334 THE REIN-DEER. 



pulk, without appearing to sustain any damage, or his 

 deer at all to relax its pace. My turn was now arrived ; 

 and as we were descending a trifling declivity, and about 

 to enter the fir forest, a sudden jerk threw the pulk so 

 completely on its broadside, that I was unable to recover 

 it, and I was dragged in this manner for a considerable 

 distance, reclining on my right side, and ploughing up the 

 snow, which formed a cloud a,round me, from the quick 

 motion of the vehicle. To render my situation more help- 

 less, on losing my balance I had lost also the rein ; and 

 though I saw it dancing in the snow within an inch of my 

 hands, I was unable, from the position I lay in, to recover 

 it. Notwithstanding the great increase of the weight, the 

 deer relaxed but little of his speed, making greater exertions 

 the more he felt the impediment. The depth of the snow, 

 however, in parts, exhausted the animal, and he at length 

 stopped for an instant, breathless, and turned round to 

 gaze upon his unfortunate master. I began to fear I was 

 now going to receive some punishment for my awkward- 

 ness ; but after resting a moment, he again proceeded. In 

 the mean time, I had been enabled to recover the rein, as 

 well as to place myself once more in an upright posture, 

 and we continued our way at increased speed." 



This accident, however, threw our traveller behind, and 

 he did not overtake the party until a halt had been called 

 to collect the stragglers, and we find them now upon the 

 banks of the Aiby Elv, a stream which was still open in 

 the centre, and which they were obliged to cross. This 

 was managed as follows : 



" The Laplanders, to whom these obstacles are trifles, 

 prepared without hesitation to leap each deer with its 

 driver and sledge over together. This seemed no less dif- 

 ficult than hazardous ; indeed it appeared quite impracti- 

 cable, from the width of the unfrozen part, which was 

 about seven feet, and in the centre of the stream. The 

 whole breadth of the Aiby Elv here might perhaps be 



