164 SELECTING SKINS. — PATCHING. 



done and not the latter I cannot ascertain ; it would be a curious fact 



to study into if one could spare the time. A proper sealskin for 



bootlegs will cut from two to five pairs, according to the size of the 



skin, — as the pattern for all adults is usually the same, — while a 



proper skin for bottoms will fit six to eight pairs of boots. The 



bottoms are not scraped, but the legs are scraped quite clear of the 



vellum from the inside of the skin. A skin that is dried in the house 



has a yellowish look while one dried out of doors in the sun is white 



as parchment on the inside. Should it happen that a person's 



feet are in the habit of sweating much, the whole inside of the 



boot is rubbed with a tan made of birch rind, — but I do not 



understand the exact philosophy of it. When one first purchases 



a pair of boots they are generally quite dry ; they are then oiled 



carefully with the hand, with seal oil, until every part is fully 



lubricated, the inside is then rubbed on a stick with a polished 



and nearly sharp edge, as is often done by shoemakers, in a certain 



stage of their own bootmaking, to accomplish the same result, — 



the operation is nearly similar to the manner in which pegs are 



rubbed out of boots. After this operation they are hung in a warm 



place near the fire until the oil has soaked into the skin when they 



are ready to be worn, and if properly made will, with the roughest 



wear over stones and ice, unless cut or otherwise unusually injured, 



remain, with occasional reoilings, water-tight for at least two months. 



At the end of about that time, the bottom or the heel is worn 



through and the sole must be tapped, — this is done by simply cutting 



out a piece of skin, round and the size of the whole heel if for 



the heel, oblong and the size of the sole if for the sole, which 



is then sewn on with a tightly drawn single thread from the 



outside. Such a patched bottom will last a month or six weeks 



longer and then the whole bottom gives way and is usually replaced 



by a whole new piece from the ankle down. 



All shoes are made substantially upon the same pattern ; while 

 for house wear the leg part is dispensed with and the bottom 

 extended upwards far enough to bind as a slipper or tie around the 

 ankle as a shoe. Such is Labrador and Esquimaux foot-gear as 



