THE ESKIMO DOG. ; 105

dogs are put into harness as soon as they can walk, and
being tied up, soon acquire a habit of pulling, in their attempts
to recover their liberty, or to roam in quest of their mother.
When about two months old, they are put into the sledge
with the grown dogs, and sometimes eight or ten little ones
are under the charge of some steady old animal, where, with
frequent and sometimes severe beatings, they soon receive a
competent education. Every dog is distinguished by a partic-
ular name, and the angry repetition of it has an effect as
instantaneous as an application of the whip, which instrument
is of an immense length, having a lash from eighteen to
twenty-four feet, while the handle is one foot only; with this,
by throwing it on one side or the other of the leader, and
repeating certain words, the animals are guided or stopped.
When the sledge is stopped they are all taught to lie down,
by throwing the whip gently over their backs, and they will
remain in this position even for hours, until their master
returns to them. A walrus is frequently drawn along by three
or four of these dogs, and seals are sometimes carried home
in the same manner, though I have in some instances seen
a dog bring home the greater part of a seal in panniers
placed across his back. Cold has very little effect on them;
for although the dogs at the huts slept within the snow pas-
sages, mine at the ships had no shelter, but lay alongside,
with the thermometer at 42° and 44°, and with as little
concern as if the weather had been mild. I found, by several
experiments, that three of my dogs could draw me on a
sledge, weighing one hundred pounds, at the rate of one mile
in six minutes; and as a proof of the strength of a well-grown
dog, my leader drew one hundred and ninety-six pounds
singly, and to the same distance, in eight minutes. At another
time seven of my dogs ran a mile in four minutes, drawing
a heavy sledge full of men. Afterwards, in carrying stores
to the Fury, one mile distant, nine dogs drew one thousand
six hundred and eleven pounds in the space of nine minutes.