Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-05-22

totally deficient In memory. They
never become attached TO man, and
the only sign Of recognition they ever
show, Is sometimes TO allow certain
persons to catch them more easily
than others. In point Of speed they
arc not equal 10 tho horse, and on
hours run generally exhausts them.
When one considers their size, their
strength and power Of endurance
seem marvellous. Herr Berger infor-
med me that he had driven reindeer
from Alien TO Kautokeino, 112 miles,
in twenty-six hours, and from tho lat
ter place 10 Muoniovara In thirty, /
was struck also b, the remarkable a.
daption Of the animal TO its uses. Its
hoof resembles that Of the camel, be-
ing formed for snow as the latter for
sand. tits broad, cloven, and hexi-
BILE, the separate divisions spreading
out so as to present areSisting surface
when the foot is set down, and fall to-
gether when IL is lifted. Thus in
SHOWS where q horse would founder
in the space of a hundred yards, the
deer easily works his way. mile after
mile, drawing the sliding, canoe-like
pulk, ,burdened with his masters welt,
after him.
The Lapps generally treat their an.
imals with the greatest patience and
forbearancc, but otherwise do not ex-
hibit any particular attachment for
them. They arc indebted TO them for
food, clothing, habitation and convey
ance, and their existence may there
fore almost be said to depend on that
of their herds. 1t is surprising, how
ever, what q number of deer are re-
quired for the support of n family
Won Buch says that Lapp who has
a hundred deer is poor, and will be f.
nally driven to descend to the coast
and take to fishing. The cows are
never made to labor, but arc kept in
the woods for milking and breeding.
Their milk is said TO be rich and nou-
rishing, but have not yet had an op-
portunity of testing il. The male
deer used for draft are always castra-
ted, which operation the old Lapp
women perform by slowly chewing
the glands between their teeth until
they are reduced to a pulp, without
wounding the hide.
During this journey l have had
ample opportunity Of familiarizing
myself with reindeer travel. IL is
picturesque enough ut the outset, but
when tho novelty Of the thing is worn
of nothing is left but continual
drain upon ones patience. Nothing
can exceed the GOODNESS with which
your deer jumps off the track, slack
ems his tow rope, turns around and
looks you in the face, MS much us TO
say, "What are you going TO do about
itY The simplicity and stupidity OF
his countenanco seem TO you TO be ad.
mirably feigned, and unless you are
an old hand you are inevitably provo.
kod. This Is particularly pleasant
on the marshy table lands of Lapland
whore, If he takes o notion TO bolt
with you, your pullS bouncos over the
hard tussocks, sheers sideways down
the sudden pitches, or swamps itself
In beds of loose snow. Harness u fris.
ky sturgeon TO a"dug-out, In n rough
sea, and you will have some idea oi
this method Of travelling. While !
acknowledge the Providential dlsposi.
ton of things (which has given the
reindeer TO tho Lapp, | cannot avoid
thanking Heaven that / am not q
Lapp, and that | shall never travel u,
gain with reindeer
The alterations of our reindeer o.
bllged us 10 take a very slnuoul
course. Sometimes we headed north
and sometimes south, and tho way
seemed so long that mistrustod tn,
quality of our guide; but at last light
shono ahead. Ii was tho hut Of Eta
jarvi. A lot of pullSs stood in front
OF Il, and the old Finn stood already
with fir torch, ready TO light us in
On arriving, Anton was greeted by
his slstor Caroline, who had come
thus far from Muoniovara, on her way
20 visit some relatives at Altengaard
She was In company with some Flnn'
who had loft Lippajarvi the day pro
vious, but losing their way In The
storm, had wandered about for twcn
ty-four hours, exposed TO It's full vic
lence. Think of an American cir
Of eighteen sitting in an open pullk
with the thermometer, at zero, ilri
Gus wind and binding snow beating
upon hei, and neither rest nor ioot
for day There arc few who woulc
survive twelve hours, yet Caroline wa
as fresh, lively and cheerful as ever
and Immediately set about cooking
our supper We found fire in th'
cold guests room, the place swept ant
cleaned, and good bed Of decr-skin
In one corner. The temperature hat
sunk TO l2o below zero, and the wine
blew through wide cracks in the floor
but between the fro and reciproca
warmth Of our bodies, we managed 4
secure comfortable sleep--a thinl
Of the first consequence in this eli
mate.
Our deer started we'll in the morn
ing, and our Lapp guide knew hi
way perfectly. The wind had blow
so strongly that tho track was clear
ed rather than filed, and we slippe'
up the long slopes at q rapid rate,
recognized the narrow valley wher
; we first struck tho northern streams
and the snowy. plain beyond, wher
our first Lapp guide lost his way B.
this time II was beginning to gro'
lighter, showing us the dreary waste
of tablc-land which we had befor
crossed in the fog. North Of us wa
n plain of unbroken snow, extendin
to level line on the horizon, wher
IL met the dark violet sky. Were tn
: color changed, it would have perfect
; y represented the sandy plateaus Q
the Nubian Desert, i'm 50 many partit