The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-02-21
sLEleHINe IN sNow.LANp.
The Sledges Used In the Arctic Regions
SItllIful Dog-Drvsrs.

The sledges Used in the Arctic Regions
Sklllful Dog-Drivers.
In the Arctic regions and some parts
of Norway and Russia the sledge is the
only means of conveyance that the in.
habitants have. To them IL answers the
same purpose as our carriages and carts.
Their marketing, visiting and journeys
are all made by means of the sledge,
which is in some parts drawn by rein.
deer, and in others, such as Greenland
and Labrador, by teams of dogs
In Norway and Switzerland, years
long ago, much attention used to be be-
slowed upon the making of sledges, and
well-to-do folk used to spend good
deal of money upon the ornamentation
of their snow-ca carriages. They were
made in various forms, according TO the
taste of the owner. / have seen one, for
instance, that was made in Switzerland
about the end of the seventeenth cen
tury, says writer in an English paper.
In shape it resembled huge shell,
nearly six feet in length, and had at its
head representation in carved iron.
work of a phoenix.
The class of sledges used in Norway
about the middle of the eighteenth cen
tury were something like boat in
shape. Both sides are beautifully carved
and painted, and one may imagine that
the sledge must have been greatly ad-
mired, for it forms real work of art,
as well as a comfortable conveyance.
But, of course, this kind of sledge is
of no use whatever for the long rough
journeys that are frequently made in
the far North, for the almost untrodden
ice-fields of the Arctic regions would
soon reduce them to a complete wreck.
Sledges of much rougher and
stronger make are used for these jour
neys, and, in fact, are the only ones EN-
ployed in these parts. They are made
of two runners of wood pointed at the
end, with crossbars, which form sort
of platform; three or four low wooden
boxes are placed on the ssbars, COW
cred with bears skins, and securely
tie d with stout cord, About the center
of the sledge is a large box, which con-
tains the travellers traps and neces-
saries for the journey.
The entire sledge is safely secured by
means of ropes, for nails would be use
less to hold the various parts together,
owing to the rough roads over which
the EsquimauX have to travel. These
sledges are drawn by dogs and usually
six form a team.
To protect their feet the dogs have on
little sealsl1in shoes or muffiers, and
over fairly even-covered ice they will
travel as many as 100 miles in day.
The driver sits on the sledge and drives
the dogs with whip, the handle of
which is only few in ches long, but the
lash is about thirty feet in length To
WELD this curious whip requires long
and constant practice, but when it Is
thoroughly acquired it is said that a
driver could, at a distance of many feet,
lash fly off the leading dogs ear.
The sledge has formed an important
feature in every Arctic expedition, ana
much valuable service has been rem
dered by various sledge parties that
have started out when the vessels to
which they have been attached have
been blocked in the ice.
Some of the sledges used by the Esqu-
mauX for hunting purposes are very
long, but usually smaller ones are used
if the expedition is not intended to be
of long duration.
And now | will take you in imagina-
ton for short sledge drive. Let us
suppose that we are about to start on n
little expedition. The sledge has been
brought up, and our friend, the driver,
informs us that every thing is ready for
the start. Yes; first of all there is a
nice, comfortable seat made of the skin
of great white bear, and there, too,
are some extra coats in case they should
be needed one or two guns, some knives
and harpoon that may be useful in the
event of our meeting with a seal.
The box in the center of the sledge
contains several necessaries which we
may require on the journey; behind it
are the coats of the men who are to ac-
company us, some wood and matches,
one or two sleeping-sacks and our snow
shoes, all securely fast ened on to the
sledge by a sealsllin thong passing over
the ends of the cross-boards.
The dogs, eight fine animals, are al
ready harnessed and seem to be anxious
to be off. Every thing is ready, and our
driver gives the dogs the word to start.
They require no second bidding; in a
moment we are off upon our journey at
a good pace.-N. Y. journal.