358 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



very little diflknilty in potting the half dozen dogs wliicli we bad at 

 the station, and they grew to be very much attached to the laborer 

 wiio used to feed them. The uatives treat their dogs well as a rule, 

 seldom beating them wantonly or severely. Though they do not allow 

 them to come into the houses, the dogs.seem to have considerable at- 

 tachment to their masters. Considerable care is bestowed on the pup- 

 pies. Those boru in winter are fre(|uently reared in the iglu, and the 

 women often carry a young pujjps around in the jacket as they would a 

 child. 



We saw no traces of the disease resembling li,\ dioiiliobia. which has 

 wrought stuh havoc in (Ireenlaiid and Batlin Land. I once, however, 

 saw a puppy apparently suffering from tits of some kind, running 

 wildly round and round, yelping furiously, and occasionally rolling 

 over and kicking. Theiintives said, " MCiInkfi'Iirua, asi'rua", ("He is 

 howling [?];' he is bad"), :in(l some of the boys tiiially took it out on the 

 tundra and knocked it on the head. 



The dog harness, dnuii (Gr. anut), consists of a broad strip of stout 

 rawhide (from the bearded seal or walrus), with three parallel loops at 

 one end, frequently made by simply cutting long slits side by side in 

 the thong and bending it into shape. The head is passed through 

 the middle loop and a foreleg through each of the side-loops, bringing 

 the main part of the thong over the back. This serves as a trace, and 

 is firruished at the end with a toggle of bone or wood, by which it is 

 fastened to beckets in a long line of thong, the end of which is usually 

 made fast to the midcUe of the lirst slat of the sledge. The dogs are 

 attached in a long line, alternately on (i|)p(isile sides of this trace, just so 

 far apart that one dog can not reacii his leader when both are pulling. 



The most spirited dog is usually put at the head of the line as leader, 

 and the natives sometimes select a bitch in heat for this position, as the 

 dogs are siii-e to follow her. The same custom has been observed by 

 Kumlieu at Cumberland Gulf.^ Ten dogs are considered a large team, 

 and few of the natives can muster so many. When the sledge is 

 heavily loaded men aiul women frequently help to drag it. The dogs 

 are never driven, and except over a well known trail, like that between 

 Utkiavwiii and the whaling camp in 1S83, will not travel unless a 

 woman trots along in front, encouraging them with cries of " Aii ! aii ! 

 tfi'lla! tfi'lla! (Come! come on!), while the manor woman who runs be- 

 hind the sled to guide it and keep it from capsizing, urges them on with 

 cries of" Kti ! ku ! (Get on ! get on !), occasionally reproving an individual 

 dog by name. After they are well started, they go on without much urg- 

 ing if nothing distracts their attention. It is not easy to stop a dog 

 team when the destiinitioii is reached. Commands and shouts of " Lie 

 down! "are sehlom sullicieut, ami the people generally have to pull 



'I failed to get the translation of this word, but it aeems to be connected with the Greenlandic 

 mAlavok, lie howls {a dog—). 

 'Contributions, p. 51. 



