THE FOOD OF THE LAPPS. 99 



pain, is the result. Immediately the reindeer falls 

 down dead, the knife is thrust into the heart, and thus 

 the blood is found in the stomach. 



Some Lapps are rich, and possess from one to two 

 thousand head of tame reindeer. I have heard of one 

 wealthy Lapp who is the owner of ten thousand rein- 

 deer. This individual differs in no respect from his 

 fellows ; he dresses in the same manner, leads the 

 same hard life of toil that they do, and bears no out- 

 ward signs of riches. 



The food of the Lapps is nearly always the same. 

 Tea is quite unknown among them; sometimes, but 

 not often, they get inferior coffee, and occasionally 

 fladbrod, or flat barley-cakes. Keindeer venison and 

 soup are what they chiefly depend on for their subsis- 

 tence, as well as the milk of the animal. Sometimes 

 they catch and eat fish, especially salt-water fish, when 

 they are near the seacoast. They drink a great deal of 

 finkel, a very strong spirit, which almost takes away 

 the breath of those who taste it for the first time ; it 

 is distilled from corn or potatoes, and is flavoured with 

 caraway seeds. These little people appear to thrive, 

 however, on their peculiar diet, and live to a good old 

 age. 



H 2 



