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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS, 409
gait of the rein-deer who draws the fledge, reprefents the figure of a ferpent, winding
and rolling into a variety of fpirals. When the Laplander is in hafte, entering“on his
journey, he does not idly, as at other times, fit in his fledge, but falls on his knees.
If he wants to flop, in driving, the rein is thrown from the right fide to the left, and
there refts; when done, the rein-deer inftantly ftops.
Should it happen, that any one is infufficient alone for the management of the
animal which draws him, as being too untractable and unmanageable in the courfe, he
then gives the rein to his friend, next before him, which he faftens to his fledge, and
in this manner he draws the driver together with his rein-deer and fledge after him.
And fince the rein-deer who draws, as mentioned above, draws the fledge by a fingle
flender and loofe rein, it neceflarily follows, that the animal going through declivities,
cannot poft with fuch fpeed, but the fledge, as flippery and full on its way, muft be
borne with a greater celerity, fo that it mutt either {trike on the hinder feet of the rein-
deer, or even out-{trip him in fpeed; to remedy this inconvenience as it fometimes
happens, another rein-deer is faftened to the fledge behind, by a rein put over his
horns, left by too much hafte it may incommode the animal that draws, who will be
retarded by the refiftance and efforts of the other.
There are rein-deer who thus put behind, fo far are they from retarding the {wiftnefs
of the fledge, willingly following it, aid and incite it as it fpontaneoufly moves on.
Others are of fuch a difpofition, fo obftinate and perverfe, that after the firft experiment
they are rejected.
Riding through hills that are not fo fteep, there is no need of this method of check-
ing the fledge, as the driver himfelf, by a certain motion of his body, and a certain
expertnels in drawing, can eafily direct the fledge in which he fits, which way he
pleafes.
But when he has to travel through places almoft fteep, and well nigh broken inte
precipices, it is ufual then to join tothe fledge a rein-deer, and when thus joined to,
negligently faften him to the hinder part of the fledge, leaving the fledge to its free
courfe, where chance fhall carry it.
Parcels, in the faid fledges, ealled Raido-kierres are thus carried: the driver of the
fledges fits fir{t in order ; another rein-deer follows bearing the fecond fledge, faftened
by a rein to the firft: then a third, fourth, and fometimes more, each carrying his
own fledge, follow in like order. The driver who fits in the firft, regulates all follow-
ing in order. Someone rein-deer clofes the troop without a fledge, but following for
the purpofe, that ifthe occafion fhould call for it, he fhould check, by his effort, all the
fledges running with too much celerity along the declivities as mentioned above.
It fometimes, and but fometimes, happens that the {now increafes to that height, that
the rein-deer cannot break through them, on his way. Ihave been myfelf carried
through f{now, fo high, that they have equalled the back of the animal, and not feldom,
by which, it is eafy to be judged, that travelling is at fuch a time, very flow and
gradual.
Cuap. XI.—Of the Journies of the Laplanders.
THE Laplanders of the ‘coaft, change their habitations only twice a year, in the
{pring and autumn. When changing their abode they do not take down their huts as
the mountaineers, but only forfake them for atime, until they may return. The
mountaineers on the contrary, juft as the ancient Scythians, mentioned in hiftory, have
VOL. 1. 3c done,
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