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179 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
painted on the head of the unicorn, befides two others which branch over the eyes and
fall upon the mouth. But all thefe branches fpring from one root, although they take
different roads, and aflume different figures ; which circumftance gives them fo much
uneafinefs that they can with difficulty graze, which induces them rather to feed upon
the buds of trees, which they are able to feize with lefs difficulty.
The colour of their hair is blacker than that of the ftag, particularly when they are
young; and at that time they are almoft as black as the wild rein-deer, which are al-
ways larger, ftronger, and blacker than thofe which are tamed.
Although their limbs are not fo flender as thofe of the ftag, they neverthelefs furpafs
it in fwiftnefs: their feet are much ferrated and almoft round; but that which is moft
remarkable in this animal is, that all its bones, and particularly the joints of the foot,
crack as if one was breaking nuts, and they make a noife fo loud, that one can hear
this animal at almoft as great a diftance as one can fee it. It is alfo obfervable in the
rein-deer, that although they have the cloven foot, they donot chew the cud ; and that
they have no gall, but only a fmall black mark in the liver without any bitternefs.
And although thefe animals are naturally favage, the Laplanders have fo completely
found means to tame them and domefticate them, that there is not an individual in the
country who is not poffefled of troops of them, like thofe of fheep: they neverthelefs
leave great numbers wild in the woods, and it is thefe whom the Laplanders cruelly.
hunt, both for their fkin, which is much more efteemed than that of the domeftic deer,
and for their flefh, which is much more favoury. ‘There are even fome of thefe animals
half-wild and half-tamed ; and the Laplanders allow their female deer in rutting-time to
go into the woods, and thofe which are produced by this connection are called by a par-
ticular name: they denominate them kattiagiar, and they grow much larger and ftronger
than the others, and are confeqnently fitter for the fledge.
Lapland nourifhes no other domeftic animal than the rein-deer ; but in this creature
alone as many ufeful qualities are found as are to be met with in all thofe which we
poffefs, They throw away no part of the animal ; but make ule of the hair, the fkin,
the flefh, the bones, the marrow, the blood, and the nerves.
The {kin ferves to protect them from the inclemency of the weather, and in winter
they wear it covered with its hair, while in fummer they put on another from which it
has been removed. ‘The flefh of this animal is full of fap, fat, and extremely nourifhing ;
and the Laplanders never eat any other flefh than that of the rein-deer: its bones are
of aftonifhing ufe to them, for making their crofs-bows and bows, for arming their ar-
rows, for making their fpoons, and for adorning every thing that they make. Its tongue
and the marrow of its bones are their greateft delicacies ; and lovers carry thefe parts
to their miftrefles as the moft valuable prefents, which are ufually accompanied with
the flefh of the bear and the caftor. ‘They frequently drink its blood, but they gene-
rally preferve it in its bladder, which they expofe to the cold, and allow to become denfe
and aflume a regular form in this ftate; and when they wifh to make foup, they cut
out from it as much as they defire, and boil it along with fith. They have no other
thread than that which they draw from the nerves of this animal, and which they ex-
tract from its cheeks : they employ the fineft to few their clothes with, and the coarfeft
to join the blanks of their barks. But not only does this animal furnith the Laplanders
with food and clothing, it alfo affords them drink: the milk of the rein-deer is the onl
beverage that they poflefs; and becaufe it is extremely fat and quite thick, they are
obliged to mix it with nearly an equal quantity of water: they only draw a gallon of milk
daily from the beft rein-deer, which give no milk except when they have a young one:
they make very nutritious cheefes from it; and the poor inhabitants, who cannot afford
to
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