chap. vii. REINDEER HARNESS. 71 



about a couple of inches apart by a short thong of plain or 

 plaited leather passing through the holes at one end of each 

 piece, and tied across the forehead. To the other ends of 

 the pieces of bone, plain thongs of leather are attached, one 

 passing behind the horns, the other under the neck. Through 

 the third hole, in the long side of the bent piece of horn passes 

 a thong fastened to the single rein, either with a simple tie 

 or with an intervening swivel made of horn, called by the 

 Samoyedes the siirnyah. The head-pieces of the other deer 

 are slightly different. The bone pieces under the horns are 

 slenderer, both slightly curved and both alike. They are 

 tied together across the forehead, as is the head-piece of the 

 leading deer, but the other ends are tied to the apex of a 

 piece of bone or horn, shaped like an isosceles triangle, with 

 the angles cut off square, the angle at the apex being very 

 obtuse, and the basal line slightly concave. These triangular 

 pieces are placed nearly over the jugular vein, and are 

 fastened at one end under the neck, and at the other at the 

 back of the head. The bridle-rein is attached at one end to 

 the thong passing at the back of the head, and the other to 

 the saddle of the deer to the left or near side. The wood or 

 bone blind pulley through which the traces run, is called 

 pate-chay, it is so arranged that any deer not doing its fair 

 share of the pulling drops behind against the sledge. The 

 animals are urged on by a long pole, with which they are 

 hit or poked ; it is called the toor, and the bone button at 

 the end of it the toor-malil. Behind each sledge, on each 

 side, there is a thong of leather passing through a hole, 

 pierced through one end of a bit of bone about nine inches 



