502 



L A P L A N'D. 



1 upland. i n which they are doomed to pass so great a portion of 

 ""V"''"' their existence, than a natural hue of their skin ; for 

 I . i nn.-riis affirms, that " the fairness of the bodies of these 

 dark-faced people rivalled that of any lady whatever. 1 ' 

 The dress of the Laplanders consists of a conical 

 cap in the form of a sugar loaf, and of a greyish co- 

 lour, made with eight seams, which are covered with 

 ttripes of brown cloth, with a tossel of various colour- 

 ed shreds on the top, and a border of fur round the 

 lower part : sometimes the colour of the cap is red, 

 and the stripes yellow. While engaged in hunting or 

 in tending the rein deer, they wear also a kind of rid- 

 ing-hood, which covers the whole head, breast, and 

 shoulders, having only a small opening in front to look 

 through. The men rarely wear any covering about 

 their necks, which are exposed naked to the weather, 

 with no other protection but what is derived from the 

 thick collars of their coats. The coat, which serves at 

 once as shirt and outer garment, 'is generally made of 

 sheep-skin with the wool upon it turned next the skin, 

 and reaches below the knees, when not tied up with a 

 girdle. It is open in front half way down the bosom, 

 below which it is fastened with hooks, as far as the 

 lower part of the stomach. The collar is high and 

 thick, quilted with cloth, frequently ornamented with 

 different coloured threads, and extending a little way 

 down the bosom on each side. Instead of pockets, they 

 carry a little bag hanging over the breast, divided into 

 two compartments, and containing their tobacco pipe, 

 tinder-box, tobacco, and spoon. The great coat made 

 of kersey or rein-deer skin, with the hairy side out- 

 wards, is like the jacket, open only at the breast, and 

 provided with an upright stiffened collar, with a run- 

 ning string to draw it close about the neck. The col- 

 lar, the opening at the breast, the shoulder-band, the 

 cuffs of the sleeve, and the bottom of the coat and 

 jacket are commonly bordered with cloth or furs of 

 different colours, and worked with threads of various 

 hues. The mountain Laplanders also wear around 

 their necks, when they travel, the skin of a fox's cub. 

 They sometimes wear gloves of tanned leather ; but 

 more commonly made of the skins of the fawn of the 

 rein deer, with the hair turned outwards, and a lining 

 of Cyprus-grass. A finer sort is made of the skin of 

 the black fox or of the rein-deer's foot ; and the upper 

 part, which reaches above the wrist, is formed of cloth 

 curiously worked with tinsel wire, and trimmed with 

 otter's skin. They use no stockings, but wear a kind of 

 pantaloons of coarse cloth or tanned leather, or the skin 

 of the rein-deer's legs, fitted close to the limbs. Their 

 shoes are made from the skin of the rein deer, the 

 soles being taken from the forehead, and the upper- 

 leather from the legs of the animal. The hair of the 

 sole is generally singed to render it less slippery in 

 walking ; and the inside is carefully lined with a kind 

 of soft hay, chiefly of the carx sylvalica. Sometimes 

 they buy leather from their neighbours for boots ; and 

 a finer sort is made for sale with the legs of coarse cloth 

 neatly worked with tinsel wire, and the toe prolonged 

 to a sharp point. They wear leather belts ornamented 

 with tin, and with thongs of leather, to which are at- 

 tached tin balls, keys, &c. hanging down behind. The 

 women wear caps of woollen or linen cloth, with stripes 

 and borders of yellow cloth, and ribbands of gold oi - 

 silver tinsel, and use riding-hoods, when abroad, like 

 those of the men. Their jackets and great coats resem- 

 ble those of the men, except that the former is gathered 

 into plaits before and behind, and is rather shorter 

 than that of the other sex, while the latter is longer. 



The other parts of their dress are little different from I.apknd. 

 those of the men; but their gloves and shoes are ge- *"" "V""*""' 

 nerally of white skins, and their girdles "more orna- 

 mented. They wear also kerchiefs, or mantles'of Rus- 

 sian linen or cotton, and narrow aprons of the same 

 stuffs, always furnished with a fringe or border. All 

 their articles of dress are made by the women. 



The mountain Laplanders, or those who inhabit the Habitations 

 alpine country, have no fixed habitations, but live in 

 tents, which they move from place to place, in quest of 

 food for their rein-deer. These tents are usually nine 

 feet in height, and about 1 2 feet in length. They are 

 constructed by means of six poles or beams of wood 

 nearly meeting at the top, and in winter fixed at the 

 lower extremities in a wall of snow raised around the 

 inclosed space. The tent is covered with walmal cloth, 

 generally in two pieces, fastened together with wooden 

 skewers ; and the ddor is simply a flap of cloth left be- 

 tween two of the main beams, but sometimes extended 

 on a wooden frame in the form of a pyramid, with a 

 thong of leather tying the top or point of the door to 

 the upper part of the opening by way of hinge, while 

 the side to windward is carefully kept close, and en- 

 trance allowed only in the opposite direction The fire 

 place, which consists of a square enclosure of low stones, 

 is always in the centre of the tent, and above it is left a 

 hole in the roof to let out the smoke, and a small beam 

 crossing the top of the principal poles to support the 

 iron hook by which the kettle is suspended. The sum- 

 mer tent is covered with canvas cleth ; and a small 

 one, of the same materials, is carried by the Laplander 

 in his hunting excursions at all season?. The huts of 

 the maritime Laplanders, and of those who inhabit the 

 woody region, nearly resemble the tents now described, 

 in their whole form and structure, except, that in- 

 stead of a cloth covering, the roof is formed of the 

 bark of the birch tree and sods of earth. The internal 

 arrangement is the same in both. The space between 

 the fire-place and the door is used as a receptacle for 

 fire- wood, and that behind the fire for the kettles and 

 other utensils. The spaces on each side of the fire- 

 place are divided, by logs of wood, into three apart- 

 ments, which may be styled the bed-chambers; of 

 these the space farthest from the door, accounted the 

 most honourable, is occupied by the husband and wife ; 

 that in the middle by the children ; and the outer one 

 by the servants. It not unfrequently happens that two 

 families dwell with the utmost harmony in the same 

 habitation, each occupying one side, and using the fire- 

 place, with its front and back spaces, in common. The 

 whole floor of the huts and tents is covered with the 

 small branches of trees, and above these are usually 

 spread the skins of rein-deer, upon which the family sit 

 or recline, as, except in the centre, where the fire is 

 situated, no part is sufficiently high ,to admit of their 

 standing upright. A thicker covering of skins is laid 

 in the lateral spaces which are used as bed-chambers ; 

 and, however intense may be the cold, the mountain 

 Laplander always strips himself naked when he goes to 

 sleep. His outer coat serves as a pillow, and a sheep's 

 skin, with the woolly side inwards, as a blanket, above 

 which, if necessary, is laid a woollen rug. During sum- 

 mer, a canvas quilt is commonly used as the upper co- 

 vering, which the Laplander draws completely over his 

 head as a protection from the musquitoes, and keeps it 

 raised in the middle by a leather thong tied to the poles 

 of the tent, so as to allow a freer respiration in his hid- 

 ing place. At all seasons these dwellings are constant- 

 ly filled with smoke, which is considered as the best 



