The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1874-12-16
TILE NORTH OF EUROPE
The Scanlunivians and their Peculi-
arIties--The Lnpz.

= Ea.
The scandnnivians and their PecuIi-
arities--The Lnp,.
In the north of Europe, saws Du
Chaillu, before the American Geo
graphical Society, there is large tract
of country very thinlv inhabited by
Swedes, Norwegiaus, Finlanders and
Laps. Its coast is indented by numer-
ous fiords of great beauty, the sea
being of great depth, snd wlcding its
way inland, often in the midst of stu
pendous scenery. These fiords were
dug out of the solid rock by glaciers on
their way toward the sea. The geolo-
gicaf features of that country impress
the mind with the great and constant
changes that have taken place or are
taking place. The rocks are granite.
gneiss and mica schist. AS one studies
the coast line the eyes rest continually
on series of terraces one over the other,
perfect in shape, almost all situated at
the entrances of valleys. These ter
races show distinctly by their rounded
pebbles the rising of the land above
the water, this slow aud almost imper-
ceptible rising still taking place in our
time. This country was once under the
influence Of a much milder climate,
as genial as that of England now. We
must conclude from inferences that the
icy period is making again it's appear
ance, and that that impenetrable belt
OF ice which seems to bar the way to
the North Pole, and which our distin-
guished member, DIR. Hayes, has partly
explored, was once an open sea. In the
interior of the country inhabited by
Laps, one meets everywhere positive
proofs of the rising of the land. Shells
are found several hundred feet above
the level of the lakes mountains have
been polished as smooth rs glass by
the action of the ice i; boulders of all
sizes have been scattered over the land
by the glaciers. Advancing glaciers
are demolishing to this day and break
ing the granite hills which oppose
tEeir march, while their retiring ones
leave behind them boulders, sand,
gravel, etc.
There are sea Laps, forest and river
Laps, and nomadic Laps. To night l
am only to speak of the nomaEic Laps.
The whole population Of Lapland
amounts to about thirty thousand, the
nomadic Laplanders numbering about
twenty-five Thousand, and possessing
about five hundred thousand reindeer.
Their herds vary from fifty TO five thou
possessing even ten thousand reindeer.
A man possessing frora five hundred to
a thousand reindeer is considered rich.
Those who possess only fifty to one
hundred are poor. The reindeer is
everything to the LaplahdeF!r' With it's
skin he makes clothing, shoes, gloves
with its sinews his thread. He feeds
on its flesh, and the animal is his beast
of burden. The value Of reindeer
varies according to the country. Driv.
ing reindeer broken to the harness are
not very plentiful, and cost from ten
dollars to fifteen dollars each COM
mon one from four dollars to six dollars.
The most intelligent Laps are the
Swedish and Norwegian, compulsory
education having reached that distant
region. They all know how to read.
Every one is or must be confirmed,
this ceremony being part of the Lu-
theran creed hence all must be able
to read the Bible and know their
catechism. Churches ere scattered here
and there in the desolate regions and
the church going Laps come into them
on Sunday from every side.
NJ. Du Chaillu described Il genuine,
old, arctic sleigh-ride, and his amusing
trials and mishaps in learning how to
manage the ticklish, coffln-like con-
veyance. His first lesson took six hours,
and during that period he managed to
overturn the machine an hundred
times, more or less, but without stop
ping his steed OF attempting so futile
task, he held grimly On to the single
rein, and thumped and bumped along
over the snow until a lucky kick sent
him back into the box. There was a
rule of driving, that the throwing of
the rein to rest on the left flank was q
signal for a slow gait, while touching
the right flank meant full speed. For
himself he had never been able to dis
cover the difference, the swift.footed
messenger going at his best rate from
the moment of harnessing. The
scratching of the reindeer for the white
moss, through a five foot crust of snow,
was shown with practical illustrations,
while the interest of the ladies cul.
minated in most heathenishly-civ
ilized chignon, nondescript affair of
open woodwork, possessing the merit
OF perfect ventilation, if not of beauty.
The struggles of the speaker to fit this
to his own bald pate were received with
hearty laughter. M. Du Chaillu, by
special request, concluded by donning
the suit worn by him in his Northern
his "sweil" clothes rs he
styled them.