Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1857-05-14

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From Bayard Taylor's Letters from Lapland.
A DRIVE WITH REINDEER. 3
F | seated myself, took proper hold of the
rein, and awaited the signal to start Ny
deer was a strong, swift animal, who had
just she'd his horns. Ludwig setoff first;
my deer gave startling leap, dashed around
the corner Of the house, and made down the
hill. 1 tried to catch the breath which had
been jerked out of me, and to keep my bals
ance as the pulk, 2swaying from side to side,
bounced over the snow. 1t was too late !; a
swift presentiment of the catastrophe, fash
ed across my mind, but I was powerless to
avert it. In another second found my
self rolling in the loose snow, with the pulk
bottom upward beside me. The deer, who
was attached to my arm, was standing still,
facing me with an expression of stupid sur
prise (but no sympathy on his face. got
up, shook myself, righted the pulk, and
commenced again. Off we went, like the
wind, down the hill, the snow flying in my
face and binding me. My pulk made tre-
mendous leaps, bounding from side to side, !,
until, the whirlwind suddenly subsiding, I
found myself off the road, deep overhead in.
the snow, choked and blinded, and with
small snow drifts in my pockets, sleeves and
bosom. My beard and eyebrows became
instantly white solid mass, and my face
began to tingle, from its snow bath; but,
on looking back. 1 saw as white beard
emerge from drift, followed by the stout
body of Braisted, who was gathering him.
self up after his third shipwreck.
We took fresh start, [ narrowly missing
another overturn, as we decended the slope
below the house, but on reaching the level
/ of the Muonio, I found no difficulty in keep
ing my balance, and began to enjoy the ez-
ercise. My deer. struck out, passed the
others, and soon was alone on the track.
In the gray Arctic twilight, gliding noise
lessly- and swiftly over the; snow, with the
low huts of Muonioniska dimly seen in the
distance before me, had my first true ex-
perience of Lapland travelling. It was de-
4 Ilightful, novel and exhilarating; thought
of .'Afraja," and the song of .'Kulnasatz,
my reindeer" and Bryant Arctic Lover" !"
and whatever else there is of Polar poetry,
and urged my deer with shouts, and never
once looked behind me until had climbed
4 the opposite shore and reached the village.
my companions were then nowhere to be
:tseen. I waited some time before they ar
rived, Braisteds deer having become frac-
tious and run back with, him to the house.
His crimson face shone out from its white
7 frame Of icy hair, as he shouted to me,
7 F'There is nothing equal to this. except
riding behind right whale when he drives
to the windward, with every man trimming
the boat, and the spray, flying over your
bows" ,e.t.-
We now turned northwest through the
4 village, flying around many sharp corners,
but this l. found comparatively easy work.
] But for the SHOW I had taken In, which now
began to melt, I got on finely, in spite OF
the, falling fakes, which beat in our faces.
i Won Buch, in his journey through Lapland
in 1907, speaks Of Muonioniska as ga vii
pIlage with an inn, where they have silver
! spoons. We stopped at house which Mr.
I Wolley stated was the very building, but il
proved to be a more recent structure on the
! tsite Of the old inn The people looked al
: US with curiosity on hearing we were Ameri-
J cans. They knew the name of, America.
but did not seem to know exactly where il
Twas.
On leaving, the house, we had to descend
5 the steep bank Of the river I put out my
} feet to steady the pulk, and thereby plowed
} a cataract Of fine snow into my face, com.
pletely binding me. The pulk gave fly.
ing leap from, the; steepest pitch, flung mt
out, and the deer, eager to make for home
dragged me by the arm for about twenty
:. yards before [ could arrest him. This wa
the worst upset Of all, and far from pleasant
7 although the temperature was only zero. ]
reached home again without further mishap
p flushed, excited. soaked with melted snow
: and confident ofmy ability to drive reindee'
r with a little more practice. es.-4s4 1e ~
A blacksmith, who, fancied himself sick
would often tease neighboring physician
to give him relief. i The physician knew
that he was perfectly well !; unwilling to Of
fend him, told him he should be careful O
his diet, and not eat anything heavy Of
windy s;,.74s4t:s, ss..l3 @5sa.z zaiGs.sa =;
The blacksmith went off satisfied; but in
: revolving in his own mind what kind O
! food was heavy or windy, he returned to
the doctor, who, having lost his tempe,