The Laplanders use a curious kind of box or basket, which they call kisa, for keeping or carrying various articles. It is of an oval form, with the bottom and sides
made of fir, like a box, being about a foot and half long, a foot broad, and six inches deep, with a transverse opening in the bottom to admit a part of the saddle of the reindeer. The contents are confined by a lacing of cords, that goes from side to side across the top, which is otherwise open. Two such boxes, each weighing about two pounds, are placed like panniers upon the reindeer; for that animal cannot carry above four or five pounds weight, and the castrated males only are used as beasts of burthen at all. A leather thong crosses the saddle, connected with another longer one, which goes round the chest of the animal at one part, and round its thighs, like the breechings of a horse, at the other. A pack-saddle, made either of reindeer skin, or of walmal cloth, with a bow of spruce fir, goes across the back, and is connected with the leather thongs just mentioned, being further secured by a girth under the belly. Against the sides of this pack-saddle the above-described boxes or
baskets are hung and fastened, the transverse chink in the bottom of each being fitted to the saddle.
I observed that the Laplanders, both men and women, after borrowing a lighted pipe, and passing it from one to another, retain a mouthful of smoke as long as possible, that they may enjoy as much of the flavour as they can. Old men chew tobacco.
The tendons in the legs of the reindeer serve to make thread or cord. In each hind leg are two tendons, one before the other; in each fore leg one behind and two or three before it. These the Laplanders lay hold of with their mouths, split and moisten them, rubbing them from time to time with reindeer marrow, preserved in bladders for that use, in order to render them as supple as possible. Each string is made sharp at both ends, and drawn through holes of various sizes in an instrument made on purpose (of wood or metal) to render it as fine and smooth as they can. Two such threads
are then twisted together by means of the hand upon the thigh or knee. They are generally held with the left hand, and twisted with the right upon the left knee, proceeding downwards, the thread being moistened from time to time with saliva.
In this part of the country the Empetrum (Crow- or Crake-berry) serves for firing. Otherwise the most common fuel is the dwarf Birch (Betula nana), and the Willow with lanceolate white hairy leaves (Salix lapponum), so very abundant on the Lapland alps. The dwarf birch bears very small leaves in these elevated regions.
When the children are taken out of the cradle, which I have already described (vol. 2. p. [23]), they are dressed in a small garment of reindeer skin. They are usually able to stand on their legs by the time they are four months old, and turn their head and eyes about with a degree of intelligence hardly ever seen in our children at that early age.
I never met with any people who lead
such easy happy lives as the Laplanders. In summer they make two meals of milk in the course of the day, and when they have gone through their allotted task of milking their reindeer, or making cheese, they resign themselves to indolent tranquillity, not knowing what to do next. In winter their food is cheese, taken once or twice a day, but in the evening they eat meat. A single reindeer supplies four persons with food for a week.