ESKIMO SLEDS COASTING. 71 



then the operation is renewed farther on 

 along the runner. The slushy snow being 

 completely frozen, the next operation is 

 to put on the ice itself. This is done by 

 the sledgeman taking a big mouthful of 

 water and, while he works the palm of 

 his hand backward and forward very 

 rapidly, slowly spurting the water over 

 the frozen, slushy snow ; this distributes 

 the water evenly and smoothly, and the 

 watery spray freezes almost as soon as it 

 strikes the cold runner. Thus iced, it is 

 really wonderful how much easier the 

 sledge will run than when it is not so 

 treated. My largest sledge was so 

 heavy, even when unloaded, that I could 

 hardly turn it over sidewise ; yet, when 

 Toolooah, my sledgeman, had carefully 

 iced it, I could with one hand take this 

 ponderous affair, weighing nearly half 



