﻿4<5 



LA PAZ. 



LATAKOO. 



466 



mountains on carts drawn by buffaloes. Laos exports to Birma cattle, 

 gold, silver, precious stones, and fruits, and receives in return iron- 

 ware, yellow and red sandal-wood, cotton-clotli, chintzes, and terra- 

 japonica, opium, and other articles procured from Hindustan. The 

 road which leads to Yun-nan passes the town of Kemalatain, and 

 thence ascends the table-land of south-western China. Laos exports 

 to China gold, precious stones, silver, tin, lead, common and red 

 sulphur, cotton wool and yam, salted tea, lac, sapan-wood, brasilleto, 

 and an officinal root, called cothua-boua. Tho Chinese briug to 

 Laos musk, chowry-tails, and various other articles, raw and 

 manufactured. 



(Edinhurijh Philos. Journal; Crawfurd, Emhasnj to the Court of 

 Ava; Journal of the London Geographical Society, voL iii. ; Asiatic 

 Journal ; Berghaus, Map and Memoirs.) 



LA PAZ. [California ; Paz, La.] 



LAPLAND, the countiy of the Laplanders, comprehends the 

 northern and north-eastern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. In 

 tho 12th and 13th centuries all the country north of 64° N. lat., as 

 far as Cape North Kyn and North Cape (71° 11' and 71° 8'), between 

 the White Sea on tho east and the North Sea on the west, was in 

 possession of the people called Laplanders, but in the 13th century 

 they became subject to the king of Norway. As however this sub- 

 mission was rather nominal than real, the neighbouring nations, the 

 Swedes and Russians, also settled in those districts which were 

 nearest to their dominions. In consequence of these settlements 

 and the changes introduced by more recent political events, Laplaud 

 became ultimately divided between Norway, Sweden, and Uu.ssia, and 

 the settlers from these countries are now much more numerous than 

 the original Laplanders. Only a portion of the country is now known 

 as Lapland, the boundaries of which are not very strictly defined. 

 Lapland probably comprises an area of about 130,000 square miles, 

 above half of which is subject to Russia. 



Russian Lapland is divided from Swedish Lapland by the Tomea 

 Elf, and its affluent the Muonio, and from Norwegian Lapland by the 

 Tana Elf, but a small tract of coast extending east of the mouth of 

 the Tana Elf to the Bugge Fjord, also belongs to Norway. Russian 

 Lapland constitutes the district of Kola ia the government of Arch- 

 angel, and Tomea in that of Uleaborg. Swedish Lapland is divided 

 between the two districts (lajns) of Pitea and Umea, and had a popu- 

 lation in 1845 of 11,244 ; Norwegian Lapland is called Finmarken, 

 and contained 43,938 inhabitants in 1845. [Norway ; Sweden.] 



Along the Norwegian coast lies the mountain range of the Kiolen, 

 which rises from tho sea with a very steep ascent, attaining at a 

 distance of a few miles the height of 2000 feet, where it begins to 

 be always covered with snow ; some of its summits, as the Sutitielma 

 (67° 10' N. lat.), rise to an elevation of 6000 feet. The eastern 

 declivity of this range is less rapid, and the coimtry, which is 20 

 miles distant from the bighe.'tt part, exhibits only high hills. The 

 highest portion of the range is only in a few places covered with 

 grass and low bushts; but stunted birch and some kinds of pines 

 grow on the hills. These hills, between which are narrow valleys, 

 partly occupied by laige lakes and partly by forests, advance to a 

 considerable distance from the principal range, and leave a more level 

 ^ tract only along the Bay of Bothnia, between 20 and 30 miles across. 

 The most billy part is south of the Lulea Elf, north of which river 

 the country extends in rocky plains with a scanty vegetation, and 

 during the greatest part of the year covered with swamps. The 

 surface of these gjaius is gently inclined towards the Gulf of Bothnia, 

 and the soil is of a better description where they approach the river 

 Tomea and the boundary of Russia. In these parts they are covered 

 with good forests intersected by extensive grassy tracts, which are 

 nsed as meadows or pasture-ground. Between the Lulea and Calix 

 Elf, and nearly at an equal distance from the Kiolen Mountains and 

 the Gulf of Bothnia, are several isolated high hills, consisting entirely 

 of iron-ore. 



Russian Lapland is an extensive plain, generally covered with 

 sand, but some isolated hills rise on the plain to an elevation of 

 several hundred feet A large part of this plain is covered with low 

 trees. Other districts of gi-eat extent are sandy deserts, and in a 

 few districts, especially along the rivers and the numerous lakes, 

 tracts occur which are used as pasture-grounds, and sometimes 

 cultivated. 



The cHmate is very cold. Tbrce-foui-ths of tho year tho country 

 is covered with snow, and the frost between November and March 

 is very intense. The spring lasts only a couple of weeks. In July and 

 August the heat is very great, while the days iu the most southern 

 districts last 19 or 20 hours, and in the northern several weeks; near 

 the most northern extremity there is day for three months. 



Four nations inhabit Lapland — the Laplanders, Swedes and Nor- 

 wegians, Finlanders, and Russians. The Laplanders now occupy only 

 the^nore sterile inland parts beyond the polar circle ; but in the sum- 

 mer they visit with their herds of reindeer all the highest portions of 

 the Kiulen range as far south as 63° N. lat., where reindeer moss is 

 found. Their number does not ezcee<l 7000, and they are divided 

 into reindeer Laplanders, who live almost entirely on the produce of 

 their herds, and fishing Laplanders, who are mostly dispersed among 

 the lakes and along the banks of the rivers in Russian Lapland, where 

 they live on the produce of their fisheries. The number of the 



0X00. Drv. vol.. in. 



