Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-09

l lively bollCituuS iVi WV
| OF ice on the bone runners, that may
be stripped therefrom by the slight
est contact with any Of the sharp
edges Of the rocks. Right mere is
shown the best display Of sledglng capa-
bilities in the native driver, even supe-
rior to the conducting OF sledge
through the huge hummocks Of sea ice.
have known my best driver. foolooah,
10 safely guide his sledge through 100
or 200 yards of rocky ground, where =
man could not have spread his coat
without covering q stone or two, and
this with runners on the sledge
nearly twenty feet long. But it
was the work OF Hercules to
throw the front end Of the sledge TO
right or left as the dogs dragged 1t
along at walk, the driver watching
the rear of the runners TO see that they
did not run against o stone. When
place is reached where the expert
driver sees that ii is impossible for the
sledge to get along without striking
stone the members Of the party take of
their outer reindeer coats and, spreading
them over the worst stones, allow the
sledee to glide safely over, one or two
persons gathering up the garments
behind and running forward to
spread them again should occa-
sion require. II, after all these
careful expedients, the ice should in
any way be stripped from the shoe OF
the sledge-runner--as by concealed
stone under the snow when the crust Of
the latter gives way--so important does
the Esquimau consider this "icing"
that he will stop at the first lake or
river and dig through six or seven feet
Of ice to obtain water, so that the tire
Of the runners can be replaced, the time
so occupied being used as a rest for the
dogs and remainder Of the party.
The rest at noon is employed in
taking an observation Of the sun, il it
be visible, to determine the latitude,
and the rests are so disposed that there
will be one at that time. At the noon
rest or the one following generally, the
man gets out a ham or shoulder Of rein
deer, seal, or musk-ox meat raw, but
frozen as solid as a piece Of wood.
Chunks are cut off this about the size
of three fingers with Ratchet or
snow-knife, and a liberal allowance of
these frozen chunks, beaten into brashy
fibres with the back Of the Ratchet, make
up the MONDAY meal. At any time du-
ring the day the party may see the dogs
suddenly prick up their ears, throw
their noses into the air, and start for
ward with the sledge at run unless
stopped by the driver. From this it is
at once discovered that there is game
somewhere to windward, and the hunt
er, gun in hand, goes to investigate,
oftentimes returning in sheer disgust at
finding that it was only an Arctic hare
that had been frightened from its home.
No uncomfortable number Of the rein
deer and polar bears that are secured
by native sledging parties are first made
known in this manner, however, and
give the Esquimau ample warning to
prepare himself to capture his unseen
prize.
As the afternoon wears along the
stoppages for rest become more fire.
quept and the resting spells longer, for
the dogs have commenced to show signs
Of fatigue and the sledge pulls harder,
for despite the utmost vigilance the shoe
Of ice has at least become Clipped and
nicked in spots against the hard, icy
snow-crust that occurs occasionally.
Even this slight chipping tells against
its usefulness, especially as the poor
dogs become tagged out. AS the
dogs commence to show their ia
tigue, and it is yet necessary to
travel some distance before a good
camping-place is found, a method of
encouraging them for short distances ia
for person to go on ahead, yet within
sight Of the animals, and, with piece |
of seal or reindeer, stoop down and |
pretend to cut the meat, as if preparing |
to feed the dogs. However fatigued, if |
not actually exhausted, they will prick !
up their ears, and with sharp, short |
,barks of satisfaction pull the sledge |
along at rapid gait until the person is
almost reached, when he or she gets up
and runs on another hundred yards
to repeat the decoying operation,
leaving few shreds of meat at the
spot with which to tickle their tongues
and make them more anxious for the
next short pull. In this way they can
often be lured along two or three miles.
If they are quite tired, and camp has
yet to be made on ahead, or if very
bad stretch Of road is found at any
time, it may be necessary, if there be
more than one sledge, to "double
teams, or put the dogs of two sledges
on to one. | remember once being
compelled to put the dogs Of three
sledge teams, forty-fve in number, on
one sledge to pull it through a deep
canon, fortunately not very long,
there also being fifteen to twenty
people pushing and pulling at it. In
this deep canon the wind had no
chance to pack the snow, most essen
tial condition in order to have good
sledging. The two conditions neces-
sary for a good camp are water and
snow; that is, near a fresh-water lake
or river where water can be procured
by digging through the ice, and deep
snow-banks Of such quality that it will
make good material for snow-house,
or, as the natives call it, our igloo. In
very billy country, especially one
Of granite formation, arctic
lakes and rivers are numerous,
very deep, and therefore seldom
frozen to the bottom, consequently al
most any of them may be depended upon
to furnish sufficient water. As the
country becomes more level the chances
decrease. In prospecting the Esquimau
throws himself fiat on the ice at full
length, and where no snow covers it he
presses his flat pug nose against it, and
by some varying popularity Of the hues
he can tell pretty closely whether it is
frozen to the bottom or not. He is
mistaken now and then, however, and
after digging through six or seven feet
of ice he finds IN hia dicouSt That tho,o