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

TO the building site. anG operations are
commenced on these hyperborean dwell
ings. Imagine q brick painted white
and increased in size about three or
four times, then you have a snow
block. Take spiral course oil these
snow-bloeks ascending, and each one
leaning a little more than its previous
fellow. until the last one, in the top, Is
perfectly level, and the whole structure,
leaving out the chinks and cracks be-
tween blocks, looking like the half Of
an egg-shell, and you have an igioo.
We had three of these igioos built every
evening for our party Of nearly twenty
souls, and this building occupied about
an hour. Half an hour is passed in
prospecting for water and good snow,
half an hour is consumed in completing
the snow-bed inside and spreading
thereon the reindeer skins for the bed,
the fixing up Of the lamp and kettle
with the fire burning, and one hour is
passed in cooking the food.
When the building site has been Sc
lected couple Of the party, generally
nearly full.grown boys, proceed to dig
the well through the thick ice to the
fresh water underneath. Operations
are commenced with two tools--an ice
scoop and an ice-chisel, The ice-scoop
is q musk-oI ladle, already described,
fastened to the end of light pole about
10 feet long, the latter being chisel or
a sharpcned bolt on similar pole. A
hole is cut in the ice about foot and .
half in diameter and about6 or 8 inches
deep with the ice-chisel, and the chop
ped ice formed in this operation is taken
out with the ice-scoop and deposited
alongside the well. This alienation Of
cutting with the chisel and removing
with the scoop is kept up until the water
is reached, four TO six or seven feet be-
low. The greatest depth we ever had
to dig was eight feet and four inches,
on a small lake where we thought get
ting water at all was very doubtful.
One object in keeping this hole or
well Of q good diameter is that
if any salmon exist in the lake or
river they can be caught with a hook
and line through it, this being a plea
SAINT Of the boys and old women, who
thus often catch good meal Of these
delicious fish. The igloO completed and
a snow-bed made inside about two feet
high, the sledge is unloaded and the
reindeer skins spread on the snow-bcd.
the first layer, Of untanned ones, being
hair side down and the next, of soft
skins, being hair side up, on which
the natives sleep without cloth
ing. If during the day the sledge
has upset or the wind has been drift
ing the snow, or in any way the
snow could have gotten on the rein
deer-skinS at the top Of the load, they
are thoroughly beaten with a snoY-
stick kept for that purpose. 1t is this
popularity which distinguishes rein
deer-skins from all other arctic fur
the ease with which snow, however
damp, can be removed from it by this
beating process. The lamps fire 60
ing, while waiting for the meat to cook
it is customary for all the party to par
take Of half a pound to a pound each
Of raw frozen meat, after the manner
Of the midday lunch.
If the dogs have not been fed for two
or three days it will be now in order to
give them their semi-weekly feeding,
and this requires a good deal of time
and patience. They are only fed once
every other day even when the canine
larder is amply supplied and they are
doing their hardest work, while on long
journeys, where an ample larder occurs
only at rare intervals, the times Of feed
ing are moro likely to be every third
and even fourth day. And when fed
every other day, II the NUd 10 emple.
they will 60 indefinitely on the hardest
work and retain their good condition.
One of the hardest things for the dog
driver TO manage is the feeding Of his
animals so as to give each one his
share, which is seldom all they want
to eat. II the food is cut up into lit
tie bits, so that the dogs can swallow
it at a gulp or two, and spread upon
the ground or snow, the little ones will
get nearly all Of it, for the firstreception
Of food is always greeted by the big
ones belligerently indulging in an un-
necessary squabble to determine supre-
macy, and while this is going on the
little ones are as busy as chickens pick
ing up the bits. Nothing can be more
comical than to see . feeding Of this
kind among large band of dogs, for
by the time the huge fellows are
through fighting, the fosd has disap-
peared, and you see them go smelling
around the ground in the most foolish
looking manner, with look of disgust
on their faces, as if they were wonder
ing what they were fighting about any
way, the little ones forming a
circle at respectful distance,
licking their chops sleefully, while
you imagine you can almost see
them wink at each other at the good
joke they have played on their larger
brethren. However much this ending
may please us as we see the justifable
Of the big brutes, it is evil
IDENTIFY not as we'll relished by the dog
driver himself, whose sympathies lie
more with those that do for him the
greatest amount of work, and these, of
course, are the big DULLES. II the
meat is thrown out in too large chunks
to be swallowed without tearing to
pieces the large dogs get it all. The best
method Of feeding is for several to take
it in hand and admit one dog at
a time to the inside Of the igloo, where
one chops of the chunks Of meat while
one or two more regulate the entrance
and exit Of the hungry, ravenous crsa-
lures. So hungry are the dogs at all
times that a small igloo is built along
side the living one in which to store
the slesge-lashiDgs, dog-harness, and
everything Of the nature OF skins and
leather, or even cloth covered withg grease
or blood, for could they get at them
the ravenous beasts would tear them to
H. r.