The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-10-12
Equipped for n Reindeer Ride.

At the appointed hour our aV0pO0ses (as
the Lapp guides are calledD arrived with
their reindeer, and after getting Kari Qhe
good wife) to stuff our reindeer skin boots
well with sort Of dried grass called senne,
we dol,ned our travelling costumes, which
must describe. You keep on your ordi-
nary, habit and over that you generally put
a thick woollen Jersey or Shetland Jacket.
You next put on a pair of small skin
boots, and cover these again with huge
WellingtOns, also of reindeer skin, reaching
far above the knee. These being properly
tied and fastened, you attire yourself in
in the chief garment of the whole, which
is the blouse or 2oesk. THIS is open only
at the foot and neck, and has very high
collar. On getting into it you must, Of
course, creep from below, which is de-
cidedly an: uncomfortable and difficult
operation when you are not accustomed to
it, and ], for my part, would never have
succeeded IN getting through, had not some
one come to my assistance, and discovered
that the neck was as yet tied, thus effect
ually hlndering all my desperate attempts
to emerge into the open cir again. On es-
Gaping from my temporary confinement,
l had next to allow curious shaped bon
net or hat Of clsth, filled with elder down,
to be put upon my head, and after this
1t only wanted the reindeer skin gauntlets
to completely transform me into an abort
gine Of the country. AS q reserve we were
also provided with tippet or collar of
bear-skin, which, however, would only be
| OF service in case storm or snow fog
| should arise. Nor did we omit to take
with us go0d-sized flask of cognac, and
also pair Of blue spectacles-these latter
| for the purpose of preserving our eyes from
the glare Of the snow. AS. may be imag-
lned, 1t Is exceedingly difficult to move
about freely In this voluminous costume;
and it was with feeling of relief that we
heard the aOapoOses give the word to take
our places in our boat-shaped sleighs, called
pootks TO stranger these poolks at
first sight seemed awkward conveyances
They are constructed without runners, and
have keel from to inches wide and
II inch high. Made entirely of wood,
pointed in front, and gradually becoming
broader behind, they are very light and
easily drawn. For one who never set in
them before 1t is almost impossible to pre-
serve equilibrium; and the arms have con-
slant employment to keep one from upset.
ting. NJ Regnard, who travelled IN Lap
land toward the end OF the seventeenth
century, says: "a Lap sledge is called a
poolk, and is elevated in front to keep out
the snow. The Prov consists of one plank,
and the body is composed of several pieces
sewed together with strong reindeer -sinews,
and without single nail. This is joined
to another piece about four fingers broad,
which goes beyond the rest of the struc-
ture, and is like the keel of ship, 1t is
on this that the sledge runs, and from its
narrowness constantly rolls from side to
side. The traveller sits inside as in COT
fin, with the lower part of his body cev-
cred, and being firmly tied there, with only
his hands free, in order to hold the rein
He must balance himself very carefully lest
he should be killed, AZ the sledge descends
the steepcst hills with horrible swiftness. "
Though the traveller makes some mistake
with regard to being tied up in the sledge,
he is quite correct In the latter part of the
quotations, as soon found before I had
proceeded many miles.