The Nome nugget., 1902-01-22

tue oiDeflan natives striking ODlet
 lesson of the white mans invasion (
 Alaska. We began to feel ourselves i
 touch with civilization once more
 when all at once the vessels all di:
 appeared. They had sought tn
 Alaskan waters in pursuit of thei
 business. and we were left alone one
 more with tbc natives and our troubles
 During the first week in July the ic'
 moved out of the bay, and the natives ia
 and near started in once more to visi
 Us in their canoes in large numbers | With the vessels gone, we again be
 came their sole object of interest anC 1 solicitude and their steady subject foi
 annoyance and molestatiOn. Number,
 of deermen with their herds kept
 gradually moving toward the coast.
 travelling slowly. as yet, on account ot
 the young lawns: and tie var clouds,
 which had been lowering low all the time on the far off horizon began to r draw up higher and higher, casting a
 heavy gloom over our surroundings.
 We had passed through one of those periodical winters, when nearly con
 tiuuous blizzards excessive snowfall
 make travelling exceedingly unpleasant
 and at times an nlter impo>sibility and
 are the cause of d cold and late sum
 mer. While it lasted, the bosterous
 elements had stood Us friends They
 were advantageous, to Us by granting
 Us breathing spells between the sue cesSive arrivals of war parties, and
 then even the warlike ardOr of Chow chuan is bound to get cooled off ccn- siderably during prolonged drive
 through an Arctic blizzard. He would
 naturally often arrive at the post in good deal meeker state of mind than he had started in and on that account more easily foled by us. Toward spring this harsh winter weather, however, caused disaster. The excessive snow. fall made it hard for the reindeer to get sufficient n' urishment. Thick and heavy snow covered all the moss past ures and it was hard and slow work for the deer to dig up sufficient to keep mp their stamina. They became more or less emaciated and were. there. fore, in poor condition to withstand the heavy spring gales in March and April. They fell and died all over the country, so to speak, like sheep. Never before in any one winter, as far back as they could remember, number of natives told me, had the Chowchuan lost as many deer. Well, there was work for the shamans to look for cause. Especially hard hit was a by the name of Ritarow. and indirectly we had been the ca SC of his misfortune. to some extent.
 Ritarow, who was claimed to be the owner of some 10000 deer, had been the fig man, the sCi'iiSant Iatriarch of the nei4 hborhCOd of our post for years. On him the coast natives near and far had often depended for meat during hard and hungry winters. and his in- tluence was, therefore, great amongst them. Early in the winter he came on visit to the post, when the respect he was treated with by all he natives drew my atten- tion. Kotowing was, no doubt. ex- pected from Us. If we had known enough at the time we certainly. for the sake of the underl aking, would have attempted to be very smooth and perhaps have bent knee. but the fellow, who was rather of insignificant struck us as presumptuous and whensoever number of natives in a certain awed way told us that he was a big deerman, we thought that he was putting on too many airs at that. There is in the whole world today not a more independent man than large deer owner in ChOwchuland. All he needs and wants hi, deer herds furnish him with. He looks down upon the stranger, let him have ever so many stores and riches, or let him be the most dis person in his own country, as poor in comparison with himself. He considers himself the equal and the Superior of any man living. So Ritarow, whensoever we had treated him with courtesy, still thought we had lacked in respect. He never re- peated his visit, but instead became our enemy, and tLe main in- stiyator of number of warlike raids again>t us. Toward the end of January, disgusted with the way these raids had been batfled by us, and, on warning of his wIsest shaman that he would not have a successful fawning season in the proximity of the white man $ house, he s' arted to drive his herds off, telling the natives of the neighborbood to go after this to the white men for their deer meat: he woulh not come back uutil we had either been killed or had