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April 4, 67. Arrived at Woolysatuks barrabora at 3 P.M. Found it deserted, all hands gone after deer. Take a fish out of the cache to feed the dogs. Styreek who took Dyers letters to Unalakleet arrives and brings me a letter from Ennis. Buy 4 ukali of him for 4 bullets. Arrange to raise Wollysatuks fishtrap tomorrow and if we find enough fish to feed the dogs, go over to the mountains and try and buy some deer meat with him. Sleep in Wollysatuks house. Get 2 grouse out of [[petlays? pettays?]]. [[line]] Friday April 5, 1867 [[line]] Styreek refuses to help open fishtraps and starts off but I will not go on a bare chance without dogfeed. Kurill goes out and kills some small birds and meets some Indians raising the fishtrap who say that they are killing beaver and have got only five so far; that Antoshka got no fish here or at Kaltag as they had none to spare and his dogs must be starving. Monday turned back at Kaltag because grub was giving out. That the Takilisky womans house is two days from here and road obliterated by snow. Having no dog feed I conclude to turn back to Nulato, and get Dyer to send down some fish to Antoshka. Skin an owl and pick up some sable skulls and a squirrel from the cache. [[line]] Saturday April 6 [[line]] Start at 8 am for Nulato. Meet the Takitesky woman near the fishtrap. She left in the night because Yagor wanted to take her little girl for his woman. Give her a dog to bring over 40 grouse some fish and rabbit skins to Nulato and push on arriving at 1.15 PM. Having barked my toes on the way down and the wet snow sticking to my snow shoes I find 40 miles snow shoe travelling no joke. Pickett & his woman start down with fish for An. tomorrow [[end page]] [[start page]] [[line]] Sunday April 7, 1867 [[line]] Pickett starts very early for Kaltag. Put up the specimens I got at Woolysatuks, skin three birds and two squirrels & catalogue everything. Some Indians arrive with rumors of deer from Takitesky direct. The leaving us without grub enough to last till spring by the Company is damnable. If it was a larger party we should have starved, fish will soon giveout The country cannot be depended on for food as the Indians themselves, occasionally die from starvation [[line]] Monday April 8, 1867 [[line]] Pickett comes back with Woolysatuk, Tekunka and a lot of Indians and has secured a lot of reindeer meat which comes in very handy. Tekunka is a bully fellow and may go up with us to Fort Youkon, as Kanosh and Mikaishka seem likely to back out. Give him a lot of buckshot and repair his gun for him, as it has a broken nipple. Give him a new one. Clean some bones &c [[line]] Tuesday April 9 [[line]] Morning. Very warm, everything melting and the house leaking. Skin a rabbit and a grouse Fix up my bed and clean out. Reindeer meat for dinner, and black grouse. Ev. cut up some tobacco [[line]] Wednesday Ap. 10 [[line]] Very warm house leaking like thunder. Antoshka back with bidarra & two birds for me all right. Clear off the top of the house. Woolysatuks malchiska comes up [[line]] Thursday Apr 11 [[line]] Colder. Kurill gets back from his two days trip after reindeer meat. He brings me two owls and a fresh norka skin. Skin two owls, two grouse a shrike, a red crossbill, and a woodpecker. Get 3 small shrews Buy a lot of trading goods from Ivan for up river
Transcription Notes:
bidarra = type of skin boat
Takitesky is correct
