The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-04-15

miles; is, therefore n dISt"ict about twice
the size OF Missouri, but has popula-
ton not 10 exceed 150.0D0. he sea
coast is broken up by the iiordS OF the
Norway coast, and many of these. owing
10 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 Lap and are.
for the most part covered with pcIpet-
tual SHOWS Tho short sImmor i pro-
life with vegetation, and til grass
and mOSses which furnish the reindeer a
scanty subsistence are covered up ly
the snow, and are discovered by the
subtle sense OF smell possessed by these
animals, and rakcd cut bv their broad
hoofS which seem especially adapted TO
this service.
The people vino inhabt this. the most
northern land on the eastern hcmi.
sphere, arc divided into three classes. the
mountain, the sea and the river Laps.
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 hGbitat.on save
tents made from the skins of these use
ful animals, and no fixed place OF abode,
but from year 10 year follow their herds
wherever pasturagc is most abundant.
The river Lapps have advanced stage
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
/ al hn fi,,.. Il,
Lapps," from the fact that they pay
taxes to the Governments Of Norway.
Sweden and Russia. are often extreme
iy degraded. When they are rich,
they practice polygamy, but a
plurality of wives is denied 10 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 bug 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 or
stone: they have rowing and sail boats
with which they traverse the open sea
They have no incOnsderable amount OF
commerce; being skllfu fishers, they
catch and salt large quantities of the fish
which thrOng tho waters Of the Norway
coast, and arc thus able TO purchase for
themselves the luxurics of more civilized
lands
The Lapps are a curiouSr arc Moth
ing is known of their origin, or whence
they came. They seem To he Mon
golans, but arc as superior TO the Esqui-
maux as the blonde Swedes and Nor.
wcgians are 60 themse elves. They are Of
stuntcd stature. seldom exceeding five
feet in height, while four and Onc-half
feet is perhaps a good average, but of
thick-set bodies, exceeding strong and
active. With dark hair and complex
,ons, black eyes, prominent cheek bones,
hollow cheeks and rcceding chins, thcy
present strong points of resemblance to
the Chinese. but their eyes are not
oblique and TN tr color is much tighter,
while their language bears not the
slightest resemblance TO that OF any
KNOWN Asiatic tribe. II is probable that
sbey were among the earliest emigrants