to the
Koyuk River, and there is a delay, but they will get off some day,
because L. never gives up anything he attempts to do, and I like him for
that. If more people were like this, they being always certain that they
were started in the right direction, the world would be the better for
it.

December first: Mr. B. is making bunks in two rooms upstairs, as the
house is so full all the time. This will give quite a little more
lodging room, for cots cannot be provided for all, neither is there
room for so many, but with bunks, one above another, it will furnish
lodgings for all who come.

Our two fisher women went out again this afternoon, and got tom-cod
through the ice by the cliff, near the snow-buried river steamers.

About four o'clock in the afternoon I called on the captain's wife, and
found her sewing furs. For her helper she had her cousin Alice, the coy,
plump Eskimo girl, who traveled to San Francisco with her last year.
Both women sat upon fur rugs on the floor, as is their custom when
sewing, and they were sorting bright beads, and cutting moosehide into
moccasins and gauntlet gloves, to be decorated with beads in the fashion
of the Yukon River Indians.

I had no difficulty in arranging for lessons with the captain's wife,
who would also study with her little girl, she said, and she showed me
school books, slates, etc., they had already been using. If their piano
were only here, the child, who is a pretty little thing, with a sweet
smile, might take music lessons, but it cannot be brought over the
winter trail.

We had snow today, but no church service. We rested, sang, read, ate and
slept. A fine dinner of reindeer roast, with good gravy, mashed
potatoes, etc., for our two o'clock meal, was eaten and well relished;
but in spite of all the day seemed a long one for some reason. We wonder
how things are going on the outside and if the friends we love but
cannot hear from are well, happy, and think sometimes of us.

The Commissioner came to say that he would bring the Recorder, or
Commissioner, from the Koyuk district with him to call this evening, and
he did so. The latter is a middle-aged man, whose family lives in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, he himself being a native born Norwegian, but
having lived in the States for twenty years. They brought two United
States marshals with them, and one of them played on the guitar quite
well, though I thought I detected a scent of the bottle when he sang his
songs.