Published Jan 15, 1823, by T. Cadell, Strand, Londen

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in their winter habits. A young man and his CHAP. wife, having their winter clothes in one of the store-houses near the church, put them on, and came to visit us in this dress. The man appeared as much like a bear as any human being could be; and squatting, according to the fashion of his country, before the door of the Parsonage, exhibited a mound of fur, with his head resting upon the top of it'. Being, as we sometimes say in England, " half seas over," his countenance was lighted up, and, appearing more jolly than usual, presented a remarkable contrast to the wretched features of another Lapp, who stood by him in the summer dress. In this posture he began the howl called Joicha, as before mentioned; which, as usual, consisted of few words, uttered in a most discordant yell, about driving away the wolves. His dress

consisted of rein-deer skin for trowsers, with the hair on; the common Lapland buskin bound about the feet, over which was a covering made of young bulls' hides. For the inner garment, over the body, he wore a sheep's skin, with the wool turned inwards; and over the sheep's skin a rein-deer skin, with the hair on, and turned outwards. Over the rein-deer skin was a broad cape, or tippet, of bear's skin, covering his

(1) See the Vignette to this Chapter.

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CHAP. shoulders, and rising behind his ears and head. His cap was of woollen, edged with fur: his gloves of rein-deer skin, with the hair outwards. We endeavoured to sketch a portrait of his lady, but failed. Her dress was of softer rein-deer skin, fringed with white, and bound with a plated girdle studded with knobs of silver. From this girdle, among the men, are always pendent the knife, purse, and horn spoon. Among the women, the pin-cushion, a few brass rings, and other trinkets, are occasionally added. This woman's habit would really be considered, in other countries, as elegant: her outer garment might be thought a very modish pelisse. She was herself better-looking than the generality of Lapland females; of exceedingly diminutive stature, but with a great deal of vivacity in her countenance and manner. Her complexion was of a fine shining copper colour; and with a little effort of imagination, she might have been fancied an animated bronze statue.

When the winter-season begins, and the wolves, being no longer in the environs, leave the Lapps at leisure to pursue their amusements, they beHunting, take themselves to hunting: this, however, is not less a business of necessity than of amusement. They go out in parties of twelve or fifteen men, armed with fowling-pieces and lances, in pursuit of wild rein-deer. In the same season,

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using their skates, they overtake the wolf, and CHAP. dispatch him simply with a stick. Foxes, gluttons, martens, and otters, are also caught. Bears are hunted with more success in Norway. The poorer Lapps set snares for white partridges.

In every description of the animals of Lapland, Rein-Deer. the rein-deer should be considered as holding the highest rank. The breed of rein-deer in the parish of Enontekis is larger than those of Juckasjerf, but smaller than that of Kittilä; and this difference is wholly to be ascribed to the difference of the soil, as suited to the growth of the rein-deer moss; on which account, the rein-deer of the mountains are always smaller than those of the forests. This animal has a different name bestowed upon him, during the different periods of his valuable life. In the first year, the male is called Vasicka, signifying a calf; in the second, Erack; in the third, Vuorso; in the fourth, Kundeus; in the fifth, Kossutus; in the sixth, Maackama; in the seventh, Nimi Loppu; and so long as he lives afterwards, Harka; which rarely extends beyond his fifteenth year; because, at this age, his teeth fall. The ruttingseason begins about Michaelmas. In the third year the males are generally castrated; but the skin of an uncastrated buck, who is called Hirvas, is worth two of the skins of rein-deer that

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Lichen rangiferinus.

CHAP. have undergone this operation. The female, in the first year, is also called Vasicka; in the second, Pickna Vuongel; in the third, Runo Vuongel; in the fourth, and ever after, she is named Vain, or Vaija, and lives to the age of fifteen years. The only food of the rein-deer, during winter, consists of moss and snow: and the most surprising circumstance, in the history of this animal, is the instinct, or the extraordinary olfactory powers, whereby it is enabled to discover the former, when buried beneath the latter. However deep the snow may be, if it cover the Lichen rangiferinus, the animal is aware of its presence, the moment he comes to the spot; and this kind of food is never so agreeable to him as when he digs for it himself. In his manner of doing this he is remarkably adroit. Having first ascertained, by thrusting his muzzle into the snow, whether the moss lie below or not, he begins making a hole with his fore feet, and continues working until at length he uncovers the lichen. No instance has ever occurred of a rein-deer making such a cavity without discovering the moss he seeks. In summer, their food is of a different nature: they are then pastured upon green herbs, the leaves of trees, &c. The other wild quadrupeds of this part of Lapland, besides rein-deer, are wolves, which are the

Other Ani

mals of

Lapland.