The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-04-02
DOGS rAAr DRAW sLepc.
Curious Facts Concerning the Vehicles Ia
Use Among the Esuuimnux.

In the arctic regions, where only the
Esquimaux finds life very well worth
living, content with diet OF blubber
and houses made of snow for winter
residence, during most of the year all
travel must be done over snow and ice
in sledges drawn by dogs. Such vehicles
are usually made of driftwood and
somewhat resemble the sleds which
boys use in this latitude, only that they
are much bigger the runners being
sometimes as much as fifteen feet long.
The latter are connected by cross-bars
of wood and are shod with whalebone,
ivory, or the jaw bones of whale At
tached to the back of the conveyance is
a pair of deers antlers, to which the
load is tied, the knife for cutting the
snow and the harpoon line being like
wise hung upon then.
Other sledges are actually made out
of slabs of fresh water ice, which are
cut and allowed to freeze together in
proper shape. Sometimes, in the alb
sence of planks or bones of whales, n
substitute is found in walrus skins or
sealskins, which are wet and frozen
solid, being thus rendered as serviceable
|
Boothia frozen salmon are utilized in
the same way, and after having served
this purpose in winter, are eaten in the
spring
The dogs which draw these sledges
are of u patient breed, but not u little
art is required for managing them.
They wear simple but ingenious har-
ness of sealslSin or deerskin. In team
of them the strongest and most spirited
animal has the longest trace and is al
lowed to run few feet in advance of
the rest as a leader. Next to the leader
follow two or three strong dogs with
traces of equal length, and the weaker
and less manageable beasts are held
close to the vehicle. A team is almost
unmpnageable if the dogs are not ac-
customed to one another. They must
know their leader, who brings them to
terms whenever there is a quarrel. He
must W. the acknowledged chief else
the others will fall into disorder and
refuse to follow him. When the dogs
are fed he takes the choice morsels;
when two of them quarrel he bites both
and thus brings them to terms.
Though the authority of the leader is
not disputed by his own team, dogs of
another team will not submit to him.
But when two teams are accustomed to
travel in company the dogs in each will
have some regard for the leader of the
other. though continual rivalry and
quarrels go on between the two leaders
Almost any dog which is harnessed into
strange team will at first be unwilling
to draw, and it is only when he is ac-
customed to all his companions that he
will do his work satisfactorily.
Though all these peculiarities of the
dogs give great deal of trouble to the
driver, he must take care not to punish
them too severely lest they become
frightened and for fear of the whip will
not work at all. In winter the shoes
of the runner of the sledge are covered
with thick coat of ice, which dimin-
ishes the friction of the snow. The
icing is usually done with water, the
driver taking a mouthful and carefully
letting it run over the shoe until n
smooth cover of about one-third of an
inch in thickness is produced. Then
the icicles made by the water which
runs down the sides of the runner are
carefully removed with the snow knife,
after which the bottom is smoothed
with the same implement and finally
polished with the mitten. This done
the sledge is turned right side up and
loaded.
After the sledge has been loaded the
dogs are hitched to it and the driver
takes up his whip in readiness for start
ing. The handle of the whip is of wood
or bone and.quite short, but the lash is
from twenty to twenty-five feet in
length. The lash is made of walrus or
seal hide. In starting the driver whis.
ties to the dogs, when they jump tc
their feet and are off. If they are lazy
or tired, however, considerable lashing
and other persuasion may be required.
The Esquimau constantly stimulates
the animals to exertion by eXclama-
tions, and he directs them to the right
; or left BY calls as we'll as with the whip.
The work with a heavy load and across
rough ice is often very hard, and occa-
sionally the dogs will lie down, the
leader looking around pitifully, as if tc
/ say, 'We can not do more"
If any dog of the team is lazy the
= driver calls out his name and lashes
him, but it is necessary to hit the dog
called, for, if another is struck, he feels
wronged, and will turn upon the ami
, NAL whose name has been called out
At once the leader enters into the quar-
rel, and soon the whole pack is huddled
t into one bowling and biting mass. Nc
= amount of beating will separate them,
and the only thing possible is to clear
the traces and wait until their wrath
has abated. If two persons are on the
sledge they must not speak to each
other, for as soon as the dogs hear them
. they will stop, turn around, sit down
and listen to the conversation. The
> sledge is usually steered with the right
foot of the driver. Late in the spring
! when the snow has melted and SHARP
ice needles project everywhere, the feet
of the dogs are covered with shoes ot
leather tied to the legs, with holes foI
: the toes.
,, , The Esquimau rarely brings up more
than three or four dogs at the same
: : time. If the litter is larger than this
number the rest are sold rgiven away
The young dogs are carefully nursed
, and in winter they are allowed to lie or
l the couch in the snow house or are hung
up over the lamp in piece of skin
When about four months old they are
first put to the sledge and are trained
; to pull with the others. If food is plen
tiful the dogs are fed every other day