66 THE LAPLAND ALPS. 



singland, as well as ropps of the same 

 material, which will not sink in water, but 

 these are not in general use. 



The bows which serve the Laplanders 

 for shooting squirrels are composed of 

 two different kinds of wood, laid parallel 

 to each other. The innermost is birch, 

 the outermost of what they term kior, 

 kiocrn or tioern. (This is procured from 

 a tree of the Common Fir, Pinus si/lvestris, 

 that happens to grow in a curved form, 

 usually in marshy places, or on the banks 

 of rivers, and whose contracted side is hard 

 like box : see vol. i.p. 255 ; also Fl. Lopp. n, 

 546, X.) If this be not practised, the bows 

 are more apt to snap. Each layer of wood 

 is externally convex, yet not so much as 

 to render the bow quite cylindrical. 



When the Laplanders expect any visitors, 

 they are particularly careful to have plenty 

 of vis (branches of the dwarf birch ) spread 

 on the floor, under the reindeer skins on 

 which they sit ; otherwise they would be 

 thought deficient in civility, and the mis- 



