Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-10

ssSkiIobnfng''-Noryveg SnoJy-Skates.
 The Norwegian snow skates must not be confused with the Canadian, which are much broader and used in quite different way. The Norwegian snow-skates are made entire ly of wood their length is about eight feet, and their breadth three inches to four inch es, the forepart being a little pointed and curved upward. The under side is very smooth, sometimes with small grove planed along the middle. Some people use them tightly fastened to the feet others only put the fore part of the foot through withy- band fastened to the skate, which enables them to withdraw from it easily in case of Q fall The different parts of the country have their own shape of snow-skates, either little narrower or broader shorter or lon ger. At Cleve, in Germany, last year, the club exhibited all these shapes, as well as photographs of runner in different posi- tions to show their use. I do not know exactly when skate running was first regard ed 8 sport, but history shows us that skates were used more than & thousand years ago during the then frequent civil wars. In those old days it would have been impossible for the inhabitants of the different valleys to communicate with each other in very snowy winters without this apparatus. Only by means of skates could the old warriors make their fast marches in winter, through track less and unpeopled regions. Now, highroads and railways have made them superfuous for the army (though I do not think it is more than twenty-five years since the last battalions of snow skaters were given up) and also for many of the peasants though in many parts of the country they still are, and, | indeed, always will be, necessary-for in stance, in the highest parts of Norway, where the nomadic Fins ramble with their herds of thousands of tame reindeer from one mountain to another. Only by the ne cessity of using the snow-skates one can ex-  peasants arrive. In order to get to the top of hill the skater tacks up the sides of the hill, like ship against the wind, sliding on the surface of the snow, and never lifting his feet from the ground except when making side turn, or he goes straight up, lifting one foot sideways over the other. A staff about five feet long, grasped with both hands, is used by some people, either on the left or right side The hill chosen for exer- else matches is often hundreds of feet high and pretty steep, of course, according to the ability of the runner. Let us now commence the descent. After 8 few steps the speed soon increases so much that you can hardly breathe, and all your thoughts must be concentrated on keeping your bal ance In the lower part of the hill the &C., celeration produces a speed which may some times be compared with that of an express train. Should you feel symptoms of an ap- preaching loss of balance you must use your staff, which will partly help to keep the bal ance and partly retard tho speed. But if you use the staff too much, you are called 8 ''staffrider," {" and not considered as a good runner; therefore people avoid it as much as possible, and many never use it at all, even down the most difficult hills. There are often drops on the sides of the hill, either from following it's natural outline or caused by snowdrifts. When the runner comes to one of these he has to make an aerial voyage, and the most difficult moment is when he comes to the ground again, as it is matter of chance whether he will land on his feet or make series of somersaults and be buried in the snow.-IHe London FieLd