Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-01-12
Iapland Reindeer Travel.

DaN1Tl ldNlDI' III MS It' tul' WI hi'"''''
thus speaks of reindeer travel:
"A more bleak and dismal region than the
greater part of Lapland could not be imagii- =
ed. except when the MONDAY sky OF winter
covers il with a mantle of crimson and gold.
II.rc. however. God has made the home OF one
animal. without which human life would be
impossible. What the camel is to the Arab
the reindeer i To- the Lap. He was created
especially for service in the snow, rs the camel
was for journeys over tn" sand He Is not
much bigger than large Newfoundland dog.
and strong man could easily lift him. His
muscular strength is not great. yet he has II
vast deal of endurance His hoOt IL divided
into Two compartments. Ike that OF the
camel. 80 that il spreads out and covers
large surface when he puts it down, IN" parts
coming together ~ he lifts it up again
This popularity combined with his light
ness Of body, prevcnt, him from sinking into
the SLOW.
From this animal the Lap obtains his
clothes. tent. thread. needles. meat. milk. but
ter. cheese. the handles Of his knives, in fact,
everything he uses. except his musket and n
ltIlc coffee
But of all pcryerse. obstinate. stupid ami
mails. the reindeer stands At the head. Al
though he has been 50 long domestcated he
has not Increased in Sag;lcity. The common
deer and the gazcllc may become familiar
with the presence Of man, but they never
show the least degree of affection for him: and
the same i true of the reindeer. All he knows
i, 10 lump and run when he i, harne-sed, and
turn round and stand still whenever h" choos-
cS to do.o. His speed has been greatly exag-
gcratrl. There are few reindeer i'll Lapland
that Will travel fifteen miles an hour, but
there are great many that will 20 one hun-
bred and twenty miles i'll twcntv-tOur hours
To dryca reindeer in the little canoe-llke
slrdgcS j like undertaking 10 drive a sturgeon
in a rough -ca Its no easy matter 10 retain
ones balance. If YOU are new hand, your
first sensation j. perfect blank, for yOu lind
your.cIfhcad downward in Il snow Drift
Laughter and applause. .tttera series Of
such experiments YOU At last succeed III keep
ing your balance. even when asleep. and guid-
in. the animal, bur You cannot prevent hlm
from jumping round and staring at You with
most provoking GOODNESS. a. much ~ to say,
what are YOU goin" Ia do about it, There
i nothing To- do bur t" turn him round. start
him again. and take your chance Of jumping
into the Slcdgcas he runs. The animal shows
no recognition OF his master, except that he
will allow him to approach him more easily
than he will anybody else. This is the ex-
tent If his affection
The >agacity with which the deer pick out
the hidden path under the snow, was astonish-
ing. On thos" exposed plains every wind fills
up the burrows. and the traveller Is drifting
on Il pathlcsS sea- The leading deer, driven
by careful Lap, picks out the concealed
trail As easily as a pioneer follows the track;
or ifhc lose it nowaud then crosses backward
and forward till he strikes itagain. Behind
him giilc~ til" little caravan in single file,
silent and strange as a procession OF phan-
toms There is nothing to be heard but the
breathing of the deer, and the slight crunch
ing sound of the Sledge upon the snow: as
ycu lit in the uncertain twilight strange
and subtle cnchantmcnt seems 10 come over
vou and YOU almost doubt your own Identity
Am !. you ask, the man who once lectur-
ed before literary societies, to large and IN
trlligcmt audiences: Laughter and APP
rauSc Do inhabit the sam" earth where
steamboats, cyiSt and oysters are opened, re-
newed laughter and where women's rights
conventions are heidi