53 
the two ends tied together with babiche. The method of tying was to 
make a slip knot which was pulled tightly around the notched tips, followed 
by several clove hitches and a final simple knot at the end of the strand 
to prevent loosening. The other ends were fastened temporarily in the 
same manner except that a spread hitch was used. This being finished, 
the foot was inserted between the two pieces and they were stretched 
to receive any small stick of suitable length that will hold the shoe at 
the desired width. Before this stick is inserted, however, a cord is tied 
near the front of the shoe, where the little strut goes in place. This is 
a loose loop of cord, so that the shoe will not stretch more than it should 
at that point. In the spreading, two sticks were used successively, the 
first being shorter than the second, since too much effort was demanded 
to secure the entire spread at the first attempt. After this is done the 
frames are hung up to dry for several days before the insertion of the struts. 
At a later time when the three struts are inserted, holes are made for the 
fastening of the babiche lacing by diagonal insertions of an awl around 
the inside surface of the frame, and then the snow-shoes are passed to 
some woman for lacing. The medium-sized snow-shoe was used for 
breaking trail and also for hunting when the snow depth was intermediate. 
It is almost obsolete, probably because there is less hunting now than 
formerly. 
The hunting-shoe is from 5 to 6 feet long and is intended only for 
hunting, at which time its great surface supports the wearer on the snow. 
Since the disuse of the medium-shoe, it serves also for breaking trail in 
the spring when the snow is very deep. 
Typical specimen of hunting-shoe: the shoe is 5 feet 9 inches long 
and upturned 9 inches high in front. The side pieces vary in thickness 
from | inch where they are spliced together at the ends, to 1 inch in the 
middle of the shoe. The width of the frame varies from f inch at the ends 
turned up, to If inches in the middle. There are five struts, of which 
the first is inserted only If inches behind the greatest extension of the 
shoe. This strut is Gf inches long and inch wide. The second strut 
which is only 2| inches behind the first is 9f inches long and \ inch wide. 
The third strut which is directly in front of the toes when the shoe is 
worn is 12f inches long and If inches wide. The fourth strut which is 
directly behind the heel is Ilf inches long and If inches wide. The 
fifth strut which is only 7f inches from the end of the shoe is only 4f inches 
long and inch wide. The third strut is 46 inches from the rear end 
of the shoe, and the fourth strut is 33 inches. 
Lacing of the snow-shoes, which is done entirely by the women, 
follows a definite pattern. In the middle section of the shoe, which 
supports the foot, a loose webbing of heavier babiche is used to prevent 
snow from clotting under the foot in spring time. 
The oval-toed snow-shoe is used occasionally by the Satudene, but 
is evidently intrusive. Snow-shoes used by women were of the same 
shape as the men’s but may have had the point rounded off; now they 
have exactly the same shape. Yet, though a young man might borrow 
a woman’s snow-shoes he would resent any woman borrowing his. Dimin- 
nutive snow-shoes are made for children, who begin to use them soon 
after they are able to walk. Simpson (1843, page 237) tells of a Hare (?) 
