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

found near our present location, pre-
pared to break camp and had their
whale boat for the return trip through
Behring's straits to the station. On
Eds return he did not think 1t advis-
able for MS to return. as all the creeks
south of the station had been pros
pected and at least 30 men were over
there The season was so late that 1t
would be unsafe to venture in our lit
tie boat to any great distance. as we
might not be able to return before the
ice formed, should streak OF bad
weather set in There was one good
sized creek far up the Whalen river
that we had not been on, and II SEEM
ed better to risk week on 1t as we
had supplies than TO chance more
distant location. Bidding goodbye,
therefore. to Nadeau's party. we pulled
out on the morning of September .
for another trip up the same river we
had before prospected, bound this
time for lake about 40 miles inland.
Two days hard towing brought MS
10 long bad rapid that seemed i'm
possible. The next morning we sue
ceeded in getting up it, only to find
others and worse ones ahead, At noon
we reached the creek, but the after
noon convinced Ed that further work
on that creek was useless, as 1t was
filed with large granite boulders. and
no wash. What little panning we did
showed no coors whatever.
The next morning, with lunches in
our pockets. we walked across the
country to the lake and visited the ma
tive igloos on its shore They were
all deer men, and during our five days
stay near them, wording on the creek.
we learned many of their queer hab.
it's.
Ed wanted to trade for fine
deer skin in one of the igloos, but as
the baby of the owner was sick, they
could not be persuaded to trade, fear
ing that the baby would go ''mnckie'
foolish or dead.) They offered TO
trade one skin that lay outside the
hut. old and disreputable. Ed told
them that II he traded for that skin
he would go muckie," so. the dicker
was of.
They guide their deer when har-
messed in very peculiar manner. A
basket arrangement resembling halt
er is placed over the deer's head,
which has two sharp sticks attached
to it, on one side of the head. Lines
are attached to these and when the
deer is wanted to go in a certain di-
rection the line on the opposite side is
pulled. This pulls the point or stick
into the deer's nose and he naturally
turns his head away from the sharp
point. which is held there until his
whole body has been turned in the de-
sired direction.
Some of these deer men own thous-
ands of head of reindeer which they
separate into small herds and each
herd is attended by some relative of
the owner or a dependant. The herd
ers, usually boys of about Is years of
age. are remarkably faithful Winter
and summer alike, by day and by
night during the most bitter storms
of the long winter night. or the temp
tations incident to the pleasant sum
mer day of equal length, they are
faithful to their charge, staying with
their herd. leading them from one pas
turage to another. preventing the loss
of stragglers and hiding them in shell
tered hooks during the times of storm.
Two boys will care for 500 deer.
working alternate shifts, relieving
each other every twelve hours, The
only food they eat "on shift" is pieces
of dried deer meat carried wrapped in
their oil skin coats which, in pleasant
weather. they wear In bundle over
their shoulders. If the herd be extra
large two or three herders may accom-
pany II, and an old tea pot, some tea
and sugar. and possibly on rare occa-
sions the luxury of white mans hard
tack or ships biscuit may be found
among their supplies. In winter the
thermometer is never too low, or the
wind too fast or the snow too blind
ing to keep the boy from his herd.
Indeed, in such times the herd most
needs his care. During the worst
storms the deer are herded in shelter
ed places where the worst fury is es-
capped. Should the wind change and
make their quarters untenable, they
are driven around to the other side of
the hill. After the storm they are
driven to the places swept bare by the
wind, where the deer may paw up
what little snow remains, and eat the
frozen moss.
When the days work is finished and
his relief comes TO him the boy returns
to the igloo to big feed of boiled deer
meat, with plenty of hot tea, and a
cozy place made soft with deer skins,
by the seal oil lamp. After he has
smoked his pipe and told the days
story to the household he divests him
self of his furs and rolls into his warm
deerskin blankets to sleep till he is
called for breakfast in time to relieve
his partner. Breakfast will be the
same as supper with possibly the ad-
dition of bread made of flour and bak-
ing powder and water. fried in rancid
seal oil In summer time when 1t is
necessary to gather twigs for firewood
the old men are given this task, while
the sQuaws at all times attend to the
making and caring for the clothes.
The herder having cared for his herd
for - hours. has earned his u hours