The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-06-15
Esqafmaux Dog Teams.

ES4uImduA D0B 1C6mSs
The dogs are attached to the sled by
harness made of either reindeer or
sealskin. One loop passes around the
neck, while each leg is lifted through a
loop, all three loops joining over the
back and fastened to a long sealskin
line. These lines are of different leagths,
50 ss to allow the dogs to pub at
greater advantage than if all the traces
were of the same length, causing the
dogs to spread out like a fan. At every few
miles the traces have to be unloosened
and eXtricated from the most abomina-
bic tangle that it is possible to conceive.
This comes from habit the dogs have
of constantly running under and over
the other traces to avoid the whip, or in
some cases merely from spirit Of pure
mischief.
The leader of the team is dog Sc
leeted for his intelligence, and is known
as setting an example of constant indus
try under all circumstances. You will
always see the leader of team of dogs
working as if the load was being drawn
by him alone. He goes along, his head
bent over and tugging in his harness,
his mouth open and his tongue lolling
out while his ears are ever ready to hear
the word of command from the driver.
To go to the left the command is given,
'Ah' root" and to the right. ''Why-ah'
wah-ha." Then he sometimes, to en-
courage or urge them to great6 exer-
ton, says, "Ah-wah hagh-oo-ar. To
stop the team he says, "Woah," as one
says when driving horses. 1t is the
noisiest method of travel yet invented,
for the driver is constantly talking to his
team, calling each by name and usually
following the word by blow with the
whip, so that the next time the dog is
spoken to he will understand that it means
s'hurrY up" The work of the driver is
not confined to his team. He has to
constantly keep watch over the front of
the sled, to turn it to the right or left in
order to avoid hummocks or stones that
would upset the load or tear the ice from
the bottom of the runners.
Inuits are fond of riding on the sled
while travelling, and as long as there is a
spot that will hold them they will pile
up there. But should there be no place
for them, they will ruin along side with
out apparent discomfort for almost any
length of time or distance. This is equal
ly true of the children of both sexes, and
when any are compelled to walk, for
lack of dogs or of room on the sled, it is
the women and the girls who have. to
give way to the men and boys. With a
light sled and from nine to fifteen good
strong dogs, the Esquimaux of Hudson S
Bay will sometimes make journey
from eighty to one hundred miles during
the long days of spring. A light sled has
TO h otb
the skins for the beds, lamp and small
quantity of oil, with not more than one
or two days rations of food. The same
number of dogs will drag sled with
about fifteen hundred pounds of load at
the rate of three or four miles an hour
over the smooth saltwater ice and snow.
When travelling with light sleds all the
party ride, except when necessary to run
for the purpose of getting warm. In
travelling, and especially when starting
from halt, some one runs ahead of the
team so as to get them to pull together.
When the sleds are heavily loaded the
start is effected in the same way, and the
driver, gathering the reins in his hands
pulls back with all his might until he
sees every dog straining against his col
lar, when he lets go his hold and all
spring forward together
1t often happens that there are not
a sufficient number of dogs, or that they
are poor and unable to travel with sut1i-
cient rapidity, and then the people have
to put on harness and help. First the
women and children engage in the labor,
and lastly the men. And the drivers will
sit on the sleds and smoke, with the ut
most cemposure, while their wives and
daughters are tugging in harness. The
women do not mind this treatment, for
they are accustomed to it and look upon
it as the proper thing.
In the summer the Esquimaux use
their dogs while travelling as pack ami
mails, and stranger would be astonished
to see what loads these dogs will carry.
l have seen fine large dog that would
carry two saddles of reindeer meat, or
the entire forequarters of two reindeer.
His back would be bent low beneath the
burden he bore; but still he would strug-
gle along, painting the while and regard
ing his master with a look of the deepest
affection whenever he came near him,
yet ever ready to fight any other dog that
got in his way.
The great bugbear of sledge travelling
| is stony ground, or hidden rock beneath
a thin layer of snow that cuts through
| and sweeps the ice from the runners be-
fore the sled can be stopped. When the
ice is gone from the runners all comfort
has gone with it. The sled that the dogs
would drag without apparent difficulty
suddenly seems to weigh tons. All hands
in harness and pulling like slaves can
not accomplish more than two miles an
hour. The ice is put upon the runners
the first thing in the morning when COM
ing out of the igloo (huD. The sled is
turned upside down, and the water, aftel
being held in the mouth little while tc
warm it, is squirted over the runners and
freezes almost Immediately in a tempera,
ture below zero. In this way successive
layers are applied until clean smooth
surface is acquired, upon which the sled
slips over the snow with comparative
ease.-Sch,0dtbG's Search.
A Western View Of Judge Lynch.
Meditating upon two-line telegram
in the morning newspaper that tells how
I a