The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-08-19
hiking REINDEER
When h Herd Is InclOsed the Cows
Are Lasxoed and Tied
to Trees.

"The People of the Reindeer" is the
title under which Jonas Stad!ing de-
scribes a visit to 4 Lapland camp. a
picturesque account is given of the
milking of the reindeer:
Placing ourselves on both sides OF
the entrance to the inclosurc, at some
distance. We stopped to wait for the
herd. Looking in the direction from
which the barking was heard, we OBJ
served on the summit of the nearest
mountain ridge, against the horizon,
something like a moving thicket, car
ried, as it were, by a swift current
down the mountain side. Soon we dis
tinguished the graceful forms Of hun
dreds of reindeer, as they, with elastic
motions, leaping and bounding, came
tearing down toward the camp, the
dogs stretching like ropes along the
ground on Zach side of the herd to keep
it together. We crouched behind
stones and bushes so as not to brighten
the half-wild animals. With a good
deal of running. gesturing and shout
ing, the herd was finally brought into
the Enclosure. only Il few of the widest
animals escaping over the fell, past
some of the little children. Rushing
into the inclosure in an unbroken
stream of more than 4 thousand ami
mails, the herd did not cease running
the reindeer is always on the move, eE-
ceEt at its regular resting timcs-but
continued in Il circle against ths sun
The reindeer in these circular motions
always runs against tic sun; if it runs
with it, il is Il sign of disease of the
brain. In the midst of the reindeer,
leaping, bounding. and batting in Il
friendly way, while giving out their
peculiar grunting sound, the pictur-
csquc figures of our Lapponian friends
were seen. surrounded by 4 thicket CT
horns. Our hostess, having hung her
baby to Il birch in the middle of the in
closure, stood, like a number of other
women, mostly girls, with 4 wooden
scoop in her hand. ready to milk the
first of the female reindeer caught;
while at the outskirts of the Enclosure
stood q number of children with large
pals to receive the milk from the
scoops. the smaller children either run
ming about playing outside the camp,
or giving salt and angelica to some of
the tamcst animals. The most i'm
portant actors on the scene, however,
were the men moving about slowly in
the midst of the herd, holding the
lasso behind their back in the right
hand, and looking sharply at the run
ming animals. As quick as lightning
Il lasso whizZcd through the air, the
frightened animals recoiling and then
increasing their speed. When the
lasso hit the mark, the COW was hauled
in. and tied to a birch while the milk
ing was done. So they kept on for
nearly two hours. The quantity of milk
yielded by each animal is very small,
at the most about a teacupful, but it is
of very high nutritive quality. The
milking, which is by no means regular,
is done, if possible, one a day. In win
ter time there is of course no milking.
To prevent the calves from sucking
their mothers. pieces of bone are tied
into their mouths. or the uddcrs are
besmeared with tar. Some of the
Lapps consider it sinful to milk the
reindeer and thus deprive the calves
of their food.'-Century.