rope is thrown over their horns to fallen them. Although a reindeer
does not give more milk in common than a ihe-goat, yet,
from the numerous herds kept by the Laplanders, they find no
want of milk, cheefe, and butter.
They fix yokes about the necks of luch of their rein-deer as are
particularly addicted to ftraggling from the herd. The ropes they
have are made from feal-fkin, as are the reins ufed for the fledges.
The Laplander, in performing the. operation of gelding upon
the rein-deer, makes no incifion with a knife, but employs his
teeth for that purpoie, bruifing the animal’s tefticles by biting
them, but without inflicting any outward wound. The cailrated
deer have different names according to their ages; one of two
years old is called vareek, of three years voveers', of four goddodas,
of five kuoifltis-harerge, of fix malan : after they are feven years old
they have no frefh name, but are ityled namona-lapek, that is to
fay, aged, -or paft the full age or name. T h e rein-deer, after that
■operation is fucceisfully performed, increafes in fize and fleih beyond
the other males, and becomes of great value to his owner ;
infomuch, that any thing valuable is faid to be worth a gelt reindeer
; and it is eileemed the greateil compliment that one Laplander
can pay to another, to tell him he has as great a regard for
him as for a rein-deer gelding.
When the Laplander is about to kill a rein-deer, he firil fallens
him to a poil with a rope, and then ilabs him in the neck with a
knife, which he withdraws from the wound ; the animal then
■ilirs a few ileps and falls: after it has lain about a quarter of an
hour,
hour, the ikin is itripped from the carcafe : the wound is made io
dexteroufly, th a t no blood iflues from it, but is found in the infide,
whence it is carefully taken out and inclofed within the paunch
th a t has been cleanfed and preferved for ufe. The hide is afterwards
ilretched out with flicks proper for the purpoie, and carefully
dried : the ikin of the legs is firfl taken off, and afterwards
fluffed, th a t it may dry more expeditioufly.
I f a mountain Laplander happen to be reduced to a fmall {lock
of rein-deer, he quits the mountains with his family for the fea-
fide, and betakes himfelf to fifhing, leaving the few deer he pof-
fefles in the charge of fome other perfon.
From what has hëén faid in the former part o f this fèélioi}, the
reader will éafily recoiled that the Laplanders flock o f rein-deer
ià tame, and bred under his own eye. I t fometimës happens during
the rutting feaibn, in auturrtii, that a buck of the wild br'eed
mixes with the tame herd : if he chance to efcape the bülle'ts of
the Laplander, who ufes his utmofl endeavour to ihoot him," and
impregnate' a fbrnale rëin-deer, thé fawn, which is the produèë o f
this irregular conjunéliori, refembles neither fire nor darii ; it is' a
mongrel Creature, lefs than the wild rein-deer, and larger than the
tàmè ; for in general the wild breed are the largeil o f the two.
This mule rein-deer is called by the Laplanders a èdevrek.