The Land of the Long Night

ooking Sleighs.-Different Varieties.-Lass

re I saw sleighs the like of which I had never seen before. To many of these

seven feet long and two and one-half feet in width at the end, which was the broadest part. The forward part of some was decked. They all had a strong leather ring to which the traces were fastened. They had holes pierced in their sides for strin

out of the farmhouses. These were Lapps, and they were dressed as I was. We saluted e

looking at our sleighs as if you

eighs before, and if these had been on the shores of a

The keel acts like a runner, and when the snow is well packed and crisp, the sides of the sleigh hardly tou

ng to another, "This kind is called a 'Lakkek.'" These were somewhat larger than the other, and had decks like a vessel, with

lver spoons, our prayer-book and psalm-book-everything that is precious. In them we also carry our pro

rd part of these was over-decked to about a third of the length, and covered with sealskin. The decked part was a sort of box or trunk to

he farmhouse with the Lapps and was welcomed by the Finlande

cannot go further without learning how to drive reindeer, for you must give up horses. The snow is too deep and we do not use dogs in our country. We wi

my things could be stored. The back was cushioned and covered with sealskin m

eindeer is, and lasso those I want to use, for I am going to teach

soon after we were out of sight of the house. After an hour's travel

xty reindeer that have been

o many of them look alike, in fact they would all look alike if it we

lied. "I could even tell

d heard that a shepherd kne

f the reindeer are shy, and do not come

efully towards two reindeer somewhat apart from the others. When they were near enough, some ten or fifteen yards from them, which is about the distance one can lasso with a chance of success, they stopped and threw their lassos over the ho

r and almost fell. In his efforts to get away the reindeer entangled his legs in the lasso and fell powerless

of precaution. When thus corded the reindeer move

for freedom, had only been used twice during the

issed the second reindeer, a splendid bull, on the first throw, the lasso falling on his back; but

to use all

e is thirteen years old. He is one of my favorites and has been often under harness. He does not go quite as fas

fs were particularly large. They are smaller than our own big elks, and looked very much like our caribou. The hair of the majori

nce and had to be pulled for a minute or so, and the wilder one was even less easy to mana