310 



THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 







by long lap splices wrapped with' deerskin thongs, either at the sides 

 or ends of the shoe. In the single-bar shoe the frame is on one slip, 

 spliced at the toe. Birch is the favorite material for snowshoes, but is 

 rarely to be had except by those Indians who ascend the Koksoak to its 

 headwaters, so that sprnce and larch are generally used. 



The arrangement of the toe and heel bars of the snow- 

 shoes will be best understood from the figures. They are 

 usually placed within the frame, and set in mortises in the 

 inner side of the frame, before tlie wrapping of the ends of 

 the frames has been drawn together; otherwise the bars 

 could not be placed in the holes to receive them. 



The netting is made of deerskin, with the hair removed, 

 and allowed to dry into a condition usually known as parch- 

 ment. This is cut into strips of variable width, depending 

 on the ijarticular use for which it is wanted. 



A needle of bone, horn, or iron (Fig. 130) is used for net- 

 ting the snowshoes. The shape of the implement is flat and 

 rounded at each point, to enable the needle to be used either 

 backward or forward. The eye which carries the line is in 

 the middle. Various sizes of needles are used for tlie dif- 

 erent kinds of netting, of which the meshes differ greatly 

 in size. 



The line is generally 10 to 20 feet in length, and when the 

 netting is completed it somewhat resembles the seating of 

 a cane-bottomed chair. Each individual varies his work 

 according to fancy, but as the netting between the bars is 

 made of coarser line, more compactly woven, there is less 

 dift'erence there than at the toe or heel. 



The netting of the toe is of liner line and meshes than 

 the middle or between the bars; while that between the 

 heel bar and heel of the snowshoe is finest of all. 



The netting between the bars holds the joints of the 

 frames where they lap over each other. 



The toe and heel spaces of netting are held in place by 

 the line passing under the threads which are wrapped 

 around the liars from the netting between them, and again 

 are fastened or slipped through loops of thread or liue 

 which are let through the frame of the snowshoe. 



Near the center of the toe-bar is a space left in the netting 

 between the bars to admit the toes of the wearer and allow 

 them free action while walking. This space is semicircular and is in- 

 closed by several strands of line i)assing over the toe-bar and forming 

 loops, which have the diagonal lines of the netting passed around them 

 and drawn tight. 



The snowshoe is held to the foot by a wide buckskin thong attached 

 at the semicircular space back of the toe-bar. The ends must be far 



FiQ. lan.— Snow 

 shoe needle, 

 Neuenot. 



