Snow-shoes are an invention of the Indians; and, in the winter of the Arctic regions of America, are an article almost as indispensable as clothing itself. Without them, travelling afoot would be impossible. In these countries, as already stated, the snow often covers the ground to the depth of many feet; and remains1 without any considerable diminution2 for six, and, in some years, eight or nine months. At times, it is frozen hard enough on the surface to bear a man without the snow-shoes; but oftener on account of thaws4 and fresh falls, it becomes quite soft, and at such times travelling over it is both difficult and dangerous. To avoid both the difficulty and the danger, the Indians make use of this very singular sort of foot-wear—called “snow-shoes” by the English, and “raquets” by the Canadian voyageurs. They are used by all the Indian tribes of the Hudson’s Bay territory; and were it not for them these people would be confined to one place for months together, and could not follow the deer or other game. As almost all savages5 are improvident6, and none more so than the North American Indians, were they prevented for a season from going out to hunt, whole tribes would starve. Indeed, many individuals of them perish with hunger as it is; and the life of all these Indians is nothing more than one continued struggle for food enough to sustain them. In summer they are often in the midst of plenty; slaughtering7 deer and buffalo8 by hundreds, taking out only the tongues, and recklessly leaving the flesh to the wolves! In winter the very same Indians may be seen without a pound of meat in their encampment—the lives of themselves and their families depending upon the success of a single day’s hunt!
But let us return to the snow-shoes. Let us see what they are, and learn how they are made.
Any boy who has snared9 sparrows in snow-time, has, no doubt, done so by tying his snares10 upon a hoop11 netted across with twine12 or other small cord. Now, if he will conceive his hoop bent13 into an oblong shape—something like what the figure of a boat turned on its mouth would make in snow—and if he will also fancy the netting to consist of thongs14 of twisted deer-hide woven somewhat closely together, he will get a very good idea of an Indian snow-shoe. It is usually from three to four feet long, by about a foot wide at the middle part, from which it tapers15 gently to a point, both at the heel and toe. The frame, as I have said, is like the hoop of a boy’s bird-snare. It is made of light, tough wood, and, of course, carefully bent and polished with the knife. The slender branches of the “scrub-pine” (Pinus Banksiana) are esteemed16 excellent for this purpose, as their wood is light, flexible and tough in its fibres. This is also a favourite tree, where it grows, to make tent-poles, canoe-timbers, and other implements17 required by the Indians; and these people use so much of it for their arrows, that it has received from the Canadian voyageurs the name of bois de flèche (arrow-wood).
Well, then, the frame of the snow-shoes being bent to its proper shape, two transverse bars are placed across near the middle, and several inches from each other. They are for the foot to rest upon, as well as to give strength to the whole structure. These being made fast, the netting is woven on, and extends over the whole frame, with the exception of a little space in front of the bars where the ball of the foot is to rest. This space is left free of netting, in order to allow play to the toes while walking. The mesh-work is made of thongs usually cut from the parchment-skin of a deer, and twisted. Sometimes twisted intestines18 are used, and the netting exactly resembles that seen in “racquets” for ball play.
The snow-shoe, when finished, is simply fastened upon the foot by means of straps19 or thongs; and a pair of them thus placed, will present a surface to the snow of nearly six square feet—more, if required, by making them larger. But this is enough to sustain the heaviest man upon the softest snow, and an Indian thus “shod” will skim over the surface like a skater.
The shoes used by all tribes of Indians are not alike in shape. There are fashions and fancies in this respect. Some are made—as among the Chippewa Indians—with one side of the frame nearly straight; and these, of course, will not do for either foot, but are “rights and lefts.” Generally, however, the shape is such that the snow-shoe will fit either foot.
