Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-12-06
LIIIiputIan Lapps.

Ihe DappS are dwarnsn race. On
an average, the men do not exceed five
feet in hight, many not reaching four,
and the women are considerably less.
Most of them are, however, very robust,
the circumference of their chest nearly
eaualing their hight. Their complexion
is more or less tawny and copper-col-
ored, their hair dark, straight and lank,
its dangling masses adding much to the
wildness OF their aspect. They have
very little beard, and as the want of it is
considered a beauty, the young men
carefully eradicate the scanty supply
given them by nature.
Their dark, piercing eyes are deep
sunk in their heads, widely separated
from each other, and, like those of the
Tartars or Chinese, obliquely slit toward
the temple. The cheek bones are high,
the mouth pinched close, but wide, the
nose fat. The eyes are generally sore,
either in consequence of the biting
smoke of their huts, or of the refraction
from the snow, so that Lapp seldom
attains a high age without becoming
blind. Their countenances generally
present a repulsive combination of stol-
idity, low cunning and obstinacy. Hog
guer, whe dwelt several months among
them, and saw during this time at least
eight hundred Lapps, found not twenty
who were not decidedly ugly, and DR..
Clarke says that many of them when
more advanced in years, might, if ex-
hibited in a menagerie of wild beasts,
be considered as the long lost link be-
tween man and ape.
Their legs are extremely thick and
clumsy, but their hands are as small and
finely shaped as those Of any aristocrat.
The reason for this is that from genera
ton to generation they never perform
any manual labor, and the very trifing
work which they do is necessarily of the
lightest kind. Their limbs are slngularly
flexible, easily falling into any posture,
like all the Oriental nations, and their
hands are constantly occupied in the
beginning of conversation with filling q
short tobacco pipe, the head being
turned over the shoulder to the person
addressed. Such are the traits by which
the whole tribe is distinguished from the
other inhabitants of Europe, and in
which they differ from the other natives
of the land in which they live.
The summer garb of the men consists
of the "poesk," a sort of tunic, gener-
ally made of very coarse, light colored
voolen cloth, reaching to the knees and
fastened around the waist without belt
or girdle. Their wooden CAPS are shaped
precisely like night cap of Turkish
fez. with red tassel and red worsted
band round the rim for they are fond of
lively hues strongly contrasted. Their
boots or shoes are made of the raw
skin of the reindeer, with the hair out
ward, and have peaked shape. Though
these shoes are very thin, and the Lapp
wears no stockings, yet he is never an
noyed by the cold or by striking against
stones. as he stuffs them with the broad
leaves of the Carex vesicarus, or cy-
prus grass, which he cuts in summer
and dries. This he first combs
and rubs in his hands, and then
places it in such manner that it covers
not only his feet, but his legs also, and
being thus guarded, he is quite secure
against the intense cold. With this
grass, which is an admirable non-con-
ductor of heat, he likewise stuifs his
gloves in order to preserve his hands
But as it wards off the cold in winter,
so in summer it keeps the feet cool, and
is consequently used at all seasoos. The
womens apparel differ very little from
that of the other sex, bnt their girdless
are more ornamented with rings and
chains. In winter both sexes are so
packed up in skins as to look more like
bears than human beings, and, when
squstting, according to the fashion OF
their country, exhibit mound OF tursi
With the head resting upon the top OF
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