New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-25

ton that ! should keep it myself ana '"a' ~
should bring his wife to be- included IN the she'e"
He assented, with some sacrifice OF VANITY ani
came around yesterday morning, IN bis hoIidA' ~"
of blue cloth, trimmed With scarlet ana !e"o"
binding His wife. short woman OF about t"eh''
FIVE, with face as fiat and round as platter ou'
a remarkably fair complexion, accompauiru H'"i'
though with evident reluctance, and ss' VIII c!''
mOdcsty cast down while | sketched her iea'u'es'
The circumstance Of my giving Lars hall do'ia,
at the close oi the sitting was immediately sPre"d
through kautOkeino and before night ali the LaPPs
Of the place were ambitious to underg" the Sa'he
operation. Indeed, the report reached the neisn
boring villages, and a Hammerfest merchant VINO
came in this morning from u distance OF seven
miles. obtained guide at less than the usual price
through the anxiety Of the latter to arrive ID time
TO have his portrait taken. The shortness OF tne
imperfect daylight, however, obliged NE to decline
further offers especially as there were te" i'aPPs
Of pure, unnixed blood among my visitors
Kautokeino is the northern limit Of my Winter
journey. shall visit Altengaard next summer
on my way to the North Cape, and there is notn'
ing in the barren tract between to repay the ex-
cursion at this time l have already enough
of the Lapps to undeceive me in regard to prevl-
ousy-formc opinions respecting them, and to
take away the desire for more intimate acquant-
ance. In features, as in language, they resemble
the Films sufficiently to Indicate an chronological
relationship. could distinguish little, if any,
trace of the Mongolian blood in them. They are
fatter. fairer and altogether handsomer than the
nomadic ofishoots of that race and resemble the
Esquimsux (to whom they have been compared) in
nothing but their rude, filthy manner Of life. Won
Buch ascrbes the difference in stature and physi-
cal stamina between them and the Films to the use
Of the vaporbath by the latter and the aversion to
water Of the former. They are u race of Northern
Gipsies and it is the restless blood this class rather
than any want of natural capacity which rctards
their civilization. Although the whole race has
been converted to Christianity, and education is
universal among them-no Lapp being permitted
10 marry until he can read and write-they have
but in too many respects substituted one form of
superstition for another. The spread Of temper
apce among them, however, has produced excellent
results and, in point of morality, they are iuiiy up
to the prevailing standard in Sweden and Norway
The practice, formerly imputed to them of sharing
their connubial rights with the guests who visited
them, is wholly extinct-if it ever existed. Theft
ID the most usual offense, but crimes OF more
heinous character are rare.
Whatever was picturesque in the Lapps has de-
parted with their paganism. No wizards now ply
their trade of selling favorable winds to the Nor
wegian coasters, OF mutter their ncantations to
discover the concealed grotoes of silver ore IN the
Kiolen Mountains 1t is in vain, therefore for the
romantic traveller to seek in them the materials for
weird stories and wild adventures. They fright
fully pious and common place. Their conversion
has destroyed what little of barbaric poetry there
might have been in their composition, and. instead
of chanting to the spirits Of the winds and clouds,
and mountains they have become furious rsnters,
who frequently claim to be possessed by the Holy
Ghost As human beings, the change, incomplete
as it is is nevertheless to their endless profit: but
As objects Of interest to the traveller it has been to
their detrimcnt. 1t would BE- far more picturesque
to describe sabaoth of Lapland witches than
prayer meeting Of shouting converts, yet no friend
Of his race could help rejoicing 10 sec the latter
substituted for the former. In proportion, there
fore as the Lapps have been enlightened like all
other savage trbes), they have become less inter
esting Retaining nearly all that is repulsve in
tkeir habits of life, they have lost the only pecu-
larties which could persuade one to endure the
Inconvenience of a closer acquaintance.
| have said that the conversion Of the Lapps was
in some respects, the substitution of one form of
superstition for another. tragic exemplfcation
of this fact, which produced the greatest excite
ment throughout the North, took place in Kauto-
keino four years ago. Through the preaching of
Listadus and other fanatica missionaries, spirit
ual epidemic, manifesting itself in the form of
visions, frances ard angelic possessions, broke out
among the Lapps. 1t infected the whole country
and gave rise to numerous disturbances and diff
cultes Here, il was no unusual thing for one of the
congregation to arise during church service. de-
clare that he was inspired by the Holy Ghost, and
call upon those present to listen TO his revelations
The former Iandsmann arrested the most prom
nent Of the offenders and punished them with fine
and imprisonment. This begat feelings of hatred
on the part of the fanatics which soon ripened into
a conspiracy. The plot was matured during the
Summer months when the Lapps descended to.
ward the Norwegian coast with their herds Of rein.
deer.
| have the account of what followed from the
lips of Pastor Hyoslef who was then stationed
here. and was also one Of the victims of their re-
sentiment Early one morning in October when
the inhabitants were returning from their summer
wanderings, he was startled by the appearance of
the resident merchants wife, who rushed into his