98 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



traveller the best of everything they have ; and a 

 small present of tobacco, or a little brandy, is cheer- 

 fully accepted as ample recompense. When residing 

 among them, the food is the most trying part of the 

 affair, for one soon tires of reindeer venison. Break- 

 fast among this primitive people consists of reindeer 

 milk, to which all help themselves out of the same pot, 

 and generally with the same spoon. The dinner con- 

 sists of reindeer venison and soup; at the supper, 

 reindeer cheese is served out. When the meal is 

 ready, the master of the household takes his place 

 near the huge copper pan in which the reindeer ve- 

 nison and soup are cooked ; the wife, children, and 

 servants range themselves in a row, waiting to begin. 

 The head of the family then gravely sticks his fork into 

 a piece of venison, drags it out, and begins to eat it. 

 The others do the same, and the only respect paid to 

 the master is this : when a servant hooks out a piece of 

 venison that is particularly fat and inviting, he puts it 

 into the pot again, giving his master a grin as he does 

 so, as much as to say, " That belongs by right to you, 

 master !" WTien this is done, the master gives a 

 grunt of satisfaction, and complacently sticks his fork 

 into the reserved morsel of venison. 



Reindeer venison from the tame animal is juicy and 

 well-flavoured ; it is not held so much in esteem, how- 

 ever, as that from the wild. Eeindeer milk is ex- 

 tremely indigestible for those who are unaccustomed 

 to it. 



The Lapps have a peculiar way of slaughtering their 

 tame reindeer ; a sharp knife is thrust into the back 

 of the animal's head, which divides the spinal marrow 

 from the brain, and an instantaneous death, without 



