Page 159 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

158 'fHIRD BOOK OF
DREARY (dree'-), a., gloomy, dismal. A.S. dreory; probably from hreowan, to rue.
DEER, n., a name applied to a species of beast or animal hunted r its esh. D. dier ; A.S. deor,-wild deer, any kind of wild beast,
- om ther, G., a beast.
VENISON (ven'-zn), n., game: the esh of the deer, wild boar, or other
beast of the c ase, whose esh is eatable. F. venaison, om vefwr,
L., I hunt.
BROWSE, v., to eat, to ed upon. F. bronser, to feed on. leaves and buds, om brosse, a bush :-or om broskein, G., to ed.
passing.
TEN1DO S, n., sinews by which the joints are moved. F. and S. ten­ n, om tendo, L.,- om teino, G., I stretch.
1. THE rein-deer is a native of the polar regions ; another of the many rcible examples of the insep­ arable connexion of animals with the wants of hu­ man society, and of the goodness of God, in providing
, r his creatures. The rein-deer has been domesti­ cated by the Laplanders om the ea iest ages; and has alone rendered the dreary regions in which this portion of mankind abides, at a supportable. The civilisation of those extreme northern regions entirely depends upon the rein-deer. A traveller going om Norway to Sweden, may proceed with ease and sa ­
ty even beyond the polar circle ; but when he enters Fi mark, he cannot stir without the rein-deer. The rein-deer alone connects two extremities of the king­ dom, and causes knowledge and civilisation to be extended over countries, which, during a great part of the year, are cut o om all communication with the other portions of mankind.
2. As camels are the chief possession of an Arab, so the rein-deer comprise all the wealth of a Lap: lander. The nnmber of deer belonging to a herd is ordinarily om three hundred. to ve hundred; with
EMER'GENCY or E rnR'GE,rnE, n., pressing casualty; an un reseen event. I. emergenza, om (L.) emergo,-e, and mergo, I rise, I rush. AsTRON10MER, n., he that studies the celestial bodies; one skilled in astronomy. F. astronome, from astron, G., a star, and nomos, a law. TRAN1SIT, n., in astronomy, the passing of any planet just by or under y other planet or xed star. 1. transito, om transitus, L., a