SKEES, OR THE QUEER SNOWSHOES OF THE NORTH.--HOW THEY ARE MADE.--LEARNING
TO USE THEM.--JOSEFF'S INSTRUCTIONS.--HARD WORK AT FIRST.--GOING DOWN
HILL.--I BID JOSEFF GOOD-BYE.
In the morning Joseff, the owner of the farm, said to me: "Paulus,
before you go further on your journey you must learn to go on skees;
otherwise you will not be able to travel, for the snow is very deep
further north. I will teach you how to use skees, but in order to learn
you must remain with us for some time."
Then pointing to the lake near by, he said, "This is the place where you
are to learn. It will be easy for you to walk with them, for the surface
of the lake is smooth and flat."
After saying this, he went into one of the outer buildings of the farm
and came out with several beautiful pairs of skees, and handed one of
them to me with these words: "I give them to you; when you wander
further north and walk with them, think of me." I thanked Joseff for his
gift and said: "I will always remember you, also your wife and your
children, without these skees." Then looking at them, I added, "How
beautiful they are! How proud I shall be when I walk with them."
These skees, or snowshoes of northern Europe, are made of wood from the
fir tree; at their thickest part, in the centre, they are between four
and five inches in width. Here, where the foot rests, there is a piece
of birch bark fastened, over which there is a loop, and through this
loop the foot passes. That part of the skee under the foot is concave,
and here it is thickest, so that where it supports the weight of the
person it cannot bend downward. The under part of the skee is grooved
and polished, and soon becomes by use as smooth as glass. The forward
end turns slightly upward, as you see by the pictures, so as to pass
over the snow easily.
Joseff left me, and soon came back with a good many more skees; some
were not more than six feet long; one pair was much longer than mine.
After I had looked at them, he said, "The short ones are used in the
forest, especially among the Lapps, where pine, fir, or birch trees are
close together, for there long skees cannot be used; but a heavily built
man must have longer ones." Then pointing to the long pair, which were
about fourteen feet long, he said, "These long skees are used chiefly in
the province of Jemtland, which you passed on the shores of the Baltic
on your way here. The snow is generally very deep there, and after a
great snow fall, when it is very soft, long skees are needed so that
they can bear up the weight of a man and not sink too deeply. Here we
use skees of about the size of the pair I gave you, sometimes a little
longer; but you are not a heavy man, so longer ones are not necessary
for you. They will be able to support your weight without going deeply
into the snow, even when it is soft."
Then showing another pair, he said, "These have sealskin under them.
They are used in the spring when the snow is soft and becomes watery;
the skin prevents the snow from sticking to the skee."
The following morning we started with our skees for the lake, I carrying
mine on my shoulders. When we reached the lake Joseff said, "Put your
feet under the loops, and you must manage to keep them there, just as
you would do if you had an old pair of slippers much too large for you.
You would have all the time to push your feet forward to keep them on.
Do likewise with the skees. Your sharp-pointed Lapp shoes will help you
to do this, as they somewhat prevent the slipping of the skee. It will
be a little difficult at first, but it will not take long for you to
learn to do this. Constant practice will be the best teacher, and you
will soon be able to walk with them."
Then Joseff gave me two staves to propel myself with. At the end of each
was an iron spike, and above it a guard of wicker-work, about ten inches
in diameter, to prevent the stick from sinking deeper. "These staves,"
he added, "are very useful when the snow is soft and the skees do not
glide easily. Then propelling oneself with them makes one go faster.
Though the snow is packed they will help you, as you are a beginner. The
most important point to learn is to keep the skees always parallel with
each other; this is somewhat difficult at first. Never raise your feet
or skees above the ground; make them glide on the snow; push one foot
forward, then the other, just as when you walk."
Then he got on his skees, and said: "Now, look at me and see how I go."
I saw him gliding on the snow, pushing first one foot then the other,
the two skees running parallel with each other; and when one had a
tendency to go inside or outside, he corrected the deviation at once by
a slight movement of his leg and foot. I noticed afterward that with
many persons the ankle was very flexible, owing to their going so much
on skees.
After going some distance he returned to me, and we started slowly
together. I pushed first one foot then the other forward, and tried to
do exactly what he had told me to do; but before I knew it the end of
one skee overlapped the other and stopped my advance at once.
Fortunately I was going slowly, otherwise I should have landed on the
snow. "The overlapping of one skee over the other is quite common with a
beginner," said my teacher to me.
