198 



THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 



[chap. 



circulation, doubtless in consequence of ]\Iartiniere's easy style, 

 contrasting so strongly with the common dry ship's-log manner, 

 and the large number of wonderful stories he narrates, without 

 the least regard to truth or probability. He is the MliQchhausen 

 of the North-east voyages. The Xorse peasants, for instance, are 

 said to be all slaves to the nobles, who have sovereign power 

 over their property, tyrannise over their inferiors, and are prone 

 to insurrection. The elks are said to be hable to faUing sickness, 

 and therefore fall down in convulsions when they are hunted — 

 hence their name " eleend." Sailors are said to have purchased 

 on the north- \\-est coast of Norway for ten crowns and a pound 







^^^etiies 7a.7-iari£S 



DE lA martini£rf,'s map. 



of tobacco three knots of wind from the Lapps living there, who 

 were all magicians ; when the first knot was loosed, a gentle 

 breeze arose, the second gave a strong gale, the third a storm, 

 during which the vessel was in danger of being wrecked.^ 

 Novaya Zemlya is stated to be inhabited by a peculiar tribe, 

 " the Zembliens," of whom two were taken prisoners and carried 

 to Copenhagen. De la Martiniere also got the head of a walrus, 

 which had been harpooned with great difficulty ; the animal was 

 drawn as a fish with a long horn projecting from its head. As 



^ The story of the wind knots is taken from Olaus Magnus, De gentibus 

 yepieutrionalibits, Rome, 1555, p. 119. There a drawing of the appearance 

 of the knots is also given. 



