REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION 



1 drove about 500 miles behind the reindeer, three lots of reindeer being 

 provided at various places. This was owing to the fact that we were able to 

 work twenty hours per day, owing to the sun shining for twenty hours. This 

 country I was in was all in the Arctic circle, and a week or two after I left the sun 

 would be shining for twenty-four hours for three months. 



Horns. — The reindeer all cast their horns yearly, this taking place in the 

 spring, about March or April. Their enemy the wolf is naturally busy about 

 this period, and we lost one of ours which had cast its horns one night whilst on 

 this trip. The Finlanders and Laplanders collect these horns, and prior to the 

 war they were mostly sent to Germany for souvenirs, and were also utilized in 

 the making of buttons, etc. The Norwegians are now utilizing them for various 

 purposes, and the Laplanders appear to get a good revenue from the same. 



Food of Reindeer. — The sphagnum moss grows in abundance and is their 

 sole food. Unless they get this they die, and it must be very well provided for 

 them if they should decide to try a herd on this side. Li order to save time for 

 the domestic reindeer the peasants stock large quantities of this moss on the 

 main reindeer trails and this obviates the reindeer having to dig out its own 

 food when it has been running all day. I never saw them drink water, as they 

 always ate the snow when they were thirsty. 



Owners, etc. — I was met in the interior of northern Finland by Captain 

 Suverenni, of Ivalo, North Finland, who is a Captain in the White Guards 

 against the Bolshevik, and he speaks and writes English very well. 



The Food Controller in this northern district inland is Mr. Kangasniemi, 

 of Inair, North Finland. 



Other owners of reindeer are: Enok Gunnari, Bugo Fjord, via Vadso, 

 Northern Norway; Knut Evanger, Vadso, Northern Norway; John Berg, 

 British Vice-Consul, Svolvar, Norway. Kangasnieme, Gunnari, Evanger and 

 Berg are all associated in the same trading companies, and as I am in negotiation 

 with them at the present time with regard to fur and lumber, I have mentioned 

 the matter of the reindeer to them and expect to give you later definite inform- 

 ation as to the quantity there are available, cost, hire of vapoose, and if they 

 could quote a price for a herd delivered to Southampton island, Hudson bay, 

 next summer. 



Vapoose. — The vapoose who look after about ten reindeer when on the 

 trail are in receipt of about $5 per day in their own country, and I have no doubt 

 that some of them would willingly exchange the filthy conditions of life in 

 Lapland for a good living wage in Northern Canada. Some of the vapoose I 

 met had been to various European countries at exhibitions, and they realized 

 that they were far better off financially out of their own country, and with the 

 added knowledge that they would be upon work which they had been at since 

 their childhood, I have no doubt that arrangements could be made with the 

 shipper of the reindeer to provide the necessary men for the pack. 



The Meat. — The meat is practically the same as your own venison. The 

 tongues are considered a great delicacy, are usually cooked and sold at a high 

 figure. 



Re Hides, Skins, etc. — The skins of the younger animals are the ones mostly 

 used for the making of their trousers, pesks (which is the name for their over- 

 coats, this has hole to slip head and arms through), and moccasins. 



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