The snow-shoes having now become a necessary thing, our young voyageurs set about making a complete set for the whole party—that is, no less than four pairs. Norman was the “shoemaker,” and Norman knew how. He could splice20 the frames, and work in the netting, equal to an Indian squaw. Of course all the others assisted him. Lucien cut the moose-skin into fine regular strips; Basil waded21 off through the snow, and procured22 the frames from the wood of the scrub-pine-trees where he had encountered the porcupine23; and then he and François trimmed them with their knives, and sweated them in the hot ashes until they became dry, and ready for the hands of the “shoemaker.”
This work occupied them several days, and then each had a pair of shoes fitted to his size and weight.
The next consideration was, to lay in a stock of meat. The moose had furnished them with enough for present use, but that would not last long, as there was no bread nor anything else to eat with it. Persons in their situation require a great deal of meat to sustain them, much more than those who live in great cities, who eat a variety of substances, and drink many kinds of drinks. The healthy voyageur is rarely without a keen appetite; and meat by itself is a food that speedily digests, and makes way for a fresh meal; so that the ration24 usually allowed to the employés of the fur companies would appear large enough to supply the table of several families. For instance, in some parts of the Hudson’s Bay territory, the voyageur is allowed eight pounds of buffalo-meat per diem! And yet it is all eaten by him, and sometimes deemed barely sufficient. A single deer, therefore, or even a buffalo, lasts a party of voyageurs for a very short time, since they have no other substance, such as bread or vegetables, to help it out. It was necessary, then, that our travellers should use all their diligence in laying up a stock of dried meat, before the winter became too cold for them to hunt. There was another consideration—their clothing. They all had clothing sufficient for such weather as they had yet experienced; but that would never do for the winter of the Great Slave Lake, and they knew it. Many deer must be killed, and many hides dressed, before they could make a full set of clothing for all, as well as a set of deerskin blankets, which would be much needed.
As soon as the snow-shoes were finished, therefore, Basil and Norman went out each day upon long hunting expeditions, from which they rarely returned before nightfall. Sometimes they brought with them a deer, of the caribou25 or reindeer26 species, and the “woodland” variety, which were plenty at this place. They only carried to camp the best parts with the skin, as the flesh of the woodland caribou is not much esteemed. It is larger than the other kind—the “Barren Ground caribou,” weighing about one hundred and fifty pounds; but both its venison and hide are of inferior quality to those of the latter species. Sometimes our hunters killed smaller game; and on several occasions they returned without having emptied their guns at all. But there was one day that made up for several—one grand day when they were extremely successful, and on which they killed a whole herd27 of moose, consisting of five individuals—the old bull, a spike28 buck29—that is, a young buck, whose horns had not yet got antlers upon them—the cow, and two calves30. These they had tracked and followed for a long distance, and had succeeded, at length, in running into a valley where the snow was exceedingly deep, and where the moose became entangled31. There had been a shower of rain the day before that had melted the surface of the snow; and this had again frozen into an icy crust, upon which the deer lacerated their ankles at every plunge32, leaving a track of blood behind them as they ran. Under these circumstances they were easily trailed, and Basil and Norman, skimming along upon their snow-shoes, soon came up with them, and shot first one and then another, until the whole herd were stretched in the valley. They then butchered them, and hung the hides and quarters upon high branches, so as to secure them from wolves and wolverenes. When the job was finished, the whole place looked like a great slaughter-yard! Next day a rude sledge33 was constructed; and the voyageurs, returning in full force, transported the meat to camp. Huge fires were kindled34 outside the hut, and several days were spent in cutting up and drying the flesh. Had our travellers been certain that the frost would have continued all winter, this would not have been necessary—since the meat was already frozen as hard as a brick. But they knew that a sudden thaw3 would spoil it; and, as there was plenty of good firewood on the spot, they were not going to run the risk of losing it in that way.
