, 1885-12-06
rHe LApLAADaa's sAow-saoes.
PscuiiArities Of Their construotlr
tho Lapp Makes ueadway Upon Them.

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Says an observer in these regions de-
scribing the Lapp snow-shoe, or ski, -
or "skidor;' There are two ribs OF
birch or ir, six feet long, four to FIVE
inches broad, and about a half an inch
thick. In the middle, on the upper
side. is a followed, smooth spot for tho
foot. above which there is a strap, the
space allowing the insertion of the point
OF the shoe. On the other side a groove
rum along the entire center. The ski
is pointed and slightly curved at one
END, and the edges rounded. 1t might
be added that tho 'skidor" is a solid
piece of wood, like a weatherboard or
haitian, turned up in front, and de-
ponds for its bearing surface or the
SNOW on its extreme length-hve or six
feet-rather than by a wide spread. rs
in the common snow-shoe of bent form
and cross-weaving Of thongs The
common snow-shoes, like those used by
some OF u mountain Indians, are,
however, used in a few parts OF arctic
Europe, but mostly among the Nor-
wegians and Firms.
The ! app rum on these "skidors' as
the snow-shoes arc used, but mostly
assisting him are two short birch poles
or slaves with which he shoves himself
along, like an Indian polling his canoe
through shallow water, but the Lapp
has n pole in each hand. When a
Lapp goes down-hill on his skidors he
uses one as a sledge on which to slide
and steer, while with tho other he turns
his. foot and scrapes the skidor, thus
regulating his gait. Says the same an
thority ! quoted once above: Tho
Lapp begins to run on ski when n mere
child, and attains great skill in this
sport. He runs with the greatest ease
up or down hill, jumps the steepest in
clines, and speeds across lakes and
marshes, through forest and field;
hunts the wolf and the bear, or follows
the runaway reindeer, and undertakes
extremely long journeys, following his
herd or visiting distant parts.
Mr.. Oscar Dickson, one of Nordensk-
iold's patrons, being in Lapland at
Quick,ok thought he would get up a
series of races among the Lapps on
skidors to test their capabilities OF max
ing the speed they claimed. The dis
lance which they thought they had
travelled over the interior ice or mer de
glace of Greenland was 143 miles in
hfty-seven hours two days nine hours
going and coming. Mr.. Dickson planned
his races so as to have about an equal
length of course, and it really was Ia
miles long. The competition for the
high prizes offered took place
last April, and occupied n whole
week. Three hundred and fifty francs
was the highest, or first prize, and was
won by a Lapp who had been with Nor
denskJold on his Greenland inland ex-
petition. He got over his 141 miles in
Il hours and 90 minutes, including all
his rests and %stoppages, or about : miles
an hour kept up steadily for nearly a
whole day.
The second prize was secured by a
Lapp who goot in only half a minute
after the first. Two others got in
within % hours, and our more within
a day. All of them were apparently
unexhausted, and joined heartily in the
festivities that ended this singular con
test, many of the contestants returning
at once to their homes, fifty to seventy
five miles distant, from which they had
come to join in the races.