Lachesis Lapponica Part 1

Lachesis Lapponica.

by Carl von Linne.

JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.

In the latter part of this day, _July 15th_, I set out on my return from the low grounds of Norway. The heat was very powerful as we began to ascend the mountains. When we reached what had seemed to us from below the summit of a hill, we saw just as lofty an eminence before us, and this was the case nine or ten successive times. I had no idea of such mountains before. The elevation of this hill cannot be taken by any geometrical instrument, as the summit is not visible, even at some miles distance. I believe its height must exceed a Swedish mile, but to climb it was worse than going two miles any other way. Had we not frequently met with such abundance of water, we should have been overcome with fatigue. In this ascent I found the little _Astragalus_ (_alpinus_) with a white flower, and the Little Gentian (_Gentiana nivalis_).

Our clothes, which were wet quite through with perspiration, in consequence of the heat we had encountered in the beginning of our journey, were now frozen stiff upon our backs by the cold. We determined to seek for a Laplander's hut. In order to get at one, we were obliged to descend so steep a hill, that, being unable to walk down it, I lay down on my back and slid along, with the rapidity of an arrow from a bow. I avoided with difficulty the large snow torrents that every now and then came in my way, and which were sometimes within an ell of me.

On reaching this hut, I noticed some of the reindeer whose horns were not above half an inch long, the Brom-fly (_Oestrus Tarandi_) having bitten them while quite tender; for these insects are, in the Norwegian alps, worse than the gnats of Swedish Lapland.

I here obtained a curious piece of information respecting the mode of castrating the reindeer. When the animal is two years and a half old, its owner, about a fortnight before Michaelmas, getting a person to a.s.sist him by holding it fast by the horns, places himself betwixt its hind legs. He then applies his teeth to the _s.c.r.o.t.u.m_, so as to bruise its contents, but not so as to break the skin, for in that case the reindeer would die. He afterwards bruises the part still more effectually between his fingers. The same operation is performed on both sides, if the reindeer remains quiet long enough for the purpose at one time. The animal is in consequence rather indisposed for a while, so that he can hardly keep up with the rest of the herd, but he usually recovers perfectly in a week's time. This is certainly an art, no less curious than remarkable, and merits further consideration.

The girls here, especially when they wish to appear to advantage, divide their hair into two braids, one above each ear, which braids are tied together, at the hind part of the head, so as to hang down the back. A tuft of ribands is appended to the extremity of each braid.

_July 16._

We undertook to cross the ice-mountain. Having proceeded some way on our journey, we observed a dense cloud to the north-east. It was visible both above and below us, and at length approached us in the form of a thick mist, which moistened our clothes, and rendered even our hair thoroughly wet. It so completely obliterated our horizon, that we could neither see sun nor moon, nor the summits of the neighbouring hills. We knew not whither to turn our steps, fearing on the one hand to fall down a precipice and lose our lives, as actually happened, a few years ago, to a Laplander under the same circ.u.mstances; or on the other to be plunged into the alpine torrent, which had worn so deep a channel through the snow, as to make any one giddy, looking upon it from above.

We could now not distinguish any thing a couple of ells before us. Our situation was like that of an unskilful mariner at sea without a compa.s.s, out of sight of land, and surrounded by hidden rocks on every side. The Laplanders themselves consider the situation we were in as one of the worst accidents that can ever befall them. We, however, though dest.i.tute of a guide, were fortunate enough to discover the track of a reindeer, and of some kind of carriage in which goods had probably been lately conveyed towards Norway. This track directed us safely to one of the Lapland moveable tents.

All the Laplanders are usually blear-eyed, so that one would think the word _Lappi_ (Laplanders) was derived from _lippi_ (blear-eyed). The causes of this inconvenience are various, but chiefly the following.

1. The sharp winds. In the early part of my journey, repeated exposure to stormy weather rendered my eyes sore, so that I became unable to open them wide, and was obliged to keep them half shut. How much more must this be the case with those who dwell on the alps, where there is a perpetual wind!

2. The snow, the whiteness of which, when the sun shone upon it, was very troublesome to me. To this the alpine Laplanders are continually exposed.

3. The fogs. This day I found myself very comfortable in my walk over the icy mountain, till the fog, mist, or cloud, whichever it might be called, came about me, rendering the eyes of my interpreter, as well as my own, so weak and relaxed, that we could not open them wide without an effort. Such must often be the case with the Laplanders.

4. Smoke. How is it possible that these people should not be blear-eyed, when they are so continually shut up in their huts, where the smoke has no outlet but by the hole in the roof, and consequently fills every body's eyes as it pa.s.ses!

5. The severity of the cold in this country must also contribute to the same inconvenience.

The mountain Laplanders, or those who live in the alps, build no huts; they have only tents made in the following manner.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The first figure represents two connected beams, which compose the frame-work of one side of the hut; and these meet at the top with two similar ones, forming the opposite side. A solitary beam is placed on each side, in the middle of the arch formed by these four, so that the whole edifice has six angles. Two more slender sticks, but equally tall, are then erected between every two angles, or main ribs, of the building. Over the whole is spread the covering of the tent (made of walmal cloth). The usual height of the structure is about a fathom and half, and the breadth two fathoms. A flap of cloth is left, so as to open and shut by way of a door, between two of the main beams.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

When they lie down to rest, and are fearful of being incommoded by heat, they fix a hook through the middle of the coverlet, which raises it perhaps an ell and a half above them, and under this canopy they repose.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The women wear several things attached to their belt, as a leather bag, _fig._ 1, containing a spoon, as well as a pipe, _fig._ 3.

