148 REPORT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF 



The Lapps are more or less superstitious in many things, but tliey are not afraid 

 either in the dark or in snow-storms. They rarely, if ever, succumb to the weather, 

 and they never lose their bearings in the most blinding blizzard. They are perfectly 

 cool and self-possessed in the midst of every danger. 



The post is carried by Lapps and reindeer overland in Finmarken from Alten to 

 Yadso, Kautokeino, Karasjok, and other points in the Arctics, and it rarely fails to 

 arrive on schedule time. 



The Lapp tent, 12 to 14 feet in diameter, consists in summer of a canvas, while the 

 winter tent is made of matting woven of rags and lined with reindeer skins. The 

 fire-place is made of three or four stones laid on the floor in the center of the tent, 

 and a hole in the top of this coniform wigwam serves as chimney. On the tire-place 

 the coffee-pot is constantly boiling. 



One Lapp and one dog can take care of 500 reindeer, but, as the herd has to be 

 watched both day and night, the twenty-four hours are usually divided into three 

 watches of eight hours each, and thus three persons (say, husband, wife, aud a 

 child or servant) are required for the constant care of a herd of 500. 



While the Lapp is not herding or taking his sleep he is busy making various 

 articles of horn or bone, repairing his pulk, harness, making shoes (snow-shoes), etc. 

 The wife takes her turn in herding, and she does the most of the sewing, while the 

 cooking is done by the men and women alike. 



A Lapp owning 800 reindeer and upwards keeps one or more servants, whose 

 wages consist in a certain number of reindeer cows with calf. These animals are 

 regularly marked on their ears and sides as belonging to the servants, and remain 

 their property. When the servant marries the reindeer belonging to the boy and 

 the girl are united and form the nucleus of a new herd. 



The chief food of the Lapps is reindeer meat, with a small amount of bread. 

 They are fond of tobacco, and consume an enormous amount of coffee. They also 

 like intoxicating drinks, but the laws of Norway and Sweden make it extremely 

 difficult for them to get liquor. They were converted to Christianity about 200 

 years ago, and belong to the Lutheran Church, which is the state religion of Norway. 

 While their knowledge of Christianity is very superficial, they cling with tenacity 

 to the outward forms, and are very particular to have their children properly bap- 

 tized and confirmed; the marriage knot tied by the priest, and the dead buried in 

 consecrated ground. The children attend school during the winter months, in 

 Norway, at Kautokeino and Karasjok, where they are taught to read and learn the 

 rudiments of Christianity. As a rule, the Lapps are thrifty. Besides their herds, 

 they usually own a considerable amount of money deposited in banks. As they 

 have but little occasion to spend money, these deposits increase from year to year, 

 and when the head of a family dies, there frequently are thousands of dollars to be 

 divided among the heirs. 



In moral character, the Lapps rank much higher than might be expected, con-' 

 sidering their education and circumstances. They are greedy and stingy, but at the 

 same time hospitable to strangers. They are a remarkably chaste people, adultery 

 being scarcely known among them. Mixed marriages are extremely rare, it being 

 almost impossible to persuade a Lappish man or woman to marry a white person. 

 Their chief weakness is their passion for stealing reindeer, and many Lapps are 

 annually sent to prison for this crime. They are expert traders and buy and sell 

 for cash. 



In the summer the reindeer steers are made to carry on their backs the tents, 

 household utensils, the food, and the children that are too small to walk, while in 

 winter they draw the boat-shaped pulks, in which tho Lapp seats himself, with his 

 baggage. Much experience is required to keep one's balance while riding in the 

 pulk, up and downhill, overstock raid stone. The reindeer will travel with ease 

 100 miles per day and draw a load of 300 pounds. The Lapp is also an expert on ski, 

 a kind of long, wooden snow-shoes, used throughout Norway and Sweden. 



