382 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ing was given up, and in less than a mile from the starting-point 

 all hands were upon snow-shoes. These shoes are from three to 

 five feet in length, bowed and curved upward at the toes, and ta- 

 pering to a point behind. In the center are thongs upon which 

 the foot rests. They are secured to the feet by two thongs cross- 

 ing just forward of the instep, passing around the heel, and at- 

 tached to the shoe near the toes. This gives the foot full play, 

 and enables one to rise upon the ball of the foot, as in walking, 

 and shove the shoe forward over the snow instead of lifting it. It 

 is very easy to walk a short distance, but, when running after a 

 sled over the uneven country, the tendency of the shoes to rise is 

 equal to that of a pair of roller-skates upon the feet of a novice. 



The first sledging-trip was to the northward. At 4 p. m., after 

 a hard day's march, a camp was established, it being then too dark 

 to travel. The dogs are first unharnessed, and chained separately 

 to bushes, to prevent fighting. After an hour's rest they are fed 

 upon dried fish, this being the only meal they receive in twenty- 

 four hours. They are given all they can eat unless the supply is 

 short, and in such cases their endurance is wonderful, a small 

 piece of fish once a day sufiicing a dog and enabling him to work 

 for a couple of weeks. A great many interesting facts could be 

 given illustrating the sagacity and endurance of these animals. 

 As a rule, they have no affection. They recognize the person who 

 feeds them as their master, but they obey only through fear. 

 They are more than half wolf, as all young wolves caught are 

 raised and used as dogs. In every team there is generally one 

 dog who constitutes himself master. He is naturally one of the 

 most powerful of the number, and the others seem to recognize 

 his supremacy. This dog, upon seeing any one of the others 

 habitually shirking while the rest are pulling, will attempt to 

 reach and punish him, and if it is impossible to do so while in har- 

 ness, will deliberately go to him when the day's sledging is finished 

 and administer the deserved chastisement. 



In establishing a night-camp when in a wooded country, the 

 most sheltered spot is selected and a pit is dug in the snow about 

 fifteen feet in diameter and a foot deep. The bottom is then 

 stamped down to make a hard floor. Around this pit is built a 

 wall about four feet high, by laying young spruce-trees on top of 

 one another and cutting off their inside branches. This wall has 

 two openings or breaks diametrically opposed, dividing the pit 

 into halves with a through passage-way separating them. Along 

 this way, which must always face the wind, dried wood is piled 

 and fired. On either side pine-boughs are laid on the snow, and 

 on top of them the sleeping-bags. Such night-camps are easily 

 made, and the coldest nights can be comfortably passed in them. 

 The only drawback is the difficulty in getting wood. 



