24 SKETCH OF THE BOOTHIANS. 



In the method of taking these several animals, there is nothing 

 whicli has not been often described. The reindeer are generally 

 shot by arrows, in the water,, as is usual elsewhere ; and, in their 

 canoes, there is nothing to notice, if I except their manner of 

 ferrying the women and children, by stuffing the latter within the 

 skin of the boat, and making the former lie flat behind her 

 husband ; in a rather dangerous position, when the least move- 

 ment would upset the whole crew. 



Under the great scarcity of wood here, since very little is ever 

 drifted on these shores, and in the want of the walrus and the 

 whale, they are almost limited to the use of the reindeer's horn in 

 the making of their spears and other weapons ; but tliese so nearly 

 resemble those noticed by Crantz and others, that I need not 

 describe them, unless indeed the fish-spear be not ditFerent from 

 any of which 1 have read. The shaft of this, seven or eight feet 

 long, is made of wood, if that can be procured ; if not, of horn ; 

 and is furnished at the end with three points, so as to resemble 

 a trident, of which, the central one is plain, and the two outer 

 barbed, as may be seen by one of the plates. 



This want of materials compels them also to adopt a method of 

 constructing their sledges, which differs very materially from 

 all others hitherto described. A number of salmon are packed 

 together into a cylinder about seven feet long, and wrapped 

 up in the skins taken from the canoes, which cease to be of 

 use when the frost is arrived. Being then well corded \\ith 

 thongs, two of these cylinders are pressed into the shape of 

 the runners, and, having been left to freeze, are secured by cross 



