ii4 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



The REIN-DEER. 



This extraordinary animal is a native of the icy re- 

 gions of the North ; where, by a wife and bountiful dif- 

 penfation, which diffufes the common goods of Nature 

 over every part of the habitable globe, it abounds, and is 

 made fubfervient to the wants of a hardy race of men in- 

 habiting the countries near the pole, who would find it 

 impoflible to fubfift among their fnowy mountains with- 

 out the aid of this moll ufeful creature. 



In more temperate regions, men are indebted to the 

 unbounded liberality of Nature for a great variety of va- 

 luable creatures to ferve, to nourifh, and to cloath them. 

 To the poor Laplander, the Rein-deer alone fupplies the 

 place of the Horfe, the Cow, the Sheep, the Goat, &c. ; 

 and from it he derives the only comforts that tend to 

 foften the feverity of his fituation in that moft inhofpita- 

 ble climate. 



