REINDEER AND MUSK-OX 



At present there is a Swedish Norwegian commission working on the 

 solution of these problems, and trying to establish rules which can make the exist- 

 ence of the Lapps safer. The big mountains along the frontier can not be ad- 

 vantageously utilized by other people than the nomads, and to the whole country 

 the reindeer service is a very important and useful industry. 



It is very often said that the Lapps are dying out, but experience does not 

 prove this. Of course, as soon as railways are built through the country and the 

 Lapps get in touch with another kind of culture than their own, some of them 

 will be lost, but as a rule, they try to preserve their own mode of living and to 

 avoid mixing with other people. 



The value of the whole reindeer stock was, before the war, estimated at: — 

 for cow, kr. 24; for ox, kr. 33; for calf, kr. 15; for calf born in the year, kr. 10; 

 now the prices are, of course, much higher, and may be estimated in the four 

 groups at 45 to 50, 60 to 80, 25 and 10 crowns, respectively. 



The following data about the sale of reindeer meat, hides, hoofs and horns 

 may be interesting: — ■ 



The reindeer meat is of course used as food by a great number of people. 

 Many consider it better than cattle meat. The steak is used either fresh, dried, 

 salted or smoked. This is the part of the reindeer meat which is most largely 

 exported to the southern part of the country. Other parts of the animal, i.e., 

 ribs and legs, are generally dried in the air and slightly smoked in the opening 

 of the hut and used by the Lapps themselves. This is an excellent food, very 

 concentrated, and very easy to carry on the long wanderings and travels. It is 

 eaten either dried and cold, or roasted. 



The hide, immediately after being taken off the killed animal, is put on 

 wooden stretchers and dried in the open air, and as soon as it is properly dried 

 it can be either sold for export or used for the Lapps' own purposes. It has 

 manifold uses. The Lapps, as well as other people living in the woods in the 

 northern part of Sweden, use it for bedding, and it is for this purpose very 

 adaptable, being very warm and easily transported, the weight of the hides 

 being four to six pounds. 



The Lapps themselves, and even the tanners, prepare the hides for making 

 shoes, gloves, etc. In other words, it has the same use as the skin of cattle or 

 calves. It is to a great extent, even exported for such purposes. The hides of 

 the calves, which are killed in the fall, are used by the Lapps, as well as by the 

 settlers in the district, as winter clothing, with the fur on the outer side; these 

 furs are very warm and comfortable. The hair, however, has a great tendency 

 to shed. A fine fur coat of reindeer skin would cost about kr. 60 to kr. 90 ($16 

 to S24). The hides from the head and limbs of the reindeer are used for shoes. 

 The hair is used for a number of purposes and is highly valued as an article of 

 export. It is used for upholstery purposes, and on account of the air channel 

 in each hair, it is also used in large quantities for manufacturing life preservers. 



The horns were formerly used mostly for manufacturing glue, but now the 

 large beautiful horns are also used for decorative purposes, and making knife 

 handles and shields for knives, etc. 



The sinews from the legs of the reindeer are always saved. When the 

 animal is killed they are taken out and dried, and in this shape they can be kept 

 for a long time. The Lapps are exceedingly clever in making thread of these 

 sinews, which is used for sewing of clothes as well as shoes. They are very 

 strong and stand water very well. They are also exported to a great extent to 

 Norway. 



42627— 7i 



