SECTION XIII.
O f the Quadrupeds and Birds in Lapland.
TT'INMARK, or Norwegian Lapland, abounds in wild rein-deer;
but as the inhabitants breed large numbers of the tame fort,
their whole time is taken up in attending thefe, and they have but
little leifure to hunt the wild, which are called godde. When the
Laplander is inclined for the chale in fummer or autumn, he
takes with him a dog of good fcent, which feldom fails of finding
out a deer in a very fhort time. As foon as the fportfman has
roufed his game, he muzzles the dog that he may not bark and
fright it away. If, on firing, he difcovers that he has only
wounded the deer flightly, he unmuzzles the dog and fends him
in purfuit; and as the rein-deer generally keeps the dog at bay,
the man has an opportunity of firing a fecond time, when he
rarely mifles killing. In autumn, during the rutting feafon, the
Laplander drives fome of his hinds to thofe parts where he experts
to find the wild rein-deer, and upon a buck prefenting him-
felf, he fires till he brings him down. I t often happens that two
bucks contefi: for the female?, when the Laplander, ufing the advantage
of their being engaged, kills one, and fometimes both of
them. •
In
In winter the Laplander is able to hunt the rein-deer by tracking
them in the fnow. When he is come in fight of his game,
he quits his fledge, and tying his draught, rein-deer to a tree, he
purfues the wild deer on foot. In many parts of Lapland the
wild rein-deer is taken by the following devices. When the’
ihow has fallen in large quantities,, fo as to be paflable only for
the natives in their fnow fhoes, they go in chafe after the wild
rein-deer, which are unable to run fail, being impeded by the deep
fnow; and coming up with them they knock them on the head.
Another method is, by fufpending ropes with a running noofe in a
narrow pafs, near the places where the wild rein-deer ufually harbour,
through which the deer being driven, it is hampered by the
horns and taken. In fome diftrids of Lapland the wild rein-deer
has been caught by the following device. A fpace is fenced off* in
thofe parts which the deer chiefly frequent, and on a fpot proper
for the purpofe: this fpace has a wide entrance, and encreafes in
width in a circular form, ending with a narrow door or paflage.
The deer driven within this incloffire, in order to avoid his purifiers,
betakes himfelf to this narrow pafs, which leads him to
a declivity; this is clofed upon him at the bottom, and he yields
himfelf a prey, being unable to return, and having his purfuers at
his heels. This method was oftener p ut in pradice formerly than
o f late years, as was that of forcing the deer to take to a lake or
Handing water, when they were knocked on the head, or fhot on
landing. I t has been faid that the Lapland women hunt with
their hufbands; but the miffionary affirms that this aflertion is
groundlefs.