42 



REVIEWS. 



to those behind Tromso, and consisting, so far as I recollect, of birch, alder, 

 and willow. There were no firs. The ground was boggy in many places, from the 

 abundance of land springs, which, in part at least, are alimented by the melting 

 snows, which evidently had but lately disappeared on the shady slopes. One good 

 spring which appeared to rise from a rock, and which might have an elevation of 150 

 feet above the sea, had a temperature of 37° 5'. We at length extricated ourselves 

 from the wood, and, crossing the stream, saw the Lapp camp before us, on a dry and 

 pleasant grassy space, about two and a-half English miles from the sea. Some 

 piles of sticks and mounds, which seemed like no human habitation, first attracted at- 

 tention. The piles of sticks form, as we found, a sort of skeleton shed, which can be 

 enclosed in bad weather by a kind of rude tarpaulin. They contain barrels, clothes, 

 and many nondescript utensils and stores, which, in fine weather, are exposed, sus- 

 pended from the bare poles. Two low, round mounds of turf, overlaid with sticks 

 and branches, in a most disorderly fashion, composed the habitations of a multitude 

 of men, women, and especially children, who seemed, at first sight, to be countless. 

 Their appearance, uncouth, squalid, and diminutive in the extreme, was, I thought, 

 decidedly unprepossessing. But an attentive survey brought out some more favour- 

 able features. The countenance was altogether unlike any I had seen, but by no 

 means devoid of intelligence, and even a certain sweetness of expression. Notwith- 

 standing that our party was tolerably numerous, they exhibited no signs either of 

 distrust or of shyness ; and whilst some of them entered into conversation with one 

 of the gentlemen from Tromso, who knew a little of their dialect, and others went, 

 attended by several small, active dogs, to fetch some reindeer for our inspection 

 from the heights, the greater part remained quietly engaged in their huts, as we had 

 found them, quite regardless of our presence. On inquiring into their occupation 

 we were surprised to find them possessed of some excellently-printed and well cared- 

 for books, particularly a Bible in the Finnish tongue, and a commentary, each 

 forming a quarto volume. We found some of them also engaged in writing. This 

 was a matter of surprise, where we had been led to expect something approaching 

 barbarism ; and we had soon a proof that their pretension to religious impressions 

 was not merely theoretical : for they positively refused to taste the spirits which 

 were freely offered to them, and of which our party partook ; though it is well known 

 that excessive and besotting drunkenness used to be the great sin of the Lappish 

 tribes, and still is. Of those who have not been converted to habits of order and re- 

 ligion, by the zealous efforts of the Swedish missionaries (particularly, I believe, 

 Lestadius and Stockfleth) who have indefatigably laboured amongst them. 



" The characteristic composure of the people was well shown in a young mother 

 with rather pleasing features, who brought her infant of four months' old out of one 

 of the huts, and seating herself on the sunny side of it, proceeded in the most deli- 

 berate way imaginable to pack up the child for the night in its little wooden cradle, 

 whilst half a dozen of us looked on with no small curiosity. The cradle was cut out 

 of the solid, and covered with leather, flaps of which were so arranged as to lace 

 across the top with leather thongs. The inside and the little pillow were rendered 

 tolerably soft with reindeer moss ; and the infant fitted the space so exactly that it 

 could stir neither hand nor foot, yet made little resistance to the operation. A hood 

 protected the head whilst it admitted air freely. When the packing was finished, 

 the little creature was speedily rocked asleep. The elder children were inquisitive, 

 but far from rude, and they played nicely with one another. The Lapp hut is 

 formed interiorly of wood, by means of curved ribs, which unite near the centre in 

 a ring, which is open, and allows free escape for the smoke ; the fire being lighted in 

 the centre of the floor. The exterior is covered with turf. The door is of wood on 

 one side. The inmates recline on skins on the floor, with their feet towards the fire, 

 and behind them, on a row of stones near the wall of the hut, are their various 

 utensils. Their clothing — chiefly of tanned skins and woollen stuffs — looked very 

 dirty. Their whole wealth consists in reindeer. The two families who frequent 

 this valley possess about 700 deer. We saw, perhaps, about one-fourth of that 

 number. A few of them were driven for our inspection into a circular enclosure of 

 wooden paling, where they are habitually milked. One of the men dexterously 

 caught them by the horns with a lasso or noose. The deer are small, but some of 

 them carry immense branching horns, the weight of which they seem almost unable 



