The Nome nugget., 1902-01-15


 in. back and forth for over 40 days, four had survived to reach land just south of Cape Navarin on the Siberian coast. Soon after land landing, the other three died, leaving Vincent alone. Over two years this man had spent among the Chowchuan in the in- ! terior, until be had been able to get word to the northern coast natives, when the Bear had been notified and gone to rescue him. I forthwith huntei him up. He spoke the Chow chuan language fluently and l set to work to learn it rom him. From him l also got many datas bearing on the general characteristics of the Chow chuan. He had led q life of drudgery between these: poor 4ollow, he has since died from pulmonary disease the germ of which no doubt was laid and contracted by his exposures and suffer- ings during his forced stay between these avaees-hnt right thr ugh he ha | been in compa, atiNe safety of his | life. Only occasionally and at intervals howl had been set up to kill the stranger. That tnese must have em- anated from the shaman-Shaua anism is the type of religion between the although Vincent seemed not aware of it, l inferred from his narrative, as these howls for his life always would occur shortly after some death or disaster between the natives, and the shaman, searching for the un- forseen cause. would naturally tasten on the stranger in their midst and pro claim him the root of the evil. Any- way made un my mind then and there that l should cultivate the shamans | high and low between the ChOwChuan and try to gain their good will if possi- ble aud with their help gain the needed influence. To some extent 1 carried out this policy later on, when among the turbulent deermen, and 1 feel as sured it served Us well on several oc- casiOns.
 It had been the origianal intention to establish the reindeer purchasing post at the head of the MecLigme bay, but on examination the water proved itself dangerous and nearly inacce sslble to sailing vessels aboard of one of which our supplies were shipped. Therefore the location was changed to Port Lutke in st. Lawrence bay. l ca me up on the schooner Bonanza aE cad Of Mr. Kelly who was delayed and fol- lowed on the schooner Volant. As soon as landed and left with d small pile of store, by the Bouanza on the beach, the natives of all the different neigh boring villages flocked around. We had ample time and opportunity to get acquainted with each other and take each others measure before the arrival of Mr. Kelly on the Volant about a week later.
 The natives in the neighborhood of St. Lawrence, particularly of the north head and south head of this bay. are a kind of renegade tribe. consisting of impoverished and 0utcast deermen of coast natives, who had been banshed by blood feud from their former homes and had found asylum here, and in gen eral of the riff ratf and goOd-for-nothing of the whole country. They subsist for living partly on seal and walrus hunt ing, but, as a rule, they simply sponge in winter on tbe'deermen, m summer as much as possible on the whaling vessels, to which they will sell deer hides and mukluks occasionally. They make it a practice as well to levy tribute or blackmail upon the Indian Point and East Cape native trader for safe conduct past thelr village during winter tra ling trips. The young men will often ship as hands on whaling vessels but are notorious for useless ness. They learn to speak little English, and, a, a rule, are prone to pick up quickly all the vices ot the muchly mixed crews of these. Right JuCS WOIC q NCl Acps s,ill 1 found sone men of sterling qualities among them. These, however, were few aud far between, and whe ther nature, in an attempt to make up for the ill-conditioned brood, made these better, or whether they simply showed out more brightly among the dark surrounding, is matter of re- aection, but they were men whom, would be proud to call friends any where. At the beginning. however, they were by no means cheerful com paniens. They warned me time and time again and predicted that the deer men would surely kill us before the winter was over, if we staid; and no one was more surprised nor seemed gladder than they when the winter went by without their predictions coming true.