The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-04-01
DOGS Thai DRAW SLEpS.
Curious Facts Concerning the Vehicles In
Uss Among the Esquimsux.

EsqulmauX hndS 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 a whale. At
tached to the back of the conveyance is
| a pair of deer's 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, a
substitute is found in walrus skins or
sealskins, which are wet and frozen
solid, being thus rendered as serviceable
for the purpose as the best wood. In
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 a patient breed, but not little
art is required for managing them
They wear simple but ingenious har-
ness of sealslxin or deerskin. In a 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 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
unmBnageable if the dogs are not &C
customed to one another. They must
know their leader, who brings them to
terms whenever there is quarrel He
must be the acknowledged chief, else
the others will fall into disorder and
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-
shes 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 a
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 to
their feet and are off. If they are lazy
or tired, however, considerable lashing
and other persuasion NAV be required.
The Esquimau constantly stimulates
the animals to exertion by exclama-
tons, and he directs them to the right
or left by calls as well 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 to
saw, 1--WE can not do more
II any dog of the team is lazy the
driver calls out his name and lashes
him, but it is necessary 10 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
into one bowling and biting mass. No
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 of
leather tied to the legs. with holes for
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 or given away.
l. II 4