Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-05-07
EKki-,INM

d mi, Hk8XIiIilfgt/Li IN ect Tor their re-
! : I !: !; !:
w y. moval Is perfectly
B&B2sff Hi ljthSi m95 feasible, and the
h1d!Ey#iWUlJ<Ig1 W country DO which
- H.. " Is proposed to
~ take them is SO
NiHINE sA5T much like their
TsK own that the con-
ditions of life there would not differ
greatly from those OF their present hab-
1tation. The east coast of Greenland
has Tor many ages been unapproachable
on account of the Ice. for, In the tenth
century, colonies from Iceland were lo-
Gated on the east coast, and were COM
Eietely cut off from all contact with civ-
ilization by an ice veil which came down
from the polar seas and has never since
been removed The entire east coast is,
therefore, believed to be uninhabitable,
but the climatic conditions on the west /
coast are materially different and ex-
tensive settlements have already been |
formed by the Danes along the eastern |
shores of Davis Strait and Baffin's Bay. |
The west of Greenland, while IL has |
many glaciers which project vast masses |
of ice far into the sea, has nevertheless |
many small valleys, where, during the |
short summer, vegetation is abundant,
Moses grow among the rocks and even !!
almost on the ice, and the wild reindeer
on the approach of winter leave the
coast and go into the interior, whence it
is argued there must be vegetation be-
meath the snow on the rocks in Green
land sufficient at least in quantity to
support these hardy animals Wherever
reindeer can live Lapps can live with
them, and it is argued that the climatic
conditions are not SO different in Green
land from those in Lapland as to render
the change of habitat at all violent.
The climate of Lapland, however, is
milder than that of West Greenland,
The country inhabited by the Eapps
comprises the northwestern corner of the
Russian Empire and the extreme north
ern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula.
.lIapland contains about 100000 square
miles; is, therefore district about twice
the size of Missouri, but has popula-
tion not to exceed 10000 The sea
coast is broken up by the fiords of the
Norway coast, and many of these. owing
to the influence of the Gulf Stream, are
never frozen. The climate of the coast
is, therefor, much milder than that of
the interior; indeed, the extensive noun
tain ranges in the heart of Lapand are,
for the most part, covered with perpet-
tual SHOWS. The short summer is pro-
life with vegetation, and ths grasses
dUu HOSSCS WHICH I0luuCo1 a.
scanty subsistence are covered up by
the snow, and are discovered by the
subtle sense of smell possessed by these
animals, and raked out by their broad
hoofs which seem especially adapted to
this service.
The people VINO inhabit this, the most
northern land on the eastern hemi-
sphere, are divided into three classes, the
mountain, the sea and the river Lapps.
The first named are also the least CIV
ilized, in point of fact are wandering
nomads. having no wealth but their
herds of reindeer, no habitation save
tents made from the skins of these use
full animals, and no fixed place of abode,
but from year to year follow the 4crds
wherever pasturage is most abunda t,
The river Lapps have advanced a sta =
further in the road to civilization, have
fixed habitations, though these are but
huts of earth, and possess considerable
skill in several manufactures. They
make their own boats, manufacture
their own clothing, knives, weapons and
fish hooks. The wandering mountain
Lapps, also known as the "three duty
Lapps," from the fact that they pay
taxes to the Governments of Norway,
Sweden and Russia, are often extreme
ly degraded. When they are rich,
they practice polygamy, but a
plurality of wives is denied to the poor,
from the fact that the price of wife is
never less than twenty reindeer, and of
ten as much as five hundred. The river
Lapps do not buy and sell their woman,
but entertain respect for them akin to
that felt in countries whose people have
far greater opportunities for education
and refinement. The sea Lapps have
progressed far beyond their mountain
brethren; their houses are of wood OF
stone; they have rowing and sail boats
with which they traverse the open sea.
They have no inconsiderable amount OF
commerce; being skillful fishers, they
catch and salt large quantities of the fish
which throng the waters of the Norway
coast, and are thus able to purchase fol
themselves the luxuries of more civilized
lands.
The Lapps are curiousr ace. Moth
ing is known OF their origin, or whence
they came. They seem to be Mon
golians, but are as superior to the EsQui
maux as the blonde Swedes and Nor
wegians are to themselves. They are o
stunted stature. seldom exceeding fiv'
feet in height, while four and one-hal
feet is perhaps q good average, but o
thick-set bodies, exceedingly strong ant
active. With dark hair and complex
ions, black eyes, prominent cheek bones
hollow cheeks and receding chins, the
present strong points of resemblance +
the Chinese, but their eyes are no
oblique and their color is much lighter
while their language bears not tn
slightest resemblance to that of an
known Asiatic tribe. 1t is probable tina
they were among the earliest emigrant
to Europe from the Asiatic home of th
human race, and that, pressed by sui
segment tides of emigration, they wer
gradually crowded into their far-awa
corner of the continent and there n
NAMED relic of almost prehistori
times
However this may be, tits certain thu
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