The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-03-02
YSa cA..s-s EaIaSvrs s..r..l.
uHDERcROUxD.

The short but glorious summer Of Lap.
land was drawing to close, and remem-
beTed with regret that the hour Of my de-
partnre from Kublitz Has at hand. Kmb.
litz Is q. place little known. 1t lies in
Swedish Lapland, about hundred and
fifty miles beyond tho extreme limits Of
Norway and its siIveTy river and emerald
pastures are surrounded by the far stretch.
ing moorlAnds, Of which by far the greater
part Of the country consists.
And the peoplel l never met young
face or an old one among these simple
folks that had not pleasant smile for the
stranger; never went into Lapland
hut without finding . kindly welcome,
for my worthy little hosts would hustle to
ali the biggest bowl with milk, and the
largest basket with berries, and to pro.
duce great piles Of smoke" and dried
fish from the sea coast, and luxury unpnr-
alleled, perhaps even a great black loaf,
brought all the way from Norway, (for
Lapland has no breadD to do honor to the
foreign guest How could | help grow
ing fond Of these queer, cltin looking, soft
hearted people?
The village Of Kublitz was built ofgreen
bOughs and wattles, the posts alone which
supported each cottage being of pine tim.
ber. In fact, the huts were not cottages,
they were leafy booths such as the rowing
Tartar sometimes constructs; and these
summer palaces Of living verdure added
to the holiday air Of the place, and were
suggestive Of perpetual picnic. But the
true houses were under the earth, not
above It's surface. The green tents have
been describing were nero temporary
paviliOns; and beneath them, with only a
low chimney, like . magnitied mOlchill,
peeping above ground, were the true
homes Of the Laplanders, the cavcrned
storehouscs for oil their worldly wealth,
and their own dwellings for more than
nine months Of the year. And now the
time was coming when the green booths
were to be deserted, and the sun to van.
ish, and the strange underground life, like
q mole's, WINS to begin again for the long,
iron bound, arctic winter. Peter Wow,
tho chief man Of the village, in whose
wigwam dwelt, warned me that the day
light would speedily cease, and that he
had better prepare the boat to convey me
down the river southwarde, 90 that
might reach Norway "before it got dark"
4 strange idea seized me-what if
were to stop behindl have been here
through the daylight, the long, long three
months day, that puzzled me so terribly
at first, and robbed the Of my sleep, and
made me blink like an owl at the unwea.
rying sun that would shine at midnight,
and which upset oil the habits Of my pre-.
viOus life. ! recollected what . strange
sensation that had been, how new, fresh
and piquant; and Il is not often, let me tell
you, that somewhat world worn and
world wearicd man, who has passed the
high climactcric, can discover q sensation
that shall be at once new, lfesl, and pi-
quaint. ! had promised TO spend Christ
mas with my sister in Worcestershire, to
be sure but, "pshnw I" thought ], ~
can 60 next summer. Maria Jane hasn't
seen me these eighteen years or more, so
she can probably wait till Easter; and my
nephews and nieces won't fret too much,
I dare say, about the nOn-appearancc Of
an uncle they have never set their juvc-
nile eyes upon. Ny mind Is made up.
Ill stay ell night"
A pretty long night, too, reader; night
that begins in early October and ends in
june. Having tried perpetual daylight,
was now going to essay how l liked its
antipOdeS. --
ALapland winter hut has generally two
draw backs, Of nature almost unbearable
to EurOpeans-it Is too crowded, and It is
shockingly smoky. But Peter Wow, chief
Of the village, was rich man in his way,
and had rOOmy aud cOmmOdious set Of
caverns for his dwelling, with furs and
elder down quilts in plenty, as became the
owner of"five hundred reindeer The
family slept in . quaint tier Of little box
beds, about the usual length OF mignc.
nette troughs, which were sunk into the
J clay walls like q row Of sleeping bcrths
on board packet ship. But was dis
tinguished foreigner, had den to myself,
such as hermit Of especially austere and
self-mOrtifying tendencies might have con.
structed, for Il was without q window OF
any kind, and air was admitted by means
Of the hollow trunk Of an alder tree, that
had been thrust through the roof Of the
cave, and made q sort Of wooden shaft
overhead. The floor was carpetcd, how.
ever, with soft dried moss. softer aud more
luxurious than the most costly three-plicd
velvet that ever loom wOve; the bed was u
pile Of dressed deer skins, o. supple and
: plant as silk /; q copper lamp hung by q
: chain from the roof; had pillows and
holsters stuffed with the plumage Of the
elder duck and the wild swan, two bear
skin coverlets, and at least dozen quilts
Of yielding rider down; and-crOwning
l magniticeDce !-there was an old.tashiOn'
, cd chest Of Oaken drawers, with brass
handles and key.plates, to which Peter
Wow pointed proudly. as to . proof Of
intercourse with the civilized world ol
modern Europe. 1t was evidently some
, relic Of 9 wreck Of the North Cape, and
had been dragged many . weary mile by
the patient deer that drew the sledges.
fancied the scent Of the sea hung about II
still.
Scarcely were We snugly established in
our underground quarters, when, one fine
evening, | was summoned to join solemn
procession which annually, according tC
immeInOrial custom, ascended neighb0r.
ing hill to see the last Of the sun for that
year, and bid the orb Of day "gOOd by '
It was . strangely picturesque sight. and
not without its touching PathOs, that as
seMblages Of villagers, Of every age, from
J the wrinkled grandair who totterI on bis
staff, and with palsy. shaken hand shaded
his aged gyea as he watched that fast de-
clining sun which was setting, not for q
night, but for drear winter, and which
he might scarcely hope to mark again,
down 10 the child whose wondering eyes
noted the scene for the first time since its
reason began to dawn. All were there
the maidens and young men, the reverend
. elders, the feeble crOnes, who shivered
already In the strange Ominous chill that
, pervaded the air, the hardy -hnnters, the
, no less hardy shepherds, or rather deer.
herds-Old and young were gazing with
. common purpose and common intensity
Of feeling upon the sinking luminary. All
. kinds Of wild imaginations, ell manner oI
l. II III, I'll