Putting my skees in position again, we started. This time one of my
skees left me. Several times the two left me, and I found myself seated
on the snow every time. I made slow progress that day. At the end of the
lesson Joseff said, "Do not be discouraged, Paulus, you will soon learn
the knack. I will now show you how fast a man can go on skees. Look at
me." Then he started; he seemed simply to fly over the snow, and before
many minutes he was far away, almost out of sight. He was going at the
rate of at least twenty miles an hour.
I said to myself: "O Paul, when will you go as fast as Joseff!" I was
filled with ambition. I wanted to learn as fast as I could, and I
thought I would take lessons every day.
When he returned the perspiration was dripping from his face, though the
cold was 39 degrees below zero.
I spent several hours every day on the lake, learning and practising,
and when Joseff had time he would come with me; and after three days I
was able to manage the skees tolerably well. I kept them in line and
they did not slip out from my feet any more. I could go several thousand
yards without stopping and with no mishaps.
After I could do this, Joseff said to me: "Paulus, you know now how to
go well on skees upon level land; now you must learn how to go down hill
with them. This is difficult, and I do not know whether in one winter
you can learn how to do it--at least so as to go down the slopes of
mountains; one has to have learned that in boyhood--but I will teach you
anyhow to go down hill safely."
We left the farm and went on with our skees until we came to the foot of
a pretty steep hill. Then Joseff said: "We will stop here, and I will
teach you to go down hill."
I noticed that he said this with a roguish eye, which was full of fun,
and I began to suspect that things were not to go as smoothly as when I
was taught on the lake. "We cannot ascend this steep hill straight
forward, for the skees would slip backward. We must ascend in zigzag,"
said Joseff; and then with his staff he showed me how we were to go.
"Follow my furrow, then it will be easier for you," said he. I found it
hard enough, and slow work. When we reached the top of the hill we were
very warm, though that day it was 32 degrees below zero. I was wet with
perspiration.
After a rest, Joseff said: "Paulus, look at me." Straightening his skees
and armed with his staff he leaned his body forward, and down he went,
faster than boys coasting down a very steep hill at home. It was fine,
and I wished I could learn quickly and go down hill as fast as he did.
When he had ascended the hill again, Joseff said to me: "Now, Paulus,
get ready." He saw that my skees were in position, and saying, "Bend
your body far forward as you go down," he shouted "Go!" At this word I
bent my body forward as he had told me, and down I went; but I got
scared, as I was going very fast, and forgot to follow his advice;
straightened myself and bent backward, and before I knew it my skees
slipped from my feet. I was unskeed just like a man who is unhorsed, and
was seated on the snow looking at my skees, which were going forward
down the steep hill and only stopped at its base, to the great
amusement of Joseff, who evidently expected something of the kind. "The
tendency of a beginner," he explained, "is to bend backward, thinking
that by doing so he will be able not to go so fast; this invariably
brings about the same result, and he falls."
After a good laugh from both of us, Joseff said: "Paulus, try again; but
this time I will teach you to go down hill in another way." He gave me
his big stick, and said, "Ride this, and rest upon it as heavily as you
can, so that a great part of your weight shall be on the end that sinks
into the snow, and before you start let the stick be in the snow about
three inches deep. Thus you will be prevented from going down too fast.
Don't forget to start with your skees running straight along side of
each other." I went down riding the stick, and reached the bottom of the
hill in safety. I felt very proud of my success, but thought that if I
could ever do this like Joseff how happy I should be.
Then Joseff gave me another warning. "Paulus," said he, "people must
look out carefully not to run into boulders as they go down hill, and a
hill full of boulders only those who can guide their skees well can
venture to go down. Avoid such hills when you are further north, for
otherwise you might even be killed."
[Illustration: "Paulus, try again!"]
Shortly after our return to the farm the wind began again to rise, and
another terrific windstorm blew over the land. The hillocks of snow were
swept from where they stood and new hillocks were made in other
places. When I went out the wind almost took me off my feet.
I found that my friends in Haparanda were right. The Lapp costume is
well adapted for cold weather. Nothing is warmer than reindeer skin, and
it is convenient either when the wearer is driving in his Lapp sleigh,
walking or travelling on skees, or when breasting violent windstorms.
I finally bade good-bye to Joseff, and thanked him for having taught me
to go on skees. And I continued my journey northward, with a guide to
show me the way.