Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1876 — Life in High Latitudes. [ARTICLE]

Life in High Latitudes.

.. The dirt place we stayed at was Trom«o, Norjtyay, where we anchored oti the town time days, and now the sun merely «evolv«trqund the sky, and al midnight was high above the horizon, and shining with a brilliancy even greater than that seen under tropical skies. The effect of this phenemenon has been often and vari ously described, more of, less poetically, by many travelers; but al! unite in one sentiment—that of its wondrous grandeur zncFtoTemnlty. For myself, I experienced f 'eetyng of myateriqus awe and dread, as if toe Hast bad sunk into oblivion, and we were all phantoms en the confines of the land of which it is said “There is no night there.** Ono pecularity in this region is that, although all nature is hushed and a palpable silence reigns over all, there is something, in the atmosphere which renders sleep almost needless. Midnight found trt° quite As lively and bright as early morning—ladies sketching or reading on deck under parasols; gentlemen lounging about fishing, igniting their cigars by aid of burning glasses from the sun’s rays; and one had to darken the cabin windows with thick curtains even to obtain the four or five hours’ sleep we allowed ourselves during the twentyfuurr ffrom Tromsb we visited the Lapps, and saw a herd of reindeer, A six mile walk up the Tromsodal brought us to., some fenced-in inclosures, and fartheron, three or four domeshappd hpts, about seven feet, high in the center, "constructed of mud, stones and timber, pack-,having a door, also a cirin the roof,.serving for a chimney and window. On entering the but though a doorway about' four and a half feet nigh, we 'saw a very grimv old Lapp woman sitting in the smoke pf a fire. On tlie ’ground were what seemed through the smoke to be several small bundles, and By four cords from the roQf of the hut hung a smaller bundle; examination, howevek, proved the latter to be a baby about a month olfr, and the otheijs various members of the family, covered with reindeer skins. The baby was laced up with gay cords in a cradle having the form of a large shoe. We IW6W not loth to make our exit, and asking for the reindeer were told to look upwhere they were pointed out—“ a Anaguificent tribe of 400”—slowly descending from the bare-looking mount&iigL In time, by the aid of sagacious dogs, they were driven into one of the inctosures, of the animals, being aarmtly lassoed,were brought near for our inspection. These Lapps arid their reindeer wander into the interior of the country dttrtng the winter and return to these their summet ty&unta every spring. It is said thM ' their approach is always an-, nounced beforehand by the arrival of wolves, these latter animals making a poiqt pf being continually in attendance on the herds of reindeer—l am afraid, with sinister motives.—London Queen.