Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-06-02

I" The household economy Oh the h'P'""',
it may readily be imagined, is extremely SIM
ple His food during the period OF his summer
wanderings is spare and frugal he no longer IN
dulges himself in his favorite food, rein leer
venison, which forms the luxury Of the winter
season. In summer he is intent only upon In
creasing his herd, and providing against his iu'
ture wants He contents himself then geheraly
with milk, and the remains OF the curd and whey
after making his cheese. In the FIRST he. lndul'
ges himself sparingly, on account OF the very
small quantity each deer affords, as well as OF
the great importance it is 10 him 10 secure
good quantity Of cheese for his winter stock,
and TO guard against any disaster that might
suddenly befal his herd, and reduce him to want.
As his herd is MIXED during the summer sea-
SON only, when this is drawing to close, he
generally sets by some milk Tor The purpose OF
being frozen This serves not only tor his
own individual use during the Writer, but is
priced so much for its exquisite dellcacy IN
this state, that ii forms an article OF trade; and
the merchants with whom he deals, and who re-
pair them 10 the interior, gladly purchase II al
any price. From the naturally churlish tenn
per Of the Mountain Lap, and the value he usi-
y sets upon his milk, it is extremely difficult
during summer to prevail upon him TO part with
even u StIy oIiah Huopb'Jb a'e ""N"N ~ "
sied the tent, saw with what reluctance these
people offered it. BY degrees, however, in
rratiated myself so much into their favour,
partly from the circumstance of my being an
Englishman, and partly by few well-timed
presents, that for some during their stay near
Fugenss / had the luxury of drinking it in
morning for my bre akfast, and must confess
found il so delicious, that think the time OF
any idle epicure would not be- ill-best0wed in
making trip to Finmark, were it solely for
the pleasure of tasting this exquisite beverage
| The favour Of the milk is highly aromatic,
which, it is probable, is chiefly owing to the
| kind of herbage the animal browses upon in
summer In colour and consistency it resem
bles very rich cream and its nature is such,
that, however gratifying TO the taste, it is
| difficult and even unwhOlesome 10 drink more
than small quantity of it. Rich as the quality
of the rein deer milk is, il is singular that the
cheese which is made from it is extremely bad.
being hard, white in color, Of disagreeable
taste. and ea,able only ny Laplander. am
ipnoran, of the cause of il, though inclined to
think i, arises more from its peculiar nature,
than from any defect in the making. This is
effected imply by placing the milk in large
ron not over the fire, which, with the addition
of renne,, made from the stomach of the deer,
quickly turns it, The curd is then pressed, and
the whey being separated from it, is put into
small shallow mculds. The general size OF
the cheese is that Of small plate and it is little
more than half an inch in thickness Possibly
lis being made SO thin may have an effect upon
the goodness OF it, as when cut. the hard rind
comnoses the larger portion. BAG as it is, it is
bienly priced by The Laplanders, who eat it both
raw and toasted: in the fatter state it appears
at the tables of the merchants, and is rather
pala!able Notwithstanding il R'sSSiqPHnis
fire rich pure oil distils from it, which is found
extremely serviceabe in removing the effects
arising from being fros,-bitten; for, being rub.
bed on the frozen part, it prevents modification
from ensuing. This is used when the common
remedy of snow rubbing has been neglected.
| was induced, from curiosity, to bring with me
TO England several reindeer cheeses; some OF
which were, until lately, in my possession. /
did not find that age at all improved their Ga
vor; not having III any degree softened them,
or produced any other fleet than creating a
singular quantity of mites, which accumulate
again almost Immediately after the former have
| been removed.
The Laplander can hardly be prevailed upon
10 sell his deer; but Capt B. succeeded in pur-
chasing one from native named Mathiesen,
who, he relates, drought it down himself TO
FugI-nes TO kill; an operation which the Lap.
Ianders will never allow stranger to perform,
and which he executed in the following singu-
lar Misunderstanding feuered the animal, and
thrown it upon the ground, he plunged his knife
into il exactly between the fore legs, and left it
there, sticking up to the hilt The animal was
then oosed; but, instead of life being extinct,
after llltie struggle il got upon lis legs and
walked a short distance, the knife still remain
ing in the wound. In this manner il continued
for some time, appearing 10 be little affected,
and the Laplanders were preparing TO repeat
the cruel operation, when the deer suddenly
dropped, and Immediately expired. This bar
oarous method of Strengthening their deer is
general among The Laplanders Of Finmark, and
have even seen the poor animal after the knife
as struck Into it, appear SO little conscious Of
the blow, as TO begin feeding, and to survive Sc
veral minutes before its effects proved fatal -
The reason for leaving the knife in the wound
isthat the blood may be preserved, which would
gush forth if the knife were taken out. When
the ANNA! is opened the blood is fonnd coag1
lated, and is carefully preserved by the Lap
landers, who consider il great delcacy.'.
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