A REINDEER RIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 35 



to four inches. Throughout their whole length they 

 are provided with a groove for the purpose of keep- 

 ing them from slipping when going at an angle down- 

 hill. Although by no means slow when used across 

 level ground, it is yet downhill that they are most 

 effective, for their long length and their polished 

 under-surface on the frozen snow cause a speed more 

 like flying than any other motion I know of. The 

 inhabitants of Telemarken, in the south of Norway, 

 are the most efficient ski runners ; and at the annual 

 competitions at Christiania, generally bear off the 

 prizes. At the competition there in 1879, one of 

 these men leaped, according to a local newspaper, 

 a distance of thirty Norwegian alen, or fully sixty 

 feet ! Into this country it will not be possible to 

 introduce them, as of course there would be little or 

 no opportunity for using them the snow never lying 

 long enough, or becoming sufficiently deep. 1 



Karasjok, among other things, also contains a 

 prison, which when I visited it was tenanted by 

 two poor deer-stealers, whose extradition had been 

 demanded by the Swedish authorities. Though 

 nominally prisoners, they seemed to do pretty much 

 as they liked, as they left the prison Avhenever they 

 had occasion to do so. On my inquiring how this 

 state of affairs was permitted, I was informed that 



1 Since the above was written I have worn my pair several 

 times in Britain, and found them to do very well, although 

 the snow was only about two or three inches deep. 



