On the Rein-Deer. SS 



bring with me to England several rein-deer cheeses ; some of 

 which were till lately in my possession. I did not find that age 

 at all improved their flavour ; not having in any degree soften- 

 ed them, or produced any other effect than creating a singular 

 quantity of mites, which accumulate again almost immediately 

 after the former have been removed. 



Butter is seldom, if ever, made of the rein-deer milk, by the 

 Laplanders ; the reason, no doubt, being the far greater value 

 that cheese is of to them, as an article of support ; and bread 

 being at the same time a thing unknown, the making of butter 

 would be of little utility. It is, however, sometimes made by 

 the Finland settlers, who, in many parts of Lapland, keep herds 

 of rein-deer, and is, I have been told, of a peculiarly white co- 

 lour. 



The Laplander sometimes varies his dishes by mixing diffe- 

 rent kinds of wild berries, such as the whortle or cloud berry, 

 with the whey : the latter being previously boiled till it acquires 

 a thick consistence. This preparation I have seen them eat in 

 astonishing quantity, and with the greatest relish. They are 

 no less fond of the roots of the angelica, the taste of which is 

 certainly very agreeable ; and they have, which I believe this 

 root merits, a high opinion of its qualities as an antiscorbutic. 

 They set also much value upon the blood of the rein-deer, from 

 which they prepare a variety of dishes, taking care always to 

 preserve it when the animal is killed. It is probable, that their 

 predilection for it is increased by the antiscorbutic properties 

 which it is said also to possess. An instance of this is to be 

 found in the interesting account of the Dutch navigators, under 

 the command of Hemskirk, who were obliged to pass the win- 

 ter in Nova Zembla, in the lat. of 76°, and suffered in conse- 

 quence an intense degree of cold. Several of them died from 

 the effects of the scurvy, and the survivors attributed their es- 

 caping this disorder to their constant habit of drinking the warm 

 blood of the rein-deer, which they had killed for their support, 

 a practice which had not been followed by those who fell vic- 

 tims to it. 



4. Speed of the Rehi-Deer. 

 Various conjectures having been advanced respecting the 



c2 



