308 



THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



HY LAND. 



For carrying loads over tbe snow all tbe Indians of this region use 

 large .sleds (Figs. 12(!, 127) calli'd ta-bas-kan, which is a word equiva- 

 lent to the well known name "toboggan." These sleds, as used among 

 the Indians under consideration, differ very greatly in size according to 

 the use for which they are designed. 



The method of construction is as follows: A tree is selected as free 

 from knots as possible and two boards of less than an inch in thickness 

 are hewed or split from it. These boards are further dressed to the 

 required thickness and width. The final operation consists in shaving 



them down with a " crooked 

 knife" to little more than half 

 an inch in thickness. One 

 edge of each board is then 

 straightened and the two 

 edges placed together. The 

 length is rarely more than 

 13 feet. The front end is 

 steamed or heated in a kettle 

 of hot water until the boards 

 become flexible. The ends 

 are turned up to the desired 

 rurve and then l)ent over at 

 the end, where they are held 

 in position by a transverse 

 bar of wood. This bar is 

 slightly concave on the side 

 next the sled and gives the 

 nose a curved shape. The 

 curved portion of the front 

 may rise as much as 18 inches 

 above the surface over which 

 the sled travels. At the 

 place where the curve begins a second transverse bar is placed, and 

 at a distance behind it a third, fourth, and fifth bars are fastened. 

 Sometimes an additional bar is to be found on the upper side of the bot- 

 tom. These bars are all fastened to the two bottom boards by means of 

 thongs of parchment deerskin, and run through holes on the bottom 

 boards. On the under side the thongs are let into places cut out between 

 the two holes, so that the thongs will not be worn when passing over 

 the snow. They are usually fastened in four ijlaces, one at each end of 

 the bar and one on each side of the crevice between the edges of the 

 two boards. From the nose of the first bar run a pair of very stout 

 thongs or else twisted sinew, which are drawn tight enough to prevent 

 the nose and curve from straightening out. From the end of the first 



Fig. 128. — Nenenot anowahoe, single b.lr. 



