48 
corn cutter of iron and steel is now employed. 
The sharpened edge side is used to shave off 
fur, and the dull or cornered back of the knife 
is used to work off the flesh on the other side. 
It requires an artist to execute this satisfac- 
torily. 
The whole skin is now immersed in a large 
trough full of brine and allowed to remain 
there for several hours. It is then taken out 
and as much of the water wrung out as possible. 
On a table is a large, smooth board, upon which 
the skin is spread evenly. Strips for snowshoe 
netting are then cut by hand in widths of about 
three-eighths of an inch. From twelve to 
fifteen strips are cut in one circle around the 
edge of skin until all is cut out. The strips or 
strings are kept in water. 
By this time the wooden show frames are 
about ready. Bars are fixed within the space 
and holes drilled into places, the netting is 
begun. The illustration shows how the work 
goes on. The shoes are allowed to stand to 
dry; and when the gut dries, it draws tight, like 
the tennis bat. When thoroughly dry the gut is 
transparent and the color of amber. 
The Chief does not assume his title, even though 
he is in the capacity of a chief, prominently 
among his people at St. Regis (Hogansburg), 
N. Y. In conjunction with other chiefs of the 
Mohawk band of the Iroquois, he is at present 
busy in conferences and communication with 
the Washington authorities for the speedy pay- 
ment of the Kansas land money appropriated 
by Congress. ID}, IE, Ake 
A Trip with Reindeer in Lapland. 
In the year ’99 some people here in Nor- 
way got the gold fever, through reading about 
the Klondike finds, and as there had been known 
for years to be gold in the rivers of Lapland, a 
stock company was formed, and I was chosen 
to find the Eldorado. 
I was to be accompanied by three Laplanders, 
and was to prospect the Bautajok and Anarjok 
rivers—the Anarjok forms the boundary be- 
tween Norway and Finland. The start was made 
from Christiania in the middle of April, by rail 
to Throndhjem, and from there to Hammer- 
fest by steamer. On the journey, which took 
about three days, some of the finest scenery in 
the world was passed, and as we were favored 
by the best weather, it made a memorable trip. 
At Hammerfest, “the furthest north town in 
the world,” a local steamer was taken to Bose- 
kop, about half a day's journey. On arriving 
there, I saw my first specimen of a Lap, and he 
was not a bit prepossessing; in fact, it would 
be difficult to find a more miserable specimen of 
humanity, for he was under five feet in height, 
hump-backed, bow-legged, pigeon-toed and 
dried up like a mummy, while his face looked 
as if it had not seen water for years, and every 
once in a while he would scratch himself sug- 
gestively. 
“Well,” I thought, “if that 1s the companion 
who is going with me, I’ll have a sweet time of 
it.” Luckily though, he was the worst specimen 
seen on the whole trip, but as he proved to be 
my “vappus” or guide who was to take me over 
the mountains, I had to stand his company, but 
admired him from a distance. 
As another party of Laps was also going over 
to Karasjok, a Lap settlement some ninety miles 
away, we combined our forces, making quite a 
little caravan of about a dozen reindeer with 
“pulks,”’ a “pulk” being a canoe-shaped sled, 
without runners, which the animal pulls by a 
thong of reindeer hide that is fastened to a 
collar and passed between his legs. Another 
thong is fastened to the horns and attached to 
the driver’s wrist, so in case of an upset the 
animal can’t get away; this is used as a rein, by 
throwing it over on the side he is wanted to go. 
Traveling by reindeer is very comfortable, 
although of course not as much so as a Pull- 
man sleeper, but when a person gets used to it, 
a little snooze can be taken now and then; not 
of any length, however, as the pulk being round 
in the bottom is rather tippy, making it neces- 
sary to keep the left foot up on the edge and the 
right hand outside to steady it. 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[JAN. 13, 1906. 

After getting rigged out in a complete Lap- 
lander’s costume—fur coat which pulls over the 
head like a sweater, leggings and moccasins, all 
of reindeer skin with the fur on—we were ready 
to start about 9 o’clock in the evening. At that 
time of the year there is already continuous day- 
light through the twenty-four hours, and nights 
are generally chosen to travel in as being 
cooler for the deer. After a little preliminary 
mixup, we started off with the deer on a dead 
run, which, however, soon slowed down to a 
trot. It was a little ticklish in the beginning to 
keep one’s balance, but a fellow soon gets the 
hang of it. We went along on the ice of a river 
one after another, and I enjoyed myself im- 
mensely until I commenced to get a disagreeable 
damp feeling on that part of my anatomy which 
was next to the bottom of the “pulk,” and on 

OUR REINDEER OUTFIT. 
investigating, found that there was quite a lot 
of water on the ice and that the ‘“pulk” was 
far fram watertight. It reminded me of the 
times in the United States when I used to go 
after ducks early in the spring and had a leaky 
canoe; not pleasant, but I had to grin and 
bear it. : 
The river was followed for some distance 
until we struck a trail that took us up on the 
mountain plateau, where the way was marked 
every 200 yards or so by tall telegraph poles, 
which toward the top had a board nailed on 
crosswise, reminding one of a graveyard and 
making the landscape look still more lonesome. 
This plateau is about the dreariest place imagin- 
able; slightly rolling, not a tree to be seen, only 
stones and moss, and in the most sheltered places 
a few scrub birches hugging the ground. Early 
next morning we came to the first mountain 
cabin, where we had a couple of hours’ rest. 
