THE WORLD OF ICE. 141

tough hickory, slightly curved in front, and were
attached to each other by cross-bars. At the stern of
the vehicle there was a low back composed of two
uprights and a single bar across. The whole machine
was fastened together by means of tough lashings of
raw seal-hide, so that, to all appearance, it was a
rickety affair, ready to fall to pieces. In reality,
however, it was very strong. No metal nails of any
kind could have held in the keen frost—they would
have snapped like glass at the first jolt—but the seal-
skin fastenings yielded to the rude shocks and twist-
ings to which the sledge was subjected, and seldom
gave way, or if they did, were easily and speedily
renewed without the aid of any other implement than
a knife.

But the whip was the most remarkable part of
the equipage. The handle was only sixteen inches in
length, but the lash was twenty fect long, made of
the toughest seal-skin, and as thick as a man’s wrist
near the handle, whence it tapered off to a fine
pomt. The labour of using such a formidable weapon
is So great that Esquimaux usually, when practicable,
travel in couples, one sledge behind the other. The
dogs of the last sledge follow mechanically and require
no whip, and the riders change about so as to relieve
each other. When travelling, the whip trails behind,
and can be brought with a tremendous crack that
makes the hair fly from the wretch that is struck ;
and Esquimaux are splendid shots, so to speak. They
can hit any part of a dog with certainty, but usually