Butte record., 1854-04-29
The Lap1ander at Homo.


and half English miles from the sea.
Some piles of sticks and mounds, which
seemed like no human habitation, first
attracted our attention The piles of
sticks form as we found) a sort of skel.
eton shed, which can be enclosed in bad
weather by a kind of rude tarpaulin =
They contain barrels, clothes, and many
nondescript utensils and stores, which,
IN fine weather, are exposed suspended
from the bare poles. Two low,
round mounds Of turf, overlaid with
sticks and branches in a most disorderIy
fashion, composed the habitation of
multitude ofmen, and especially children,
who seemed at first sig ht to be countless.
Their appearance--uncouth, squalid and
diminutive in the extreme, was, l thought,
decidedly unprepossessing. But an at
tentive survey brought out some more
favorable features The countenancc
was altogether unlike any | had seen,
but by no means devoid of intelligence,
and even certain sweetness OF express
ion. Notwithstanding that our party
was tolerable numerous, they exhibited
no signs either Of distrust or shyness :;
and whilst some Of them entered into
conversation with one Of the gentlemen
from Tromso, who knew little Of their
dialect, and others went, attended by
several small dogs, to fetch some rein
deer for our inspection from the heights,
the greater part remained quietly engaged
in their huts, as VIC Lad found them,
quite regardless Of our presence. On
inquiring into their occupation, we were
surprised to find them possessed Of some
excellently printed and ell-cared-for
books, particularly Bible in the Finish
tongue, and a commentary, each form
ing quarto volume We found some
OF them also engaged in writing This
was matter of surprise, where we had
been led to expect something approach
ing barbarlsm; and we soon had proof
that their pretention to religious impress
ions was not merely theoretical ; for they
positively refused to taste the spirits
which were freely offered to them, and
of which our party partook though it is
we'll known that excessive and besotting
drunkenness used to be the great sin Of
the Lappish tribes, and still is Of those
who have not been converted to habits
of order and religion, by the Jealous ef-
forts of the Swedish missionaries (par-
ticularly, L believe, Lestadius and
Stockfeth) who have indefatigably Ia
bored amongst them.
The characteristic composure of the
people was well shown in a young moth
er with rather pleasing features, who
brought her infant of four months old
out of one Of the huts, and seating her.
self on the sunny side of it, proceeded in
the most deliberate way imaginable to
pack mp the child for the night in its lit
tie wooden cradle, whilst half a dozen of
us looked on with no small curiosity
The cradle was cut out Of the solid, and
covered with leather, flaps of which were
SO arranged as to lace across the top with
1eathern thongs the inside and the lit
tie pillow were rendered tolerable soft
with reindeer moss and the infant fitted
the face so exactly that it could stir
neither hand nor foot, yet made little re-
sistance to the operation. A hood pro-
tected the head, whilst it admitted air
freely. When the packing was finished,
the little creature was speedily rocked
asleep. The elder children were inquis-
tive, but far from rude, and they played
nicely with each other The Lapp hut
is formed interiorly Of wood, by means
of curved ribs which unite near the CEN
trc in ring, which is open, and allows
free escape for the smoke, the fire being
lighted in the centre of the floor. The
exterior is covered with Turf The door
is of wood On one side. The inmates
reclining on skins on the floor, with their
feet towards the fire and behind them,
on row of stones near the wall of the
hut, are their various utensils. Their
clothing--chieAy of tanned skins and
woollen stuffs-looked very dirty. Their
whole wealth consists in reindeer. The
two families who frequent this valley
possess about seven hundred deer. We
saw, perhaps, about one-fourth of that
number. A few of them were, driven for
our inspection, into circular enclosure
of wooden paling, where they are habit
ually MIXED. One of the men dexteri-
ously caught them by the horns with a