DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 175 



the reindeer business, if engaged in in the right manner, gives to the Lapps large 

 profits, especially if the market for meat and skins is not distant. 



Some Laplanders arc t<> be found in Sweden owning as many as l.ono reindeer, 

 worth from $35,000 to $36,000, which give to their owners 20 per ceni clear profit. 

 Of course there are not many so wealthy, bui most of the Laplanders own several 

 hundred and upwards. 



In late years many farmers in the northern part of Sweden have purchased small 

 herds of reindeer, which herds remain in care of the Lapps for 25 cents a head per 

 year, and the result has generally been profitable. 



Every owner of reindeer chooses or buys one or more brands and sends them in, 

 with his application, to the nearest court-house for approval, and if no brand like 

 them has been registered before, the application will be granted. The brands are 

 then cut on the car of the reindeer, and thereafter the reindeer are protected as his 

 by the law of the country. The Government employs some man as chief, who has to 

 look after the rights of everyone; and to lighten his work it is forbidden by law to 

 soil or buy any reindeer skin unless the ear remains on the skin. 



In the summer the reindeer can not thrive in any other place than the mountains, 

 above the forest, but below the snow-line. The Lapp with his family builds bis 

 cabin ("kata") iu this region, especially near some lake, and busies himself with 

 fishing. 



The reindeer, spreading in many small herds, pasture within a district of from 25 

 to 30 miles, and need no attention, provided the Lapp knows where the largest 

 docks are. For this purpose the Lapp moves around now and then. Once a year, 

 in the month of June, the calves have to be branded, in the presence of the above- 

 mentioned chief. For this reason the whole country has to be searched, with the aid 

 of dogs, in order to gather the reindeer close together. When this is done, the 

 dogs keep guard around the herd; the Lapp catches all female reindeer which have 

 any calves (the calves always accompany their mothers the first year) and then 

 cuts the mark upon the ear. 



Four Lapps are sufficient to take care of 2,000 reindeer. Two of the tamest 

 female reindeer are kept, in the neighborhood of the camping place to furnish the 

 Lapp family with milk, but little of the milk is used because it has a bitter taste. 



During the winter it is necessary to care for the reindeer well, because the wolf is 

 importunate and the Lapps have to drive the wolves aw ay from the reindeer. They 

 will have to run on snow-shoes, sometimes 40 or 50 miles duiing stormy and inclem- 

 ent weather, before they can overtake and kill the wolves. This is not an easy 

 undertaking. 



The month of December is the Lapps' slaughter time, whei, the yearly killing of 

 the reindeer takes place. At that time they change their camping place down to 

 the forest in order to come nearer a road (usually near the mountains), where they 

 can meet the speculators in meat and skins. As soon as any of them arrive, two or 

 more Lapps go to the mountains early the next morning, and by the aid of dogs 

 gather as many reindeer as they can in a hurry into a herd, aud bring them by force 

 down the mountains to the butchering place, where the deer crowd cl se together 

 on some open ground, and the dogs arc commanded to keep guard all aiound. The 

 Lapp, as butcher, with a line and a knife, whose blade is not more than 4 inches 

 long, walks in amid the herd to select the victims, principally the males and the 

 more intractable females, and, using the line as a lasso, throws this on the victim, 

 and as soon be gets bold of the deer's head, stabs the animal in the hollow of the 

 neck. The victim falls suddenly to the ground, and the Lapp immediately thrusts 

 his knife three inches behind the shoulder right into the heart. The blood runs 

 into the cavity of the chest, where it is taken care of. 



About two or three hours after noon the reindeer can not be kept any longer in 

 herds. They want food, and, becoming uneasy, run up into the mountains. Next 



