THE RACKET OR "RACQUET." 149 



The foot, as I have said, is encased with a pad called a 

 " racquet." It is a bent bow of wood with two crossbars, the in- 

 tervening spaces being thickly woven of deerskin thong, except a 

 small opening where the toe goes, and which is below the middle 

 of the upper bar. There are great varieties of form, called usually 

 from some fancied resemblance to the tail of an animal. The 

 beaver, the otter, the porcupine, and the bobtailed rackets are used 

 perhaps more frequently than any others about this coast, though 

 the long racket is used throughout many of the Canadian prov- 

 inces. 



In walking one takes the usual step, though perhaps a longer 

 one than otherwise, having the feet much farther apart, and in the 

 walking position the convex portion of the top part of the racket 

 of the hind foot fits almost exactly into the concave portion of the 

 bottom part of the racket of the front foot. In stepping, the 

 wide part of each pad passes over that of the other; you will 

 thus easily see that in hurried walking, if each step does not at first 

 clear the racket of the other foot, it is impossible to take a step 

 with that foot which thus sustains the whole weight of the body, 

 and the impetus given to the body invariably plunges one down 

 into the snow. With the swinging motion necessitated by the 

 unusual space between the feet, a little practice soon accustoms 

 one to walking easily over the lightest and deepest snow if it be 

 dry, as it usually is here, and not wet and sloppy. 



A short time since the dogs were ready to start off on a journey 

 or trip with their master or driver ; and now several strong men 

 without stooping, and with a motion peculiar to habit from long 

 practice, drop their rackets upon the ground and adjust their feet 

 in them, — now both start together for the trip. The going is not 

 very good for the sledge, and the runners cut deep ruts in the snow, 

 already upon the ground to the depth of over a foot on a level, 

 as it is slowly passed over. The dogs travel with difficulty, and 

 need constant urging from their driver who keeps up a continual 

 shouting and crying out at them. 



A string of a dozen or more rapidly repeated words which sound 



