EQUIPMENT OF A SLEDGE EXPEDITION 171 



Dogs on the trail must be taken care of; their feet must be 

 constantly examined, and if the pads show sign of wearing 

 through, they must be wrapped up in a kind of kamick, to be 

 put on when the dog is working, as the dog will very soon 

 become useless if sores are left untended. 



When driving dogs in loose snow, the team must be stopped 

 every now and then 

 to allow the dogs to 

 bite off the snow and 

 ice between their 

 toes. Some dogs 

 stop of their own 

 accord, lie down and 

 commence cleaning 

 their feet whenever 

 they begin to hurt, 

 but most of them will 

 begin to limp and 

 look reproachfully at 

 the driver. Then he 

 must stop at once, 

 as the snow which 

 collects between 

 their toes will melt 

 and freeze to the 



hairs. In a very short time it will have become a large ball 

 of ice, which gives the dog great pain, if he has to walk on it, 

 and will end by wearing a hole. A good remedy, which does 

 not hurt the dog, is to trim the hair off with a pair of scissors 

 and then singe the footpad over a burning candle. 



The dogs must be fed regularly, and it is best to feed them 

 at night, as they are apt to become lazy if they get much to 

 eat during the day. However, it is usually considered a good 

 plan to give the dog a little bite to eat in the morning, about 

 one hour after starting. If a dog is fed on pemmican, i Ib. is 

 ample, but if he gets fish or meat, he must have about 2^ Ibs. 

 a day. When a dog is not working, or on board a ship, where 

 dog-feed can be cooked, it is very advisable to cook the food. 

 We used to give our dogs cornmeal cooked with small pieces 

 of blubber and meat. The raw material goes much further 



OUR TENT ON THE ICE TRIP. 



