The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-30
viii Be Brought From
East Siberia.
ARE AS STRONG AS A HORSE
WILL CARRY A MAN AND HIS
PACK ALL DAY LONG.
Ex-Sloop-of-War Thetis Being Fitted
to Bring a Cargo of the Ami
mails to Alaskan
Points.

The United States revenue cutter Thetis
IS to be fitted out for a cruise In the
,Okhotsk Sea and along the Siberian
coast. She was at one time classed as a
sloOp-of-war, but for year past has
been on the list of ''unserviceable" yes
sells. The revenue marine was in want of
a vessel, however. so the Thetis was
hauled out of retirement and handed over
to that branch of the service. She will
be fitted out at Main-street wharf, and it
viii take at least a month to get her
ready for service.
Uncle Sam is going to use reindeer to
carry his mails in Alaska, and it is for
the purpose Of securing the proper breed
OF these animals that the Thetis is going
to the Siberian coast. The deer found
there are as large as a pony and will
carry n man and his pack from twenty
10 twenty-five miles a day. Lieutenant
D. II. Jarvis, who went north to rescue
the whaIers, will go out master of the
Thetis, and with him will go Sheldon
Jackson and probably Leo Williams, one
eff the best-informed, whaling captains in
the Pacific. Captain Williams Is as
familiar with the sea of Okhotsk as he Is
with the Arctic Ocean, and knows where
all the big deer stations are. If he goes
it will be as pilot Of the Thetis.
1.-The reindeer on the Okhotsk side of
Siberia are far larger and stronger ami
Sea side said Captain Williams yester-
day. IN Boring Sea they are to be found
in small herds from PlOver Bay to East
% Cane. but they are neither large nor
strong 1t was a herd Of these animals
that was driven to the Mackenzie River
10 feed the starving whalers, so Lieu
tenant Jarvis knows what kind of ami
mails they are.
ION the Okhotsk side of the Siberian
coast you will find the deer in herds of
from 40 600 to $4,000. The bucks are
large as a fair-sized horse and are
trained 70 do everything that horse
can do. They are not comfortable ami
mails 10 ride. but they make good time.
I'm never forget my experience on the
back of one of the brutes.. The saddle
has to be put on the reindeer's shoulders
as it can carry no weight on its back
like a horse. He is -bridled the same
as YOU would bride a steer, and his huge
antlers come in handy when you are 60
ing up hill. as the reindeer is much lower
at tltan he is forward. Before l got onto
that antler business l went over the stern
Of that snowShip several times ana thdt
was no joke l can tell you Ihey traVei
at a smart trOt, and every Tune moor
strikes The ground you come down on the
saddle with d thud that Jars. L tell you
those Alaska postmen are going 10 nave
lots Of fun before they get used 10 rem
when The reindeer are being. worked
they have to be fed just the same as you
would a horse, and a smudge fire has to
be built every night to keep the mosqui-
toes away from them, otherwise the insect
would soon kill the deer. They are as
tame and gentle as kitten, and well ~
broken animal Will bring from 90 to %
rubles in Siberia, while an ordinary ami
mai is worth 40 rubles. l think the rein
deer will prove d success and next next win
Ter We will have mail from KotZebue
sound and ali intermediate points at reg
ular intervals If the Klondike keeps on
growing 1 wouldn't be a bit surprised to
see q daily mail from there in the winter"
The Thetis will get away from here
about the first week in May, and will go
TO Yokohama and thence to Siberia. She
was lowed down from Mare Island yes
terday by the revenue cutter Bear.