FETCH OR A 507 



We also observed, what has been noted by Erman and 

 other travellers, the fondness which reindeer have for 

 salt, and the greediness with which they approached, 

 when any of us had occasion to make water, and ate the 

 snow upon which it fell. 



In a very short time after the lassoing began there 

 were more than a dozen deer lying helplessly on their 

 sides. 



We stayed more than an hour watching the operations, 

 and then joined our sledges and drove back to Habarika. 



On Friday, the 30th of April, although Captain Engel 

 had to return last night to Ust Zj'lma, we remained, in 

 order to visit the ' chooms,' which are now close to 

 Habarika. On arriving at the camp we found twenty- 

 three sledges and two ' chooms ' situated close to a run- 

 ning stream in a circular glade surrounded by slightly 

 rising ground covered with willows. The sledges stood 

 together, one behind the next, in four or five rows a few 

 yards apart, in most instances with parts of the rein- 

 deer harness attached. 



The travelling sledges are of the lightest possible con- 

 struction, and are beautifully made, though they do not 

 convey to the mind an idea of great strength, as the 

 runners are attached to the body of the sledge by sloping 

 spars, and in order to prevent capsizing they are wider 

 apart than the body of the sledge is. The outward 

 pressure and stress upon the sloping supports must be 

 considerable, yet we have seen them carrying three heavy 

 persons. There are generally four spars on each side, 

 sometimes only three. 



The baggage sledges have fewer supports, but are much 

 heavier and stronger, and the spars or supports are more 

 upright. The heaviest baggage appears to be alwa^'s 

 placed on those sledges with only two spars on each side, 

 and the lighter baggage on those with three spars. 



