carrying
young fall victims to his gun. Formerly on
the lower Yukon, around st. Michaels. on Nor
ton sound and in the country known as the
hotZeoue sound district numbers Of deer made
yearly visits. Now it is rare to find that the
natives living at these points have seen or
tasted deer meat.
The Alaskan deer Of the arctic and subarctic
regions have been COMPOUNDED with the REIN
deer OF other localities. but, while certainly
belonging TO the rangifer family. they are the
true barren-ground caribou. differing from the
upland caribou and domesticated reindeer Of
Lapland and Siberia in being smaller in body
and horns From July to September the in
stincts OF the deer induce them to come from
the interior to the sea coast to obtain rest and
freedom from the fortunes inflicted by the
hordes OF mosquitoes that infest the inland
swamps and also to get saline matter from the
heritage and moss growing in proximity to the
ocean; In September they commence their
inland migration, and from July until the mid
die OF October they are ruthlessly pursued by
Nome la affnr cd 10 ami
mails during the dark days that prevail in the
Arctic zone from November until january. but
as soon after the early part of February as the
weather permits the food seekers again take
the field Tho does have their young during
April, and by provision of nature the horns
Of the female only attain size during the time
she Is sucking the fawn and until it can feed
about two months
When 1t is considered that a deer weighing
on an average 125 pounds is consumed at q
single sitting by hve or six natives it may be
perceived that the returns of a successful hunt
ing party must be large to feed a village.
CAPT. HEALY's PLAN.
] During the past season in the Arctic the at
tention Of Capt Healy Of the United States
revenue steamer Bear has been directed in q
very pointed manner to the attainment of some
method whereby the supply Of deer for food
and clothing purposes may be increased in
northwestern Alaska. This year, taking ad-
vantage OF the presence on the Bear Of DR..
sheldon Jackson, United States commissioner
OF education for Alaska, the captain, in con-
junction with Commissioner jackson, intends
to present to the Secretary of the Interior data
upon the subject.
Within radius of 100 miles inland from the
shores OF the ocean on the Siberian coast from
cape Navarin to Plover bay, there are a peo-
PIE known as deer men. They belong to the
Ichuktchee tribe Of Siberians, and are essen
TALLY nomadic race, wandering from East
cape, on the northern coast, to Cape Navarin
southwark. Accompanied by their herds of
tame reindeer, aggregating in many instances
thousands, they roam in search of food. These
reindeer, while resembling the Alaskan species
In the main, differ in the texture Of their skins,
the pelts being spotted brown and white with
smooth surface. These deer men subsist
mainly on the products of their herds, barter
ing the skins with the coast natives for tobacco,
seal oil, walrus hides for their boot soles and
other commodities, such as powder, shot, lead
and flour. At Cape Navarin and East cape,
Siberia, they sometimes meet the whaling ships
and sell them deer meat and skins for tobacco,
&c.
Capt. Healy's ideas are to propose to the gov
that he be empowered to purchase q
number Of these deer Of both sexes and trans
port them on the Bear to some point on the
Alaskan coast where the moss and feed are
plentiful. These deer are to form the nucleus
OF herd and from the yearly increase they can
be distributed over other portions of the North
west territory. As the Alaskan Esquimaux arc
not skilled in herding the deer Capt. Healy in
tends, if permission be granted by the govern
ment, to endeavor to enlist the services Of some
experienced Siberian natives to instruct them
Unless some measures be adopted as suggested
by Capt. Healy, it is sure that decade will wit
ness the determination of the people Of our
arctic province on its northwest shores The
results Of the active and INSCRIPTIONS chase of
their pelagic food supplies by the whalemen
has already become evident: wslrus are almost
invisible on the ice foes within reach of the ma
tive hunters while the Hurried and CALLED
whale makes its passage to the unknown regions
OF the Arctic ocean at speed which defes the
natives to capture it.