Swedes aud Norwegians is very considerable ; they occupy those tracts 

 which are adapted to agriculture, where they cultivate rye, barley, 

 oats, and potatoes. Rye grows as far as 66° N. lat, barley, oats, and 

 potatoes to 6S°. 



The countries along both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia are occupied 

 by the Swedes, wliose settlements also extend many miles inland ; 

 they keep a number of cattle proportionate to the extent of their 

 fields. But the best pasture grounds and meadows are iu possession 

 of the Finlanders, who probably .settled at an earlier date among the 

 Laplanders than the other foreigners. They occupy large tracts in 

 the level country, where they apply themselves to the reaiing of 

 cattle ; they are distinguished by their skill iu the management of 

 the dairy. The Russians live only in the district of Kola, where they 

 are chiefly occupied as fishermen or as merchants. Only a few of 

 them apply to agriculture or the rearing of cattle. There aie no 

 towns, and but few villages, in Lapland. The chief are in Russian 

 Lapland ; they are Kola, at the mouth of the river Kola, which had 

 nearly 1000 inhabitants, but which was destroyed by a British war- 

 steamer iu August 1854 ; Enoutekies on the Tomea, and Enare on 

 Lake Enare, the population of each of which is about 400. 



Besides cattle, horses, sheep, and goats are numerous, but hogs are 

 rai'e. Wild animals are numerous, as immense tracts are deserts, and 

 probably uninhabitable. Bears and beavers are scarce : but reindeer, 

 wolves, lynxes, wolverines, foxes, lemmings, hares, squirrels, martens, 

 and otters are very numerous. Among the birds are eagles, caper- 

 cailies, woodcocks, aud a variety of sea-birds, which are particularly 

 numerous aloug the coast of Norway. The forests, which cover a 

 considerable part of tho surface of the country, consist mostly of 

 birch, fir, pine, alder, aud aspen. The soil, which is overgrown by 

 these forests, is chiefly covered with reindeer moss {Lichen hlandicxui), 

 which also covers the lower declivities of the higher part of the 

 Kiolen range, and on which the numerous herds of reindeer fiod. 



LA PLATA, [Pl.\ta, La.] 



LAPORTE. [LvDiANA.] 



LAR, or LARISTAN. [Persia.] 



LARAONE. [AxrES, Hautes.] 



LARASH. rMAKocco.] 



LAREDa [Castilla la Viej^v.] 



LARGO. [FueaHiRB.] 



LARGS, Ayrshire, Scotland, a watering-place in tho pai'ish of Largs, 

 on the Frith of Clyde, opposite the island of Cumbrae. The popula- 

 tion of the town in 1351 was 2824. 



Id the vicinity of Largs the soil is dry, and tho air salubrious ; aud 

 on each side of the town are several fine streams of water. The new 

 houses are well built, and the general appearance of the place is, espe- 

 cially from the water, very pleasing. The principal access is by 

 steamers from Glasgow. A neat stone pier has recently been erected. 

 The only historical incident connected with Largs is the celebrated 

 battle fought here in 1263 between the Scots and Norwegians, in 

 which the Norwegians were defeated. In the burial-ground, the site 

 of the ancient tharch, stands a fine sepulchral chapel belonging to the 

 family of Montgomery. In the neighbourhood of Latgs are a few 

 remains of tho castellated residences of its ancient lords. The houses 

 of Skelmorly and Kelbume are still habitable ; they afibrd excellent 

 specimens of the dwellings of the Scottish gentry iu the 16th aud 17th 

 centuries. 



LARI.SS.\. [TnEasALY.] 



LARKUANA. [Hindustan.] 



LARNE, cotmty of Antrim, Irelimd, a sea-port town and tho seat 

 of a Poor-Law Union, is situated in a sheltered bay near the mouth 

 and on the north shore of Lough Lame, 18 miles N.N.E. from Belfast, 

 iu 64° 60' N. lat, 5° 50' W. long. The popuhtion in 1851 was 2728, 

 besides 346 in public institutions. The town is governed by nine com- 

 missioners. Larue Poor-Law Union comprises 13 electoral divisions, 

 with an area of 117,763 acres, and a population in 1851 of 34,710. 

 The town originally sprung up under the protection of Olderfleet 

 Castle, which was erected in the reign of Henry III. upon a little 

 headland close to the town, where its ruins are still seen. In the older 

 parts of the town the streets are narrow and ill-paved, and the houses 

 very infeiior ; the modem pai't consists chiefly of one long wide street 

 of well-built houses. The places of worship are the parish church, 

 three Presbyterian meetiug-houses, a Roman Catholic and a Methodist 

 chapel. Cotton-cloth, sail-cloth, ropes, and leather are manufactured ; 

 and there are several bleach-mills and flour-mills. The bay forms a 

 good natural harbour for small vessels. Lime is exported in largo 

 quantities from the extensive works of Magheramome adjoining the 

 town. The other exports consist chiefly of provisions. Lame is 

 now a more out-port of Belfast Fairs ai-e held on July Slst and 

 December 1st The town has a dispensary and a potty sessions 

 court 



LARNIKA. [Cyprus.] 



LA-ROCHK-DiiRRlEN. [C6tesdu-Nord.] 



LA-ROCHKLLE. [CnAnENTE-lNFBluEUBE.J 



LA-SOUTKUAINE. [Creuse.] 



LAS-PALMAS, [Canaries.] 



LASSWADE. [Ldinburuushibe.] 



LATAKIA. [SiRiA.] 



LATAKOO. [BEicnoujiKA.] 



