424 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



man, half woman. He can 

 take his eye out and eat it, 

 or allow a bullet to be shot 

 through his head and feel none 

 the worse! We are told "his 

 demeanour is that of a maniac; 

 his utterance becomes vehe- 

 ment; he foams at the mouth, 

 and his hair stands up straight," 

 when the spirit possesses him. 

 It is surprising to find such 

 beliefs common among people 

 who are exceptionally intelli- 

 gent, who have schools 

 throughout the land, a national 

 press, and are industrious, 

 shrewd in trade, polished in 

 manners, and prosperous. 



LAPLAND. 



THE country of the Lapps, 

 which belongs partly to Eussia 

 and partly to Sweden and 

 Norway, lies almost wholly 

 within the Arctic Circle. 

 Though few in number, they 

 are a distinct race, and interest- 

 ing for two reasons. In the 

 first place, their origin is so 

 ancient as to be hardly trace- 

 able; secondly, they still live 

 under primitive conditions 

 which have undergone little 

 change during the last thousand 

 years. At one time they 

 enjoyed a great reputation for 

 witchcraft, and English seamen 

 used to go to Lapland to " buy 

 a wind " from the natives. 

 Some writers derive the name 

 from Lap, or Lapp, an old 

 Swedish word for " enchanter." 

 The latest estimate of the population puts it at between 28,000 and 30,000; but it is 

 impossible to ascertain the precise number of a people of whom half are wanderers. Statistics 

 show that, of the estimated total, 25,000 live in Lapmark and Finmark, which are provinces 

 in the extreme north of Sweden and Norway respectively. That would leave about 4,000 to 

 inhabit Eussian Lapland, including the Kola Peninsula in the Arctic Sea. 



It was the custom some years ago to speak of the Lapps as dwarfs. This is not quite 

 the case, although they are certainly the shortest people in Europe. It appears, from a large 

 number of measurements that have been made, that the average height of the men is about 

 4 feet 11 inches, and of the women 4 feet 7 inches. A striking feature among the Lapps is 

 the shortness of their legs and arms. Small feet are universal. The shape of their faces 



Photo by Valentine & Sons, Ltd.] 



A MOUNTAIN LAPP. 



[Dundee. 





