The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1918-06-01
DER SNOW and ICE
Nothing Monotonous About Travel
in Greenland.
Passenger on Dog Sleigh Likely to Be
Furnished Sufficient Thrills In
Days Journey to Carry Him
for Some Time.

"As a last novelty I was treated to
sleigh drive, when the earth had been
covered by snow," A. Riis Christensen
says in 1.-TWO Summers in Greenland"
"The administrator prided himself on
having the best team in Greenland.
and indeed they were spirited lot to
behold as they tore away over the
ground with their tails curved over
their oacks. Neither rocks nor holes,
no obstacle, indeed, under steep wall,
would have checked them. Two young
ones, Ajax the First and Second, had
never been harnessed before, and
looked peculiarly stupid on finding
themselves captured. When the team
started, all for one and one for all, the
two recruits at first tried to make their
escape, but in the effort they rolled
over and over, humping from rock to
rock as they were dragged along, un-
til they finally took their places in the
pack and learned that their most sensi-
BILE course was to work with their COM
panions.
"The amount of knocking about
which a sleigh can endure without be-
ing smashed is incredible. The low
runners, some six feet long, are lash
ed with sealskin thongs to the cross
pieces that form the seat, and afford
elasticity. The two upright poles give
q hold to the driver if he has to fol-
low on foot and steer the sleigh from
behind. The dogs are partly guided by
the whip and partly by the voice, but
in many instances the dogs know bet
ter how to find their way than does
their driver. On smooth ice Is miles
may be done in an hour, but on rugged
ground pace of four or five miles is
called good, and 500 pounds is consid-
cred load for eight dogs.
"Where the ice was broken, as often
was the case near land, or in crossing
large assures, great skill was required
to get dogs and sleigh across. .
When uncertain where to go and you
had to leave it to the dogs to find the
way, you might be always sure that
their instinct would keep them from
running into real peril. In case Of
danger ahead the boss dog would stop
and growl, sniff, and turn in some
other direction.
1T was impossible to drive team
without having a boss as the dog is
called that has absolute control over
all the others. He leads the way, en-
courages, Furnishes offenses, settles dis
putes and has to be used with the great
est care.
'"There was great excitement when
the ground was steep. Sometimes the
driver would fasten all the dogs be-
hind, perhaps tie up one Of the feet Of
each animal, and himself take hold Of
one Of the poles and act as brake. At
other times he would let the sleigh go
backward in front of the dogs. Again,
he would take his sleigh and let the
sleigh hurry down, with the dogs fol-
lowing as best they might, some getting
entangled and being dragged behind,
and finally all landing in the deep snow
below. If there was any possibility
Of reaching a human dwelling, they
generally made for it, but otherwise
they would encamp in the ice. The
bearskin sleeping bags would be spread,
and the travellers would creep into
them, with as many dogs as possible on
the top"