OF THE POLAR SEA. 



95 



half, or one foot and three quarters, being adapted to the size of the 

 wearer. The motion of walking in them is perfectly natural, for 

 one shoe is level with the snow, when the edge of the other is pass- 

 ing over it. It is not easy to use them among bushes, without fre- 

 quent overthrows, nor to rise afterwards without help. Each shoe 

 weighs about two pounds when unclogged with snow. The northern 

 Indian snow shoes differ a little from those of the southern In- 

 dians, having a greater curvature on the outside of each shoe ; one 

 advantage of which is, that when the foot rises the over-balanced 

 side descends and throws off the snow. All the superiority of Euro- 

 pean art has been unable to improve the native contrivance of this 

 useful machine. 



" Sledges are made of two or three flat boards, curving upwards 

 in front, and fastened together by transverse pieces of wood above. 

 They are so thin that, if heavily laden, they bend with the inequa- 

 lities of the surface over which they pass. The ordinary dog-sledges 

 are eight or ten feet long, and very narrow, but the lading is se- 

 cured to a lacing round the edges. The cariole used by the traders 

 is merely a covering of leather for the lower part of the body, af- 

 fixed to the common sledge, which is painted and ornamented ac- 

 cording to the taste of the proprietor. Besides snow shoes, each 

 individual carries his blanket, hatchet, steel, flint, and tinder, and 

 generally fire-arms." 



The general dress of the winter traveller is a capot, having a hood 

 to put up under the fur cap in windy weather, or in the woods, to 

 keep the snow from his neck ; leathern trowsers and Indian stockings, 

 which are closed at the ankles, round the upper part of his mo- 

 cassins, or Indian shoes, to prevent the snow from getting into 

 them. Over these he wears a blanket, or leathern coat, which is 

 secured by a belt round his waist, to which his fire-bag, knife, and 

 hatchet are suspended. 



Mr. Back and I were accompanied by the seaman, John Hep- 



