DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 151 



REINDEER. 



The reindeer is to the Laplander " oinne in omnibus; " it gives him food, clothes; 

 of the horns he makes spoons and other articles for fche household; the tendons 

 serve as sewing thread, etc. 



The reindeer lives (al least in Norway and Sweden) only in the mountains. 

 During the summer months it lives chiefly on grass and leaves; in fche winter months 

 on "reindeer moss, - ' which it seeks under the snow. 



At times it happens that the reindeer can not gel at the moss; for instance, when 

 there suddenly comes a severe cold after some rainy or mild days, and the ice or 

 snow crust is too hard to be removed (which the deer does with its hoofs). Lots of 

 reindeer then die of starvation. No other food can then be procured, except the 

 moss on the trees, which the Laplanders cut down for this purpose. Another draw- 

 back is generally connected with scarcity of food; the animals generally keeping" 

 together, watched by their owners and the dogs, try to find food at a distance and 

 spread themselves, getting out of control, and become an easy prey to the wolves 

 and other beasts. 



The Lapland dog is a very clever, faithful animal; without their assistance the 

 reindeer owners would be quite helpless and never be able to keep their herds 

 together. There are Laplanders owniug from 1,000 to 2,000 reindeer. As a boy, I 

 sometimes joined parties from my native town to visit the Laplanders and see their 

 herds. When we arrived we saw nothing but a couple of tents and snow; the Lap- 

 landers said some words to the dogs, which disappeared: in ten to fifteen minutes 

 we had before our eyes from 600 to 800 reindeer. One might almost think they had 

 been conjured from the underground regions. 



The reindeer meat, eaten fresh, gives a delicious steak, considered as a perfect 

 treat, but it must have a little " haut gout" as other game. It is mostly dried and 

 smoked, rather tender. The smoked reindeer tongues are considered delicious and 

 sell at a good price throughout Europe. The cows give a very fat. uncommonly 

 strong milk (they say in Norway '• it bites on the tongue"), but very little, I do 

 not think more than a teacup per day, perhaps less. 



Toward the winter the Laplanders leave the high mountains and move downward 

 nearer the wood regions (where the trees commence to grow) ; then he makes his pro- 

 visions for the winter, kills a certain number of reindeer; what he does not keep for 

 his own use he brings down to the villages and towns, exchanging it for brandy, 

 coffee, and some small luxuries. 



I think a reindeer runs faster than a horse. It is in driving not governed by two 

 reins, but only by a single one, fastened on the head, and thrown at the right or left 

 to guide the reindeer. The sleighs are very primitive, a kind of board, with flat 

 bottoms on a very broad heel, fastened to the chest of the animal with a leather 

 belt, between the forelegs. The Laplander does not use a whip, but a short stick, 

 having an iron ring in which are fixed several other rings. If the animal is wanted 

 to quicken its pace the driver shakes the stick, making the rings rattle. As the 

 sleighs are very apt to capsize, the drivers are furnished with very thick clothes and 

 fastened to the sleigh. 



The reindeer is very shy, but I do not think it is very good-natured. When irri- 

 tated or angered it attacks its driver as the nearest person in view, kicking with the 

 forelegs; but the Laplander does not mind this diversion much; his thick dress pro- 

 tects him from being seriously hint, if he takes good care of his head and face, and 

 the animal, for some unknown reason prefers to attack the chest or the back of his 

 adversary. In earnest, deadly combat it uses its horns. I have also been told that 

 the horns get loose every year and then new ones grow out again. The glue made 

 of reindeer horns is considered the best existing. 



The Laplanders are of course skillful "ski" runners. The "ski" is a kind of very 

 long snowshoe, illustrated and described in Leslie's Monthly of February 2. With 



