242 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



purpose. It is simply extra- wide hoop-iron aud of a width to tit. It is 

 fastened on with screws, the heads of which are countersunk. 



Another kind of shoe is i^ut on when traveling in very cold weather. 

 A swampy track is searched for soil of half-decomposed vegetation 

 and pure humus, as nearly fi-ee from sand and gravel as possible. It 

 must possess certain qualities or it may not have the requisite strength — 

 much, I presume, as ■ mortar often requires to be tempered with more 

 or less lime or sand when it is too rich or too poor. The Eskimo tem- 

 pers his mortar with the almost impalpable soil found under the larger 

 spreading- trees of the forest. It is the slowly decomposed vegetation 

 fallen from branches and trunks. The manner of preparing it is as 

 follows : A large kettle is partially tilled with the material and heated 

 to the boiling point, being constantly stirred, and while yet cool 

 enough all coarse sticks, grass blades, pebbles, etc., are carefully re 

 moved as the fingers discover them in working the mortar. The sled 

 is turned over with the bottom of the runner up. The mud is now 

 applied by the hands, a couple of ixmnds being taken and pressed on 

 the runner, which has previously been wetted. This process of adding 

 to the runner is continued until it attains an additional depth of 3 or 4 

 inches and a width of 3 to 5 inches. It now resembles the rail of a 

 stairwaj^ When it has been thoroughly gone over to till ui) any in- 

 equalities the sled is set aside in order that the mud may freeze solid. 

 The sled must be handled with care, as the least jar or jolt ^vill break 

 the "setting" nuid. After it is frozen the owner takes a plane and 

 planes it down to the proper shape and smoothness. It is somewhat 

 dilticult to describe the shape in words, unless it be compared to the 

 upper part of the T rail of a railroad inverted — neither rounded nor flat, 

 but so fashioned as to give the best bearing surface with the least 

 friction. When the jilane has finished its work the color of the mud 

 is a rich chestnut brown. The builder now takes water in his mouth 

 and spirts it in a spray along the mud. As soon as the water touches 

 tiie runner it must be spread evenly with a hand incased in a mitten of 

 reindeer skin, rubbing back and forth until the runner looks Uke a bar 

 of black glass. The sled is then ready for use. Great care is necessary 

 to avoid rocks or stones, as these cut the polished mud and roughen it. 

 If a sudden lurch causes a portion of the mud to drop out the piece is 

 frozen on again by means of water, or if crumbled a piece of ice is cut 

 to the shape and caused to adhere by water freezing it to the runner. 



It is not often that one may find a sled shod with bone, as is the 

 custom with the Eskimo farther north, and especially farther west. 

 The only instance where I have seen bone used was by some of the 

 people from the western extremity of Hudson strait. These had only 

 a portion of the curve and a part of the runner shod with bone and 

 pieces of reindeer horn, secured to the runner by means of pegs. 



The greatest objection to the use of mud is that a few hours of 

 warmth may cause it to loosen and render it worthless. The polish 



