Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-07-04

more than one deer at a time, and that
is in the fall, when IL Is the custom OF
the country for the coast natives and
the deer men to meet at some point on
the coast or on some river bank to
which the coast natives have free ac-
cess with their canoes. there to have a
big potash or feast, and a trading
pow-wow. During the summer the
deer man uses brush for firewood, but
during the winter months he depends
for fuel. light and grease for cooking
purposes on seal oil. This is secured
from The coast natives, who Kill wal
rus and seal and throw the blubber in
vessels or tie it up in seal skins and
allow 1t to decompose, until the oil
runs out from the heshy tissue. This
they bring in several skin bags to the
potash to trade for the deer meat and
skins from which they make their win
ter clothing.
Natives from the American side of
the straits also cross over In their
skin canoes to trade for Siberian deer
skins. as the supply of reindeer In
Alaska is limited. One enterprising
American trader we saw who had
cargo of porcelain ware dishes. He ex-
patiated on their manifold merits.
showing his goods to be ''allee same
white like china" No breakee. he
dropped saucer on the rocks; No
gettee hot like tin" and he handed
his customer cup of tea to drink
from his new cup. He drove thriv-
ing business.
The deer man kills deer for his own
lse as he needs meat, and cannot be
persuaded to kill a supply in the fall
when the deer are fat but must needs
keep up the killing all winter when it
8 bitter cold and when 1t takes twice
The number to answer the purpose, as
they are nothing but skin and bones.
So many whaling ships have visited
the coast that the natives have ac-
quired a sort of pigeon English. and
ihey are all more or less familiar
with the Canuck of the Hudson Bay
,ompany's traders. Cowcow means
timer or victuals, Pow or pee-luck
means all gone or the end; hanna
hanna means work and wicki-wicki
means work fast or hurry up. Muck
lucks are boots. Parkey is the name
for the outer coat they wear which
has a hood attached to it and is put
on over the head like a shirt, and has
4 draw string around the neck. Some
raider has called the children pick
ininnies and they hade adopted this
word to mean little or small, and are
continually begging for a pickaninny
sookah" (sugar.) Nim-cucka means
plenty, while ca combie is an excla-
nation of surprise, variously inter
preted as great goodness mercy
me-" 20, my Cod"
Having concluded that no gold was
10 be found on any of the streams
flowing into the lake, and as the wea-
ther was daily growing colder, threat
ening to freeze MS in, we decided to
return to the Whalen lagoon and from
there to the station as soon as posi-
ble. Two days hard work. owing to
strong head wind, were necessary
o land us at Whalen, where we pitch
ed tent alongside Chief Tenasquin's
gloo. The chief himself was away ON
4 trading trip mp coast, where pot
lfter our arrival Thursday, Sep. 10
IS, owing to the headwInd II was i'm
possible for us to venture out on the
ocean. | walked over to the station to
get little -four and learn the news
remained there over night and in the
morning the schooner Barbara Hern-
ser arrived with mail, bringing with
her some of the company officers who
had been in Nome A circular was
posted on the station door bidding
III prospectors to assemble at the sta
ton by September the 25th to be in
readiness to take the steamer for
Nome
returned to Whalen with the Joy
ful news, carrying my pack of -four on
my back.
The high wind that had prevailed
for several days was dying down and
The sun was breaking through the
clouds.
In the evening Tenasquin returned.
AS the sea was still stormy he enter
ed the lagoon with his canoe at the
entrance. eight miles up coast. Dark
clouds hung low overhead, broken on
ly by strip OF clear sky TO the west.
Cutting Jagged line in this clear
opening lay the snow-capped mount
ain peaks, girdled about with a band
oi light clouds on which the setting
sun shone brightly, rejecting back
again the light from the snow be-
meath, transforming the clouds into
band of Furnished gold. The sun sinks
lower. dropping into the little opening
of clear sky just above the mount
aims. Immediately as the light struck
their under sides the dark clouds
which filled the rest of the heavens
took ON the beautiful lilac color so
often noticeable in the northland,
while from my feet across the lagoon
and climbing the mountain which the
lower rim of the sun was just touch
ing. there stretched broad pathway
of gold
Down this pathway of light came
Tenasquin in his canoe, all sails set
with willing hands pulling eagerly at
the paddles Out OF the golden path
way of the setting sun he came to his
people waiting on the beach, bearing
with him in his canoe many deer