_Fig._ 2. A knife in a case.

4. A thimble made of leather, which goes round the finger.

5. A pin-cushion, with a bra.s.s cover which pulls down over it like a cap.

6. Several large bra.s.s rings.

The belt itself is ornamented with tin or silver embroidery, and pearls.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The men wear, instead of the above, a kind of bag, hanging down exactly in front. This is divided internally into two pockets, containing their tobacco-pipe, tinder-box, tobacco, and a spoon made of reindeer's horn, of an oblong flattish shape.

The women often wear a similar bag, but of a smaller size.

When the reindeer are milked, as they cast their coat during the whole course of the summer, the hair flies about very inconveniently, often covering the milk in the pail. Some hair sticks also to the dugs of the animal, and it is found necessary to clean and soften them before the milking is begun. This is generally done by dipping the fingers into the milk which may be in the pail already, and washing them therewith.

Whenever it happens that one of the reindeer strays from its master's herd to that of a neighbour, the person to whom it comes milks it, without any offence to the proper owner. Such an accident often happens; for these animals love society, and the more of them there are together, the better they thrive and enjoy themselves. They are marked at the ears, like cows, that every person may know his own.

The furniture of these Laplanders consists of kettles and pots, made sometimes of bra.s.s, sometimes of copper; rarely of stone, on account of the weight. They have also hemispherical bowls, with handles, generally made of the hard knotty excrescences of the birch. These are often large enough to hold four or five cans, (of three quarts each,) and formed so neatly, that any one would believe them to be turned. Into these they pour what is to be served up at their meals. Plates they have none, but in their stead boards, of an oblong shape, are used for meat; which, previous to its distribution among the guests, is served up in round pails. Closely platted baskets, or tubs, always circular, are used to keep cheese in. There is moreover an oblong barrel, for the purpose of holding _jumomjolk_ (_vol._ 1. _p._ 273).

Within the tent are spread on each side skins of reindeer, with the hairy part uppermost, on which the people either sit or lie down, for the tent is not lofty enough to allow any one to stand upright. In the centre of the whole is the fire-place, or a square enclosure of low stones about the ash-heap. The back part of the tent, behind the fire-place, is entirely occupied either with brush-wood or branches of trees, behind which, or, most commonly, before it next the fire, the household furniture is placed. In the roof are two racks, suspended over the reindeer skins on each side, upon which cheeses are laid to dry, and before these, towards the entrance, hang rennet-bags, filled with milk, preserved for winter use.

The annexed figure is a sort of plan of the floor of one of these Lapland tents. a is the fire-place. b, b, reindeer skins, six in number, three at the right hand, on entering the tent, and as many at the left.

c large fire-wood. d cheese-vessels. e kettle, with its lid. f, behind the first reindeer skin, is the place of the harness. g a barrel or cask. h a store of skins and hair of the reindeer. i the milk-strainer, with its flat cover.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The following figure represents the roof of the tent, as seen from below. a, a, are the racks on which the cheeses are ranged. b outlet for the smoke. c, c, rennet-bags containing milk. d plat of hair from the reindeer's tail, to strain milk through. e the flat cover of the milk-strainer; see i in the former figure.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Such was the dwelling, and I shall now describe some of its inhabitants.

I sat myself down at the right hand of the entrance, with my legs across. Opposite to me sat an old woman, with one leg bent, the other straight. Her dress came no lower than her knees, but she had a belt embroidered with silver. Her grey hair hung straight down, and she had a wrinkled face, with blear eyes. Her countenance was altogether of the Lapland cast. Her fingers were scraggy and withered. * * * * Next to her sat her husband, a young man, six-and-thirty years of age, who, for the sake of her large herds of reindeer, had already been married ten years to this old hag. When the Laplanders sit, they either cross their legs under them, or one knee is bent, the other straight.

As a defence against wind and snow, a sort of hood, called _nialmiphata_, is worn over the cap. It is made of red cloth, of the shape of a truncated cone, dilated at the bottom, and is four palms high, three palms in circ.u.mference at the upper part, and six at the bottom. This covers the cheeks, as well as the neck and shoulders, the eyes and mouth only being exposed. In the back part, at bottom, is a loop, through which goes a riband to secure the whole from being blown off, by being tied round the body under the arms.

In winter-time the women wear breeches, made exactly like those worn by the men, as well as boots, though the latter come no higher than the knees. It is wonderful how they are able, in the severity of winter, to follow the reindeer, which are never at rest, but keep feeding by night as well as by day. They have indeed small sheds or huts, here and there, into which they occasionally drive their reindeer, but with the greatest difficulty.

During the night we pa.s.sed over the beautiful lake of _Wirisiar_. The weather was very cold and foggy.

_July 17._

In the morning we arrived at the abode of Mr. k.o.c.k, the under bailiff, where I could not but admire the fairness of the bodies of these dark-faced people, which rivalled that of any lady whatever.

Here I saw some Leming Rats, called in Lapland _Lummick_. The body of these animals is grey; face and shoulders black; the loins blackish; tail, as well as ears, very short. They feed on gra.s.s and reindeer-moss (_Lichen rangiferinus_), and are not eatable. They live, for the most part, in the alps; but in some years thousands of them come down into the woodland countries, pa.s.sing right over lakes, bogs, and marshes, by which great numbers perish. They are by no means timid, but look out, from their holes, at pa.s.sengers, like a dog. They bring forth five or six at a birth. Their burrows are about half a quarter (of an ell?) deep.

Here I found the little Gentian, or Centaury, with a hyacinthine flower in five notched segments (_Gentiana nivalis_).