New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-25
Bayard Taylor in Northern Europe,
No. XVIII.
iRAUTOKEINO-A DAY WITHOUT \ Sun
Nr THE LAPPS.
co,rr.roudencc Of The n. Y. Tribune:

While IN Dresden my frls nd Zlegler had trans
ierred 10 mo letter Of introduction from i''''
Berger. merchant Of IIammeriest, to his nous
keeper in Ksutokcino. Such transfer might Dc
considered great stretch If etiquette IN '"o'e ~"
Gghtened regions Of the world where "o'P''""'
REQUIRES certificates Of character; o"'' i" W.
nirbted country like Lapland, there was no danger
of yer, fine distinctions being dra"h' anu Heg'r
;udeed that the house which was 10 nave Deeh
,I.ced nt his disposal had he made the Journey,
would as readily open its doors to me. AT Muo-
nioysrs learned that Berger himself was now IN
Ksutokeino, 80 that needed only to present him
with b;s own letter. We arrived so late, however,
that directed Long Isaac to take us to the mn
until morning He seemed reluctant to do this'
ard could not fathOm the reason of his hesitation
until ] mad entered the hoye to which we were
conducted. A single room, filled with smoke from
firc of damp birch sticks, was cranned Win
lam. ,f An .izes and Of both sexes. There was
sc,,c.l, room To spread deerskin on the floor,
Will, the smell exhsled from their greasy garments
and their unwashed bodies was absolutely stlfllng
have Travelled too much to be particularly nice in
my cbocp of lodgings, but in this instance l in
sta,tl, retreated, determined to lie on the snow,
under ny overturned puk, rather than pass the
night among such bedielo"S.
We drove on for a short distance, and drew up
before . large, substantial log house which Long
laac informed me was the residence OF the Lands
,rara or magistrate OF the district Knocked at
the door, and inquired of the Norwegian servant
cil who opened it where Herr Berger lived. Pres
eot,, apoeared stout ruddy gcntleman-no less
than Herr Berger hinself-who addressed me in
dueat English A few words suhced to explain
everything, and in ten minutes our effects were de-
posted in the guests room OF the Landsnanns
house, and ourselves, stripped OF our Polar hides
seatcd on a sofa, in warm, carpeted room, with
a bountiful supper-table before us. Blessed be
civilization was my inward ejaculation. Blessed
be that ,earning for comfort in Man. which has led
TO the invention of beds, Of sofas and easy chairs,
which has suggested cleanliness Of body and of hab-
itstion. and which has developed the noble art of
cooking. The dreary and perilous wastes over
which we had passed were forgotten. With hearts
warmed in both senses, and stomschs which re-
acted gratefully spon our hearts, we sank that
night ins u paradise of snowy linen, which sent a
consciousness of pleasure even into the oblivion of
sleep.
The f.andsmsnn, Herr Lie q tall, handsome man
of %, IL ustive of Atengaard, and speaks toer-
able English. With him and Herr Berger, we
fonnd third person. theological student, sta
toned at Kautokeino to learn the Lapp tongue.
Pastor Hvoslef, the clergyman, is the only other
Norw esian resident. The village, separated from
the Northern Ocean by the barren, uninhabited
ranges Of the Kiolean Mountains, and from the
Finnish settlements on the Muonio by the Swampy
tabls-Iands we had traversed is of the widest
and most foslorn places in all Lapland. Occupy
ing. as it does, the center of large district over
which the Lapps range with their reindeer herds
during the Summer, it is nevertheless a place OF
come importance, both for trade aud for the educa-
ton, organization and proper control of the barely
reclaimed inhabitants church WAS first built here
BY Charles XI Of Sweden in 1860, although in the
course of subsequent boundary adjustments the dis
trict was made over TO Norway. Half century
sfterwnrd, some families of Firms settled here's but
they appear to have gradually mixed with the
Laps so that there is little of the pure blood OF
eithsr race to be found at present | should here
remark that throughout Norwegian Lapland the
Lspps are universally called Finns and the Firms,
Qudns. As the change of names, however, might
occasion some confusion, shall adhere to the more
correct Swedish manner of designating them, which
have used hitherto.
Kautokeino is situated in shallow valley, or
rather BASIN opening toward the northeast whittier
its river flows to join the Alien. Although only SO
feet above the sea, and consequently below the
limits Of the birch and the fir in this latitude the
country has been stripped entirely bare for miles
around, and nothing but the scattering groups of
low. dark huts, breaks the snowy monotony. 1t is
with great difficulty that vegetables of any kind can
he raised. Potatoes have or twice been made
to yield eight fold, but they generally killed by
the carly Autumn frosts before maturity. On the
southern bank of the river, the ground remains
frozeu the whole year round at depth of only nine
feet. The country furnishes nothing except rein.
deer meat milk and cheese. Grain, and other sup
plies or oil kinds, must BE- hauled up from the Alien
Fiord distance of ll2 miles. The carriage is
us,islb performed in Winter, when, of course,
everything reaches its destination in frozen state.
The potatoes are as hard quartz pebbles, sugar
aud salt become stony masses, and even wine as
sumes solid form. In this state they kept
until wanted for use, rapidly thawed and immedi-
stely consumed, whereby their flavor is but little
impaired. The potatoes cabbage and preserved
berries on the Landsmann's table almost as
fresh as if they had never been frozen
Formerly, the place was almost entirely deserted
during the Summer months, and the resident mis-
sioAary and Landsmann returned to Alien until the