60 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND, 



like a sugar-loaf, and of blue cloth. But I believe 

 the Laps of each district have their peculiar dress. 

 Men and women dress nearly alike; and as in 

 both the straight hair flows lankily down the back 

 and sides of the head, and as I never observed 

 any beards or whiskers among them, it is hard at 

 first sight to distinguish a man from a woman. 

 The dress is rather in Bloomer style — a short 

 skin coat, generally with the hair outside, buckled 

 round the middle, and a pair of tanned reindeer 

 breeches, which fit tight round their spindled 

 shanks (and many a London groom would give a 

 year's wages if he could only sport a Laplander's 

 leg). These breeches are fastened round the ankle, 

 and a pair of tanned reindeer boots, fashioned 

 much like a Chinese shoe, with peaked and turned- 

 up toes, are drawn over them; and a long list 

 thong, wound thickly round the top of the boot, 

 renders them nearly perfectly waterproof. What 

 surprised me was, that in the depth of winter 

 their necks are always bare ; and this is the case 

 generally throughout Sweden. They wear no 

 stockings, but in lieu thereof these boots, which 

 are roomy, and stuffed full of soft hay. This 

 keeps their feet always warm ; and the soles being 

 rather pliable, no shoe in the world could be better 

 adapted for climbing the rugged fells. Body linen 

 I don't believe they wear ; but I never examined 



