THE CARIBOU. 691 



The nature of the persecutions to which the Reindeer is continually subjected is 

 well told by a correspondent to the Field newspaper : " The herd looked very inisi-r- 

 able, as I thought ; there is nothing of the antlered monarch about the Reindeer, Inn a 

 careworn, nervous expression, which I do not wonder at, considering how they are 

 bullied. There are creatures which sting them all over, and creatures which lay their 

 eggs in their ears and nostrils, and make themselves comfortable under their skin ; 

 and wolves, and gluttons, and dogs, and Laps in short, I know of no animal so per- 

 secuted (barring a rat, and he has his revenge, and lives on the fat of the land), and 

 nothing in return except snow, and moss which tastes like dry sponge." 



The Laplanders place their chief happiness in the possession of many Reindeer, 

 which are to them the only representatives of wealth. Those who possess a herd of a 

 thousand or more are reckoned among the wealthy of their country ; those who only 

 own a few hundreds are considered as persons of respectability ; while those who only 

 possess forty or fifty are content to act as servants to their richer countrymen, and to 

 merge their little herd in that of their employers. In the waste, dry parts of Lapland, 

 grows a kind of white lichen, which forms the principal food of the Reindeer during 

 winter, and is therefore highly prized by the natives. Although this lichen may be 

 deeply covered with snow, the Reindeer is taught by instinct to scrape away the su- 

 perincumbent snow with its head, hoofs, and snout, and to lay bare the welcome food 

 that lies beneath. Sometimes the surface of the snow is frozen so firmly that the animal 

 can make no impression ; and under these circumstances it is in very poor case, many 

 of the unfortunate creatures dying of starvation, and the others being much reduced 

 in condition. 



The Reindeer is extensively employed as a beast of draught and carriage, being 

 taught to draw sledges and to carry men or packages upon its back. Each Reindeer 

 can draw a weight of two hundred and fifty or even three hundred pounds, its pace 

 being between nine and ten miles per hour. There is, however, a humane law which 

 prohibits a weight of more than one hundred and ninety pounds npon a sledge, or one 

 hundred and thirty upon the back. It is a very enduring animal, as it is able to keep 

 up this rate of progress for twelve or more hours together. 



The eyes of the Reindeer are very quick, and his hearing also acute ; but his sense 

 of smell is more wonderfully developed than either of the other senses. 



The CARIBOU, or American variety of the Reindeer, is a large animal, measuring 

 three feet six inches in height at the shoulder when adult. Although it is specifically 

 identical with the European Reindeer, it has never yet been brought under the sway 

 of man, and trained to carry his goods or draw his sledges. Should it be employed 

 for these purposes, it would be a most valuable servant, for it is a very strong as well as 

 an enduring animal, leading its pursuers a chase of four or five days, and often event- 

 ually making good its escape. A small herd of these animals was chased continually 

 for a week ; and after tiring out their original hunters, lost two of their number by 

 the bullets of some fresh hunters who took up the chase. Whenever practicable 

 the Caribou makes for the frozen surface of the lakes, and is then sure to escape, 

 although the manner of doing so is ludicrously clumsy. Rushing recklessly forward, 

 the Caribou will be suddenly startled by some object in its front; and on attempting 

 to check its onward career, falls on the ice in a sitting posture, and in that attitude 

 slides for a considerable distance before it can stop itself. Recovering its feet, it then 

 makes off in another direction, and gets over the ground with such celerity that the 

 hunters always yield the chase whenever the animal gets upon the ice. 



During the greater part of the year, the flesh of the Caribou is dry and tasteless, and 

 when eaten seems to have no effect in satiating hunger. There is, however, a layer of fat, 

 sometimes two or three inches in thickness, that lies under the skin of the back and croup 

 in the male, and is technically termed the depouille. This fatty deposit is so highly 

 esteemed that it outweighs in value the remainder of the carcass, including skin and 

 horns. The marrow is also remarkably excellent, and is generally eaten raw. When 

 pounded together with the depouille and the dried flesh it makes the best pemmican, a 

 substance which is invaluable to the hunter. Even the horns are eaten raw while they 



