THE REIN-DEER. 



Journies performed by the rein-deer. 



in long journies, being considerably taller and 

 stronger than the tame ones. These, however, 

 retain much natural wildness, and sometimes not 

 only refuse to obey their master, but turn restive, 

 and strike at him so furiously with their feet, 

 that his only resource is to cover himself with 

 his sledge, on which the enraged animal vents its 

 fury. The tame deer, on the contrary, are 

 equally active and submissive. 



Tt is generally understood that, with a couple 

 /of rein-deer yoked to a sledge, a Laplander is 

 able to perform a journey of one hundred Eng- 

 lish miles in a day; and the Laplanders assert, 

 that in twenty-four hours, they can thrice change 

 the horizon, or, in other words, they can three 

 times pass that object, which, at their setting 

 out, they saw at the greatest distance they could 

 reach with their eyes. 



The Lapland sledge is extremely light, and 

 formed somewhat like a boat, having a back- 

 board in it for the rider to lean against. Its 

 bottom is convex, and to preserve himself from 

 oversetting, the traveller must balance it by a 

 careful poise of his body and hands. This, how- 

 ,ever, he does with great dexterity ; and by means 

 of a stick with a flat end, he easily removes stones 

 or any other obstructions he may meet with. To 

 the peak in front of the sledge a thong is fixed, 

 which yokes the rein-deer. The bit is a piece 

 of narrow leather tacked to the reins of the bri- 



. NO. VJII. B 



