Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-04-08
LIFE IN LAPLAND.

capt. HUTCHINSON, OF the British
artillery service, has published in Lon
don lively and charming book, under
the title of "Try Lapland; Fresh
Field for Summer Tourists" The Cap
tain and his wife, desiring summer
vacation out of the beaten track of
English tourists, fled away to Lapland,
and went to see the midnight sun at the
extraordinary little hamlet Of Quick
jock This picturesqe and important
town consists of four houses and
church, and may be accepted as the
ultimate expression Of Lapland " Pic
ture to YOURSELF" says Capt Hutchin,
son, 1.-TWO Swiss valleys united together
at the head OF lake. The low ground
covered with small birch and willow, of
exquisitely vivid green, a beautiful con
trast to the dark forest of pine which
rises Immediately above it. The trees,
already diminutive at the base, become
more and more stuntcd as they approach
the summit Where the forest ceases,
the shrubby willows, not more than two
feet high, commence and then we find
a region where little is to be seen but
moses and iichens, close to the great
fell running up to the Norwegian from
tier; and crowning all, a magnificent
back ground of eternal snow. The vii
lage, with about thirty wooden houses
(including barns and outhouses),
eolored bright red, stands on grassy
slope leading TO the waters edge The
tiny church, also of bright red wood, is
built on an isolated hillock. Two rivers
help to form the lake; the first flows
down the valley in quiet grandeur,
while the second bursts over immense
masses of granite in hurried fury. max.
ing three falls of excessive beauty, the
roar of which can be heard for miles
Add TO oil this a clearness OF atmos
phere peculiar only to the Arctic cir.
Gle, and dryncss which never allows OF
fog, and this is Quickjock."
Quickjock wore its gayes. aspect at
tho time of this visit The Lappc had
come th,ther from all parts to attend
the service in the little church St.
Johns day is their great festival, on
which they commemorate the arrival OF
summer. The pastor had at leas.
twenty mouths to supply with food, and
every morning two boats set off with
nets to the lake for the days supply.
They would return about Ii a. IN. with
large quantity of fish. but it was never
too large for the consumers. who would
each OF them eat six pounds as easily as
one pound, if set before them. Nothing
| was ever left for the morrow. They
subsist entirely on fish, milk, and rye
bread
The harmless little people pleased
the travellers immensely. "Tbcre was
nice little couple" says Capt. Hutch
iuson. Eve took great fancy to. and
after much consultation, decided to our
satisfaction which was the boy aud
which was the girl. As both men and
women have long hair, aud neither
whiskers nor beard, and dress alike, in
high blue cloth billyeoek hats, and rein,
deer skin coats and -leggings, it j:
almst impossible to distinguish them
We asked them how old they were, ane
whether they belonged to the school
The laugh was againsA us, when W,
found the gentleman to be twenty>six
and the lady, his wife, to be twenty
four, instead of fourteen and twelve, n
we had settled them to be" In thi,
lovely living Lilllput, potatoes are the
size of walnuts, lamb steaks as big as
arks, and n calf about the dimensions
of large cat. No doctor is within
hundred miles. for the Lapps are neve
i'll until just before they die aud th'
one doctor even at Dulea is 10 despair a
the want of patients. The effects o
climate are very curious to watch. Th,
summer has set in, and everything
seemed to be growing by steam, thougl
Quickjock lies at such an altitude .ha
an hours walk up any of the mountain
round would bring one to perpetua
snow. With the warmth come the mos
quitoes, which are as troublesome /
the natives as to the visitors, and or
provided against by covering the top
Of the chimneys with sods of earth, an'
kept out by never opening the window
at all, and the doors only for the indis
pensible moment of ingress and egress