A EEINDEER HIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 9 



in Lapland towards the end of the seventeenth cen- 

 tury, says : " A Lapp sledge is called a poolk, and is 

 elevated in front to keep out the snow. The prow 

 consists of one plank, and the body is composed of 

 several pieces sewed together with strong reindeer- 

 sinews, and without a single nail. This is joined to 

 another piece about four fingers broad, which goes 

 beyond the rest of the structure, and is exactly like 

 the keel of a ship. It is on this that the sledge runs, 

 and from its narrowness constantly rolls from side to 

 side. The traveller sits inside as in a coffin, with the 

 lower part of his body covered, and being firmly tied 

 there, with only his hands free in order to hold the 

 rein. He must balance himself very carefully lest he 

 should be killed, as the sledge descends the steepest 

 hills with horrible swiftness." Though the traveller 

 makes some mistake with regard to being tied up in 

 the sledge, he is quite correct in the latter part of the 

 quotation, as I soon found before I had proceeded 

 many miles. 



With the exception of one of the party, we were 

 all greenhorns, and were therefore not permitted to 

 drive alone, but were put in " leading-strings." Our 

 reindeer was tied to the poolks in front, while another 

 animal tied behind us acted as a kind of stop, and 

 served also to assist in keeping a fair balance. It 

 was, therefore, not exactly with eclat that our caval- 

 cade of fifteen deer left Bosekop, setting off at a hard 

 gallop towards the wilds we were to traverse. Even 



