220 A Sporting Tour in Norway. [Sess. 



district, the Lapps change their quarters to fresh ground. This, 

 I was informed, they do thrice a-year, their grazing extending 

 to a radius of eighty or ninety miles. As the ground is of so 

 sterile and barren a character, it necessarily requires a large 

 area to feed the deer, the herd in question numbering between 

 3000 and 4000. Lapps never change their quarters in summer, 

 in consequence of their being unable to travel on the soft and 

 uneven ground. In winter it is otherwise, as they drive their 

 sledges on the snow ; and as the lakes are all frozen, they tra- 

 vel as much as possible on ice. The Lapps are a diminutive race, 

 none of them being much over five feet in height. As already 

 observed, their clothes are made of deer-skin, the hair being 

 worn inside. Men and women both use trousers, wearing them 

 tight like leather leggings. They are the dirtiest creatures I 

 ever beheld — so much so, that I was of opinion they never 

 wash themselves at all ! Both men and women are inveterate 

 smokers, and my companions supplied them copiously with 

 tobacco to fill their pipes. As I do not indulge in the "weed" 

 myself, I could not offer them tobacco ; but I was of opinion 

 that a present of a liberal supply of soap would be much 

 more suitable. Should I ever revisit them, I shall keep this 

 in mind ! 



Eeturning to Throndhjem, we travelled by rail to Koppang, 

 and visited Messelt, in the centre of Norway, where we were 

 the guests of a large proprietor, who kindly offered us reindeer 

 and elk shooting. We rode ponies many miles up into the 

 mountains, and spent a few days in a saeter, in the hope of 

 getting a shot at reindeer. In consequence, however, of the 

 mildness of the weather, and the migratory habits of the deer 

 referred to, we failed in getting a shot, and left the sseter, 

 turning our attention to elk shooting. 



To the lover of the canine race, nothing can be more inter- 

 esting than following a well-trained elk-hound and watching 

 the skill and sagacity displayed, as it sometimes for many 

 hours dogs the tracks of the object of its pursuit. Accom- 

 panied by an excellent Norwegian sportsman, with his two 

 dogs, " Nor " and " Bjune," we started at five o'clock in the 

 morning, and shortly thereafter were, as I supposed, lost in 

 the labyrinths of a large pine-wood. Carrying a pocket-com- 

 pass, I took bearings before starting ; but this, I was informed, 



