DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 115 



his dog means many a weary tramp in which he himself must become 

 the beast of burden. 



The Eskimo dogs are comparatively small, seldom weighing over 

 35 pounds, and their hair is of every shade and color. There is one 

 peculiarity in their hair that is common to them all, and that is its 

 length and thickness. It is always fine and soft, and close to the skin 

 is as thick as it can grow, thus enabling them to withstand successfully 

 the rigors of the Arctic winter. 



An Eskimo never thinks of sheltering his dog, and pays no more 

 attention to his comfort than if he did not possess such an animal. In 

 fact, he does not need any protection but that which nature has given 

 him. Neither does he seek for some sheltering nook or cover when the 

 wind is blowing its keenest, but lies down on the snow or ice, exposed 

 to the full fury of the storm, curled up like a ball, and sleeps as soundly 

 as he would if on a bed of furs. 



A dog with a frozen ear or tail is never seen, and, although they will 

 lie in one position for hours at a time, are never known to shiver or in 

 any way show that they are experiencing any bad effects from the cold. 

 It often occurs that a search has to be made for a dog, for he will lie 

 so still that the snow completely covers him, and if not completely 

 covered, and his hair happens to be light colored, it is hard to distinguish 

 him from the drift piled up about him. 



But few females are allowed in each village, and these are kept only 

 for breeding purposes and are seldom used in the sled. The pups, 

 when large enough to run about, are made to wear a harness continu- 

 ally, and a great deal of the time are kept tied to heavy logs or stones. 

 This is to accustom them to the harness from their infancy, and in their 

 struggles to get loose will pull and haul about, thus developing muscle 

 and strength, which makes them valuable draft animals after they are 

 full grown. 



Six or eight dogs make a good team, and it is wonderful what loads 

 they can haul. If the traveling is good, a team of six dogs will haul as 

 many hundred pounds and go along 25 or 30 miles a day without experi- 

 encing very much fatigue. If the snow is soft or the ice is rough, it is 

 sometimes necessary to pull to one side a little, or push it ahead a trifle, 

 if they should become stalled, when they will immediately take up the 

 slack and start on again. They are very persistent when unable to 

 move a heavy load, and will jump up and down and in a broken chorus 

 of barks and howls manifest their impatience to go, and when they 

 start settle down to an earnest pull, only to give it up after they have 

 exhausted all their strength. 



The favorite way of driving dogs among these people is one ahead 

 of the other, each tied to a long rope, and they are placed so that half 

 of them are on one side and half on the other. The harness is a simple 

 device, slipped over the head and passing under the forelegs, coming 

 up on the side, where a backhand is tied, thus bringiug the draft on 

 both shoulders and back. 