They had now enough provision to last them for months; and hunting became no longer necessary, except to obtain fresh meat—which was, of course, preferable to the dry stock. Hunting, also, gave them exercise and amusement—both of which were necessary to their health; for to remain idle and inactive in a situation such as that in which they were placed is the worst possible plan, and is sure to engender35 both sickness and ennui36. Indeed, the last grew upon them, notwithstanding all the pains they took to prevent it. There were days on which the cold was so extreme, that they could not put their noses out of the door without the danger of having them frost-bitten—although each had now a complete suit of deerskin clothing, made by Lucien, the “tailor” of the party. Upon such days they were fain to remain shut up in their hut; and, seated around their huge log-fire, they passed the time in cleaning their guns, mending their nets, stitching their clothes, and such-like employments. These days were far from being their dullest; for, what with the varied37 and scientific knowledge of Lucien, which he took pleasure in imparting to his companions—what with the practical experience of Norman amid scenes of Arctic life, and the many “voyageur tales” he could tell—what with François’ merry jokes and bon mots—and what with Basil’s talent for listening—not the least important element in a good conversazione,—our quartette of young voyageurs found their indoor days anything but dull.
This was all well enough for a while. For a month or two they bore their odd kind of life cheerfully enough; but the prospect38 of nearly six months more of it began to appal39 them, when they reflected upon it; and they soon found themselves longing40 for a change. Hunting adventures, that at other times would have interested them, now occurred without creating any excitement; and the whole routine of their employments seemed monotonous41. Nearly all of them were boys of an active character of mind; and most of them were old enough to reason about the value of time. Their idea of such a long isolation42 from civilised life, and, above all, the being debarred from following any useful pursuit, began to impress some of them forcibly. Others, as François, could not be contented43 for a very great stretch of time with any sort of life; so that all of them began to sigh for a change.
One day, while conversing44 upon this theme, a bold proposal was made by Basil. It was, that they should “strike camp,” and continue their journey. This proposal took the others by surprise, but they were all just in the frame of mind to entertain and discuss it; and a long consultation45 was held upon the point. François chimed in with the proposal at once; while Lucien, more cautious, did not exactly oppose, but rather offered the reasons that were against it, and pointed46 out the perils47 of the undertaking48. Norman, of course, was appealed to—all of them looking to him as one whose advice, upon that question at least, was more valuable than their own.
Norman admitted the dangers pointed out by Lucien, but believed that they might overcome them by a proper caution. On the whole, Norman approved of the plan, and it was at length adopted. Perhaps Norman’s habitual49 prudence50 was to some extent influenced on this occasion by the very natural desire he had of returning to what he considered his home. He had now been absent nearly two years, and was desirous of once more seeing his father and his old companions at the Fort. There was another feeling that influenced nearly all of them: that was ambition. They knew that to make such a journey would be something of a feat51, and they wished to have the credit of performing it. To minds like that of Basil, even the danger had something attractive in it. It was resolved then to break up the encampment, and continue their journey.
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1
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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2
diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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3
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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4
thaws
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| n.（足以解冻的）暖和天气( thaw的名词复数 )；（敌对国家之间）关系缓和v.（气候）解冻( thaw的第三人称单数 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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5
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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6
improvident
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| adj.不顾将来的，不节俭的，无远见的 | |
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7
slaughtering
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| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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8
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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9
snared
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| v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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11
hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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12
twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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13
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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14
thongs
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| 的东西 | |
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15
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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16
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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17
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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18
intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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19
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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20
splice
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| v.接合，衔接；n.胶接处，粘接处 | |
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21
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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23
porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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24
ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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25
caribou
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| n.北美驯鹿 | |
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26
reindeer
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| n.驯鹿 | |
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27
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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28
spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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29
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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30
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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31
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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33
sledge
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| n.雪橇，大锤；v.用雪橇搬运，坐雪橇往 | |
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34
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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35
engender
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| v.产生，引起 | |
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36
ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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37
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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38
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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39
appal
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| vt.使胆寒，使惊骇 | |
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40
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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41
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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42
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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43
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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44
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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45
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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46
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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47
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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48
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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49
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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50
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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51
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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