New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-09
Bayard Taylsr in Northern Europe.
No. XIX.
THE RETURN To MUONIOYARA.
Correspondence Of The n. Y. Trisun-

While at kautoke:no L completed my Lapp out
fit by purchasing scarlet cap, stuffed with elder
down. pair Of badinger, or reindeer leggings,
and the komdg,r, or broad, boat shaped shoes,
filed with dry soft hay, and tightly bound around
the ankles. which are worn by everybody in Lap
land Attired in these garments, / made very
passable Lspp, barring few superauOus inches of
stature, and at once realized the prudence of con.
forming in ones costume to tue native habits.
After the first feeling of awkwardaess is over,
nothing be better adapted to the Polar Winter
than the Lspp dress. | walked about at first with
the sensation of having each foot in the middle Of
a large feather-bed, but my blood preserved its
natural warmth even after sitting for hours in an
open pulk. The bqAinger, fastened around the
thighs by drawing strings of reindeer sinew, are 80
covered by the poesk that one becomes for all
practical purposes, biped raDdeer, and may wal
low in the snow as much rs he likes without the
possibility of particle getting through his hide.
The temperature was nevertheless, singulary
mild when We set out on our return. There had
been violent storm OF wind and snow the prevl-
GUS night, after which the mercury rose to l6o
above zero We waited until noon before our
reindeers could be collected, and then set of,
with the kind farewell wishes Ofthe four Norwegian
inhabitants of the place. confess to feeling OF re-
lief when we turned our faces southwark, aud COM
menced our return to daylight. We had at last
seen the Polar night, the day without sunrise, We
had driven our reindeer under the arches of the
aurora borealis we had learned enough of the Laps
to convince us that further acquaintance would be
of little profit and it now seemed time to attempt
escape from the limbo Of Death into which we had
yentured Our faces had already begun to look pale
and faded from three weeks of alternate darkness
and twilight, but the novelty Of our life preserved
US from any feeling of depression and prevented
any pereeptbe effect upon our bodily health such
as would assuredly have followed protracted ex
perience Of the Arctic Winter. Every day now
would bring us further over the steep northern
shoulder of the Earth, and nearer to that great
heart of life in the south, where her blood pulsates
with eternal warmth. Already there was per-
ceptble increase of the suns altitude, aud at noon
day thin upper slice of his disc visible for
about half an hour.
BY Herr BergerS advice, we engaged as guide to
Lippsjaryi, a Lapp, who had formerly acted as
postmsn, and professed to be able to find his way
in the dark The wind had blown 80 violently that
il was probable We should have TO break our own
road for the whole distance. Leaving kautokeino,
we travelled up the valley of a frozen stream
toward desolate ranges of hills rather shelves of
the table land running northeast and southwest
They were spotted with patches of stunted birch,
but else were bare and dismal. Our deer were re-
cruited, and We made very good progress while the
twilight lasted At some Lapp tents, where
We stopped to make inquiries about the ice, Twas
much amused BY the appearance of group OF
children, who strkiDgly resembled bear-cubs
standing on their hind legs They were coated
with reindeer hide from head TO foot, with only
little ful-moOn of tawny red face visible.
We stopped at Siepe an hour to bait the deer.
The single wooden hut was crowded with Laps,
one of whom, apparently the owner, spoke little
Norwegian He knew who we were and asked
me many questions about America. He was most
anxious to know what was our religion, and what
course the Government took with regard to differ
ent sects He seemed little surprised, and not
less pleased to hear that all varieties of belief were
tolerated and that one sect possessed any pecu-
liar privileges over another. Qt is only very re-
Gently that dissenters from the Orthodox Church
have been allowed to erect houses OF worship IN
Norway While we were speaking on these mat
tiers, al old woman kneeling near US, was mutter'
ing prayers to herself, wringng her hands, sobOlng'
and giving other evidences Of violent religious e4-
eitement. This appeared to be common occur
renee, as none of the Lapps took the slightest
notice of it, | have no doubt that much OF that
halucinatiOn which led IT, the murders al hauto-
KENO still exists among the people, kept alVe oy
secret indulgence. Those missionaries have much
to answer for who have planted the seeds OF spirit
usl disease among this ignorant and impressive
race.
The night was cold and splendidly clear. NE
were obliged TO leave the river on account Vi rol'eu
Ice, and took TO the open plains, where our drer'
sank to their bellies in the loose snow Inc lead
ing animals became fractions, and we were oollged
TO stop every few minutes, until their paroAy'in'
subsidized. | could not perceive thsl Tue AaPP'
themselves exercised much more controi over 'neli
than We. who were new to the business. Inc 10
INVESTIGATED reindeer still retains MS VIA ihs'in''''
and never fails to protest against the necessity oi
labor. The most docie will hy from the track
plunge. face about and refuse to draw "heh you
least expect it. They are possessed o' al moor
rigible stupidity. Their sagacity applies ohiy
their animal wants, and they seem almost totally
deficient in memory. They never become attacned
to men, and the only sign of recognition 'ne!
show, is sometimes to allow certain persons 10
catch them more easily than Others III point u
4, .h, b,r.. and Am hours