These cabins, of which there are three, were 
put up by the government for the accommoda- 
tion of travelers; they are not first-class, as there 
are two rooms—one for the Laps—a table, a 
couple of chairs and a couple of bedsteads with- 
out clothing, but there is always some one 
there to keep them warm, and they have furn- 
ished many a half frozen traveler with a haven 
of refuge. They were quite expensive, as the 
timber had to be hauled by reindeer some thirty 
to forty miles. 
About 2 P. M. we came to the middle cabin, 
where we intended to stay till next day. On 
the way we had an amusing experience with a 
cock ptarmigan who was heard calling his lady- 
love, and as we were making a short stop at 
the time, one of the Laps commenced answering 
in her voice, softly, coyly and “lady-like.”’ He 
came flying immediately and sat down on the 
snow, about sixty yards away, as he got 
suspicious on seeing our caravan, and would 
not come nearer. The Lap then called like a 
cock, and instantly he came, as he thought there 
was a rival, settling down within twenty yards, 
looking very pretty in his white dress and 
scarlet eyebrows. He sat there a few minutes 
and then flew off with a rattling gok-kara-kara- 
kara! which probably was a lot of “cuss words” 
in the ptarmigan language. Although the gun 
was handy, I thought it too mean a trick to 
shoot him after fooling him so. 
On arriving at the cabin we were welcomed 
by the housekeeper, a young Lap, who was very 
happy to get company, and treated us to a cup 
of “red-hot” coffee that thawed us up wonder- 
fully, and after turning the deer lose to rustle 
around for something to eat, a big kettle of 
water was hung over the fire by the Laps and 
some chunks of deer meat dropped in which in 
a short time furnished the best of beef tea. 
The afternoon was passed in lying around smok- 
ing, sleeping and eating—seems as though a 
fellow was always hungry—and learning the 
mysteries of the game of “Dog,” in which the 
Laps got very interested, they all being in- 
veterate card players. 
On turning out next morning the sky was 
overcast and promised bad weather, but what 
was worse, our “vappus’” was drunk, for he had 
gotten hold of some alcohol—the Laps’ favorite 
tipple—in Bosekop and had been drinking all 
night. As it was of no use to kick up a row, I 
took the gun and went out to find some ptarmi- 
gan, that the boy said were to be found in the 
vicinity, and came on them within 200 yards. 
They were very wild, however, and I only man- 
aged to scratch down one by a long shot. In 
the afternoon the “vappus” was getting sobered 
“up, but looking as if he was not feeling very 
well—a rattling case of headache, probably. He, 
however, started out to look for the deer which 
had strayed off searching for moss. They are 
very accommodating animals these deer; after 
a day’s journey you don’t have to fuss around 
getting oats, hay and water, all that is re- 
quired is to take the harness off.and they rustle 
around themselves and find a little moss to eat, 
which, together with a few mouthfuls of snow, 
is all they need. 
About 7 P. M. we were all ready, and after 
photographing the outfit, we started off. The 
weather did not look promising, as it had al- 
ready commenced to snow a little, and we had 
not proceeded far before the wind started up 
right in our faces, and the top of every hill 
commenced to “smoke” from the drifting snow. 
About midnight the storm was at its worst. It 
was not snowing much, but an. icy sleet was 
drifting that cut the face like needles, sifting 
through every little opening in the clothes and 
freezing the eyes shut. Snuggling down in my 
fur coat I did not attempt to keep the eyes open, 
only occasionally would rub the ice out of them, 
and then the party ahead could indistinctly be 
seen throuch the mass of swirling snow. When 
we came to the last cabin about 3 A. M. it was 
with a genuine feeling of relief all around, and 
when I pulled out my pocket flask and gave them 
a good “three fingers” apiece they smiled happily, 
put their hands on their stomach, and_ said: 
Voi, voi,’ which, I suppose, means “here’s look- 
ing at you,’ or something similar. 
After resting a couple of hours the deer being 
pretty well tuckered out, we started for the last 
part of our journey and came to Karasjok about 
7 A. M.; but just before arriving we had a lively 
experience going down some steep hills. As 
there is nothing in the reindeer’s harness to hold 
the “pulk” back from his hindlegs, he will, when 
he is going down hill, start on a dead run, and 
there is no doubt but he can “git there’ when 
he tries to; all I could do was to hang on and 
trust to the Lord, and I was very happy to get 
down with whole limbs. 
Karasjok is a Lap settlement with probably 
150 to 200 inhabitants, is situated on the Karas- 
jok River, and contains a post office, church and 
a hotel, where I intended to stay. It seemed, 
however, as if they were all still in dreamland, 
as it took about ten minutes’ hard knocking on 
the door, before somebody was heard coming 
along in slippers, opened the door a little and 
through the crack could be seen an old man in 
a shirt and nightcap. 
On my inquiring if he could accommodate me 
he said ‘‘he didn’t know; I’d have to ask his 
old woman,’ and was accordingly ushered into 
LY 
the room where her honor, also in nightcap, laid 
in a big bed. On humbly repeating my inquiry 
she sized me up—I was probably a pretty hard- 
looking specimen—and said she didn’t think she 
could, as there had just been a murder trial and 
the judge having stayed there, she didn’t have 
any more clean sheets. y 
This was rather tough on a fellow who had 
traveled all night and was half-frozen; but the 


