REINDEER-STALKING 95 



of the Scandinavian fjeld. Before the incursion of 

 the Lapp there were plenty of reindeer so the natives 

 say in this identical fjeld. Now there are none, one 

 reason being that a family of Lapps have for some 

 years been quartered at the head of the Laerdal 

 Valley, and several hundreds of their tame reindeer 

 graze over the high fjelds between that valley and 

 Aasen Farm. 



The same thing has happened, I have been told to 

 a partial extent, at all events on the fjelds above the 

 Sundal Valley, where formerly excellent wild reindeer 

 stalking could be obtained, as I happen to know from 

 personal experience. It has also probably occurred in 

 other districts south of Throndhjem. 



Clearly I write this from a sportsman's standpoint. 

 We naturally regret the narrowing of our happy 

 hunting-grounds, and the partial extinction of a unique 

 wild animal that we liked to hunt and kill for our 

 diversion and for sport. The Lapp must live, no 

 doubt the necessity to exist is upon him ; and it is 

 for the Norske people and the Norske Government, 

 and for them alone, to control the movements and the 

 predatory action of their own nomadic population as 

 best they will or may. If, however, some working 

 compromise could haply be discovered, whereby 

 certain high fjelds could always be kept free and 

 undisturbed as wild reindeer forests, to be rented to 

 the sportsman who would hunt thereon in reason, and 

 no more, then would a valuable asset accrue to the 

 revenues of Norway, and much content prevail in 

 certain Anglo-Saxon minds ; also, the wild reindeer 

 would continue to live and roam on native fjeld. 



It is a sign of the times that by recent Norske 

 legislation all reindeer- stalking has been forbidden for 



