Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-08-17

little milk. So she is easily relived, and, hardly
free, ordinarily goes off with wild leap.''
The repose of the Laplanders, if repose it is, is
not less strange than their nomadic life. Their
family huts are like our collers' cabins; but of
incredible littleness; one must bend double in
order to enter. Some branches, half covered
with course serge, this is all the architecture.
stone for hearth, an iron pot upon it, hole for
the escape of the smoke, some porringers here
and there, some bear, wolf, and reindeer skins,
these are all the furniture. ''Our hosts," says
M. Ampere, generously abandoned to us the
shelter of their roof, such it was, and remained
without, exposed to the rain. This small apart
ment could hardly contain five of us and two
guides. l had never been able to understand how
it could lodge the Lapland family, composed Of
ten persons, including the children. 1t was i'm
possible to think Of sitting down, the roof forming
with the ground an angle too sharp to permit of
it. Neither could we lie down before the fire,
that would take up too much room; one must
gather up his body, resting on his side, like a
worm during the winter; now, in this constrained
position, and occupying the least possible space.
we filled the hut very exactly" They thus re-
duce the extent of their poor dwellings to econo-
mize the stuff which serves as roof. The repast
of the travellers was in keeping with the hospi-
tality of the hosts. 'The preparations were not
very encouraging to the appetite fortunately
ours did not need to be excited. The mother of
the family cut quarter of reindeer in pieces,
which she afterwards took with her fingers to
place them one by one in the kettle from time
to time she threw to the little dogs, which were
running about the hut, piece of raw flesh, which
the hungry, almost naked children, disputed with
them like little savages. The interior of the hut
would have made picture; we, crouched around
the fire. and drinking reindeer milk from great
wooden porringers, the good Laplander STOPPING
over her kettle, and preparing as have just said
our-repast; the dogs and the children raising the
ragged tapestry which served as door to creep
into the hut, and, to complete the picture, the inn
passble face of one of our Norwegians on his
knees outside, his head alone passed within, and
in this attitude imperturbably smoked his pipe.
''Our hostress having finished cutting up the
pieces of meat destined for use put it into the
iron pot, which she covered with wooden plate
and left it to cook in the fat of the reindeer; then,
after certain time, poured it all into large por
ringer, also of wood, from which we ate this ex-
traordnary ragout with great appetite.'' There
were neither knives nor forks; the Swedish peas
ants made up this deficiency as we'll as they cod
with their own.
The milk of the reindeer furnishes the La D.
lander with cheese, butter and cream; it's flesh
nourfshes him; its skin clothes him; its sinews
serve him for thread and cords; it's bones give
him spoons, mallets, tools of every species; final
ly, its horns were, before the conversion of the
Laplanders to Christianity, offered to idols. There
are wealthy families who have herds of from ten
to twelve hundred reindeer. The average range
from two to FIVE hundred heads.
The Laplanders of pure race are neither stupid
ferocious, as they have often been painted
They are not monstrously little. Their distinc-
tive features are sharp chin and oblique eyes.
The custume of the Laplander is of patriarchal
simplicity, and needs no description. He envel-
opes himself in skins and furs from head to foot
He constantly carries with him his horn spoon and
his little knife.
During the fine season; if one can call the Lap
land summer thus, the families live issolated in
their cabins; the swamps interrupt their commu-
nications; these are renewed in the winter on
the ice, which makes of the whole country plain
of snow. This is the period of labors, of journey
ings, of rejoicing; they assemble in tribes, they
fly on sledges with the rapidity of arrows; these
sledges are like little boats, drawn by reindeer;
the keel furrows the snow, and the conductor
maintains his equilibrium by means of stick,
which he manages with marvellous dexterity
Reindeer have been known to travel fifty
leagues in single course, with sledges which
weigh two hundred and fifty pounds. There is
preserved, at the palace of Dratinghalm, the pic
ture of reindeer which, in pressing emergency
drew Swedish officer during forty eight hours
over space oftwo hundred and sixty-six leagues
and fell dead on its arrival.
The skies (skates) of the Laplanders are justly
celebrated. They are as large as the skaters
These are two narrow planks, from six to seven
feet in length; they glide along as if borneb by the
wind War battalons have been seen to man
age this strange equipage.
/ On these, the Laplander glides over the snow
as rapidly as over the ice; he chases the reindeer
and catches him; he climbs the highest noun.
tains in zigzag direction, and decends them rest
ing on his stick, with his body leaning backward
leaping over rocks and CULTS, and travelling il
! this manner hundred leagues day, if we may
believe the accounts of travellers.
The Laplanders ofSweden have been Christians
for two hundred years; those of Norway but {
century. They formerly worshipped Radius, the
4 god of human life; Ruona, the god of the fields
Nordugalis, the genius of fdestruction, etc. They
i sacrificed animals to the deities, on the summit
i of@ the most orotesuue rocks called the Holi