The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-07-15
Lapland.'

In Lapland the sun never goes down
during May, June and July; but in
| winter, for two months, he never rises
at all. His place, however, is some
what supplied by the wonderful north
gray skies. They look like fires of
clowns, and now like domes; now like
silk; now like arches, and now like ban
| ners-these welcome guests make night
beautiful.
AS long as the unwearied sun goes
round and round the sky in summer,
the Laplanders live in tents made of
poles and skins; but when Jack Frost
approaches, with seowl upon his brow,
| the house of thick sod becomes a very
snug home. The Laplander creeps into
| it on all-fours. along sort of tunnel.
| A hole in the roof let's in little day
light, or rather moonlight, and lets out
! what smoke there is from the sooty
| lamp. The lamp is made of stone, and
| filled with seal oil, and it answers many
ends. It cooks food, dries wet clothes,
keeps the houses warm and affords the
light.
The Laplander likes brandy; but hap
| PLY for him, it is very scarce. He has
| often to be contented with snuff instead,
of which he takes you may be sure many
| O good pinch. For niue months Of the
year the ground is of dazzling white
ness, and the cold is intense. In July
| and August, on the contrary, the heat is
almost intolerable.
| The Laplanders are very small ma
| tion. Perhaps there are not above seven
thousand of them Part of them are
called reindeer Laplanders," and part
s'fish;ng Laplanders." The former live
| on their herds, some possessing many
hundreds; the latter dwell near the lakes
! and fjords. The greatest plague of Lap
land is a plague of gnats. Their numbers
are incredable.
Trees are plentiful of certain sorts, and
| the soil of the forest is carpeted by rein
deer moss, sort of Gchen, which grows
on stones, trees, and earth. This moss
| will flourish where hardly any other sort
of grass will; and it affords gluten or
starch which is very wholesome and
nourishing. The reindeer will root
under the snow for the moss, as a pig
roots in the field. And if the animal
| browses on the moss which sticks to the
trees, without digging beneath the snow,
the Laplander takes it for granted that
the ground there produces none.
The reindeer when he casts his coat is
brownish-yellow. In the dog days he
becomes white. His hair is close and
thick. The horns are large and beauti-
full, but fall toward the end of November,
and are turned into spoons or glue.
This wonderful creature has been known
to go at the rate of nineteen miles an
hour when yoked to light sledge. After
their most severe journeys these deer re-
quire no more moss than can be held by
a man in both his hands.
Were it not for this admirable animal
who could live in Lapland? 1t is man s
all in all there. 1T feeds and clothes
it's MASTER says Goldsmith. with its
skin the Laplander covers his tents and
makes his bed; of it's milk he makes
cheese, and uses the whey for drink.
Every part of this valuable animal is
converted into some use or other. The
sinews make bowstrlngs, springs for
catching birds, and threads for sewing;
the horns make glue; the tongue, great
delicacy. is sold, and the money comes
back in luxuries. Yoked to sledge the
reindeer carries his master who guides it
easily by means of cord fastened round
the horns,; and it is encouraged topro-
ceed by the drivers voice. The sledge
is covered with bears skin, and at the
back are two leathern girths, into which
the traveller thrusts his arms to keep
himself steady. He has also pole to
support the sledge in case it is in danger
of being overturned"
ssThe deserts in Lapland never echo
with the song of the lark and nightin-
gale. There, instead of fruitful hills
and laughing meadows, are only noun
tains covered with eternal snow, and
, marshes here and there growing willows
, aud small birches." SO speaks anothe,
traveller. From the bark of the trees the
! Laplander makes kind of bread. Meat
, of certain sort is plentiful The elk is
, the principal game. This animal is
J caught in trap, which flies up and
drives an iron stake into the elk's body
j Then there are bears whicn are killed
with gun. After the bear has departed
, this life the hunters sing song. In
this ditty they thank the bear fol
having been SO good as to do them nc
| mischief.
: Then there are wolves which do mucI
] harm to the reindeer, killing sometime.
! forty or fifty in single night. Thes,
troublesome fellows are caught in wolf
J | pits. Then there are c1uttons. which