182 WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY. 



that of one of the large and fierce dogs already secured to the 

 sled. Of course, then, as the large dogs go, the smaller ones are 

 obliged to follow. If they trip and fall, as they frequently do, the 

 big dog drags them along until they are jounced on to their feet 

 again. Thus on they go, rolling over and over, bounding from side 

 to side, and all the time uttering most dismal and horrible gi-oans 

 and cries. Gradually they become actually hardened and seem 

 to enjoy being thus pulled about, and soon they are loosened and 

 harnessed, several of them separately, under the lead of some old 

 head dog. After this the best and most obedient of them is fastened 

 to the head dog, in advance of the others, and taught to be urged 

 forward, or to be turned to the left or right at the shout of the 

 proper turning words from the master ; they are then harnessed 

 all alone with this trained head puppy as leader, and if they go all 

 right, exercise and the whip alone are necessary to keep them in 

 training and practice. 



Tuesday, February 22. Washington's birthday! How happy 

 I am that the dear old gentleman was not born here in this remote 

 frozen region ; he verily would have died of the blues without 

 having handed down to America an event to celebrate. I fired 

 several rounds in honor of the occasion, — much to the disgust of 

 the people with whom I was staying, who, as Englishmen, of course 

 cared little about celebrating any save their own fete-days — and 

 concluded the day with a walk, upon those curious articles the 

 rackets, which I will try to describe. 



In describing a walk in rackets I hardly know how, at first, to 

 begin. I might follow on foot any one of the many excursionists 

 who are so constantly and continually going and coming;^ to and 

 from the interior, or the dwellings along the coast, but that, being un- 

 accustomed to long tramps, I could not give a true account of such 

 experience ; or I might give fanciful accounts of dangers and 

 occurrences that possibly might have happened to me or anyone 

 else unacquainted with the ground to be gone over had such a 

 journey been attempted. I do not like to mix the fanciful and the 

 real unless circumstances so happen that there seems to be no 



