Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlandersr; 413 



Several pieces of bone of this kind are required for the length 

 of a sledge, the number varying according to the length of the bone 

 pieces, which is very unequal. The longest specimen in the col- 

 lection, for instance, measures 507 cm. in length; six are upwards of 

 30 cm. long, but the majority are much shorter, some only a few 

 centimetres long. The longest piece of sledge shoe from North-east 

 Greenland known to me measures 75 cm,; it is in the Christiania 

 Museum.^ 



The breadth is considerable, most frequently 5 — 6 cm.; in one 

 case, however, it was only 3*7 cm., in another 7'5 cm. The specimens 

 found by the other expeditions in these regions are of similar di- 

 mensions. Thus those found by Ryder at Scoresby Sound vary 

 from 49 to 77 cm. with the exception, however, of two spec- 

 imens, which are only 43 cm. broad. For purposes of comparison 

 it may be stated that the breadth of the shoes of the West Green- 

 land sledges is only 2-3— 33 cm., and that those from the Cape 

 York District and from Angmagsalik are of like dimensions. This 

 difference is, however, probably in most cases due only to the dif- 

 ference in the thickness of the material used for the runners, viz. 

 thick planks from wrecks driven ashore in contrast to boards. On 

 the other hand, sledges with broad runners are said to be better 

 than those with narrow ones.^ 



In one case the thickness of a sledge shoe is as much as 29 cm., 

 but usually it is far less, and in cases of much worn specimens it 

 is reduced to a minimum. 



The shoes have been fastened to the runners with wooden nails, 

 which still remain in several of the specimens. The holes have, 

 intentionally, been drilled not verticallj^ but obliquely in several 

 directions in order to afford a better hold. The holes are usually 

 irregularly distributed over the shoes ; sometimes, however, they 

 are fairly regularly placed, obliquely facing each other, as on PI. 

 XVIII, 14.^ The main intention has evidently been not to place 

 them opposite each other and thereby lessen the strength of the 

 bone; the holes are, however, occasionally so placed, as may be 

 seen in the specimen (L. 4031) described below. 



On PI. XVIII, 11—15 are show^n some of the shoes found. The 

 one (L. 3811) figured on PI. XVIII, 14, from Snenæs, house 406, is pe- 

 culiar. It has been placed at the fore end of the runner, and the point 

 is tapering and rounded; a nail hole is drilled at the tip, and be- 

 hind it there is a groove which has undoubtedly served to receive 



' Mus. No. 13889; is now broken into several pieces. - Cf. Mason V, p. 547. 

 ^ Cf. Thalbitzer I, 436. 



