Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 2Linné, Carl von
History
Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 2
Linné, Carl von
Lapland -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Lapland
In Dalecarlia the people generally keep their cattle up in the
mountains, twelve or sixteen miles from their own dwellings, on account
of gad-flies and other stinging insects. There they have their dairies,
and make cheese. The remaining whey is boiled till two thirds are
wasted, when it becomes as thick as flummery. This is sometimes eaten
instead of butter, sometimes mixed with dough, or serves for food in
various other manners.
The wind is excessively powerful in this alpine region, so that
sometimes it is impossible to stand against it, both men and sledges
being overturned by its violence.
It blew so hard at the place where I now was, that one of the windows of
the curate's house was blown in upon the floor.
Every Laplander constantly carries a sort of pole or stick, tipped with
a ferule, and furnished with a transverse bit of wood. Whenever he is
tired, he leans his arms and nose against it to rest himself.
Such as live in the forests are dexterous marksmen, but not those who
inhabit the alps. Nevertheless, they all contrive, by means of their
wooden bows, to procure, in the course of the winter, a considerable
number of Squirrels (_Sciurus vulgaris_) in their grey or winter
clothing, for the sake of their skins.
In the winter season also they go in pursuit of their most cruel enemies
the wolves. One of these animals will sometimes kill twenty or thirty
reindeer at a time, if he comes into the enclosure where they are. The
wolf often runs away before the Laplander can get near enough to fire at
him. A bear can hardly catch a reindeer, except by coming upon it
unawares, the latter being much the most swift of foot; but if he gets
into any of the store-houses, he does a great deal of mischief, turning
every thing topsy-turvy. Bears are also very dangerous in the fissures
of rocks and mountains, where they usually conceal themselves.
The Glutton (_Mustela Gulo_) does most harm in the pantry or
store-house. He never meddles with the reindeer.
A part of the employment of the men is to make sledges, or other
machines of wood for carriage. They cut rough wood in the forests for
the boxes which they carry with them into the alps.
The duty of the women is to mend the clothes of the whole family.
Laplanders have several plays or amusements.
Children make of the dwarf birch (_Betula nana_) something like
reindeer's horns, with which they gore one another in sport. They amuse
themselves frequently by building little huts of stone.
Grown-up people play very well at tennis, but they seldom partake of
that diversion. More common amusements are blindman's buff, and drawing
gloves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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