The Newtown bee., 1880-01-21
How the Films Travel.

A writer in La,sd end Water describes the snow-skates used by the Lapps and the Films of Finmark, where snow covers the ground for half the year. He says: The form of snow-skates varies in the different districts of the North; they are long, narrow, thin pieces of wood or bark, the foremost ends of which are pointed and curved upward. They are fastened to the feet at about the middle of their length. In some districts the lengths of the skates tor the right and left foot are the same, be- ing about five to seven feet; in other districts the skate for the left foot, which is usually made of fir-woed, is about from nine to eleven feet long, whilst that tor the right foot, which is usually made of some tougher wood, is about from six to seven feet. Some skates are grooved for the purpose of as- sisting the skater to glide in straight course by preventing sideways-s slipping. The under sides of some skates are partly or wholly covered with reindeer or seal skin, the hairs pointing heelward. This is for the purpose of assisting the skater in his diagonal uphill travelling, by preventing him from slipping back ward ; in other movements the skin impedes the skater. Skins are used chiefly in Nordland and adjacent parts Snow skates are coated with pitch or tar. A pair may weigh from ten to fifteen pounds. Overshoes, with turned-up toes, and with seams lengthways over the feet, and gaiters are worn by snow- kat CTS to protect their feet and legs from the snow. The overshoes also serve to keep the feet from being chafed by the skate-tastening. These are wooden hoops, into which the foot is put, and which press against the instep, and the fibers of fir-roots or leathern thongs for binding, Snow skaters carry a skating-staff, which is about seven feet long, is rather more than an inch in diameter, and is shod at one end with an iron-spike, near above which is a disk of wood. This staff can be used by the skater to assist in impelling him. self onward, to moderate his speed in down-hill travelling, to assist him in maintaining his balance, in guiding himself, to enable him to make sudden turns, and as a gun-rest.
 1 If the country over which the skater is travelling is flat or gently undulating, and if there be but few Instructions in the way, good skater will travel at ti. rate oi six or sevrn miles an hour. The staff is much used in uphill travel nu tn If in nf,t Cly ot p, from slipping backward, and to h-lp him forwar1 in his diagonal track.
 The native skaters skill is shown in the descent of the mountains of Fin mark. In some par.s the lofty ranges are many miles from summit to base; they have smooth, steep-inclined and precipitous sides, with many windings, and with, in places, large masses of de- tached rocks. When the skater begins the descent he places himself in a crouching posture, his legs bent at the krees, his body inclined backward, anu his staff held by his left hand before his breast, and by his right hand lower down behind the right hip, with the disk resting on the snow behind him. Such is the position in which the skater will shoot down steep incliDes, using his staff when necessary to assist him in maintaining his balance, in altering his course and in moderating his speed. The skillful skater, though, seldom makes this latter use of his staff. At times they stoop nearly double, so as to avoid overhanging branches; at other times they swerve their bodies to one side to save their guns. slung across their shoulders. from being injured by the trees; and at almost every instant they move their skates so as to alter their course and avoid roots, stones and other impediments.