UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 213 



that the Laplanders, with their reindeer, were 

 within a mile of Fugleness, I was anxious to 

 avail myself of the opportunity of seeing them. 

 After an hour's walk, we found the tent and its 

 owner, Per Mathison ; and inside the tent, into 

 which we crept, Marit, his wife, was busy pre- 

 paring the utensils for milking the deer, and 

 making the cheese. She was not more than four 

 feet nine inches high, and of a brown com- 

 plexion, which seemed more the result of habi- 

 tual dirt, ?.iid of living constantly in smoke, than 

 of nature. She had on her summer dress of 

 dirty white cloth, girt round by a belt, to which 

 was suspended a small knife ; and her komagcrs, 

 or shoes, were of strong leather, forming a peak 

 at the toes. On her head she wore a high cap, 

 made partly of cloth, and partly of bits of co- 

 loured calico. This cap is peculiar to the Nor- 

 wegian Lapland, and is rather elegant in its 

 shape. Though wild and uncouth, her manners 

 did not betray the surliness so conspicuous in 

 her husband. The latter was dressed in rein- 

 deer fawn skins, which, being thin and pliable, 

 were not likely to be too warm. 



*' Another Laplander and his wife lived in the 

 same tent. This man seemed to be a partner 

 of Per Mathison ; their deer were mixed together, 

 but the superior number belonged to the latter, 

 and he was evidently head of the family, which 

 was easily perceived, from his idleness and 



