FINLAND. $51 
twigs; and uently go out without any covering to face. Four or five persons set sail in an open boat with Finland. 
R orsed the ope eee 5 ganagelicnin tha taaes m one small mast; and»expose themselves during the’ ““\—-—" 
= the degree of cold is 20° or 30° below zero; thus making space of a month or more, and inthe most unfavourable _ —_ 
an ir taneous transition of 100 d whichis als circumstances; to‘all: the ofthe ocean. In this 
Hunting. 
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ing effect their frames, and recruits their strength 
ps. cpa ese inn contT Lexar 
» The Finnish are at all seasons busily em- 
oyed in active labour; and even in the depth of winter 
Fin abundance of employment both in the house and. 
abroad. Within, ee 2 heme e ne 
constructing cart w! forming faggots for ; or 
oa flekic sem, pk nko doves, hoy: louk cera 
incredible velocity, by means of a pole which they hold 
in their hands; and when they have reached the place 
where they intend to fish, errunlee wn come 
to shelter them from the wind, perforate the ice with a 
chissel, plunge their line into the sea to the depth of 
about 30 feet, and are sometimes obliged to continue stir- 
the surface of the water to prevent it from freezing. 
shing with nets, they make two ings in the 
and by means of ropes and long poles pass the nets 
from the one to the other, which they afterwards draw 
out with great labour. In autumn, when the frost be- 
gins to set in, and the ice is most the fish- 
erman courses along the rivers with a wooden club or 
mallet in his hand ; and when he observes a fish under 
the ice in shallow water, he strikes a violent blow per- 
pendicularly above it, which at once breaks the ice and 
Sine seeder Ghapadpenss' bc toontinp ei ven thoy 
ment made e n e 
take post in the of their haunts, behind 
» should it still 
be passable. _ In these extremities the animal makes a 
ing to reach the assailant ; but the slowness 
pursuit their little bark is continually placed between, 
masses of ice, which threaten to;crush it to pieces; and 
in order to reach the seals, they must creep along the 
Paka ear killing them as they repose upon the 
ice. During the same season they hunt the squir-. 
rel, which they kill with a blunt wooden arrow, shot 
from a cross-bow, that they may not injure the skin. 
The bow used in this sport, is of a very ancient con« 
struction, extremely heavy, and requiring great strength 
to bend it, even with the assistance of a thong. The 
peasantry are remarkably dexterous both in the use of. 
this bow and of the fowling-piece, loading the latter al- 
ways with ball, and rarely missing the smallest bird. 
They employ for this purpose a kind of rifle gun with 
a narrow bore, which requires butia very small charge;: 
and yet carries to a considerable distance. ‘The winter Winter tra- 
season of traffic ; and all the great velling. 
also is the principal 
fairs are held in Finland and Sweden in that time of 
the year, in consequence of the facility of carrying goods 
over the ice, and travelling in sledges on the snow. » The 
peasants on these occasions frequently undertake jour- 
nies of three or four hundred English miles, carrying 
along with them whatever articles they have for sale.. 
In Finland, the sledges are very narrow, containing on- 
ly one person, and drawn by a single horse; and the 
roads are deep ruts formed by the successive passage of 
these vehicles, thus admitting none of a larger size than 
what are generally used in the country. The circum- 
stance of being overturned is rarely productive of any 
serious consequences ; and the dangers attending the 
traveller arise chiefly from those parts of the rivers or 
lakes where the ice is insufficient to support the weight. 
Excepting the bear, which rarely comes, from his den - 
to attack the inhabitants, until he is first provoked, the 
only other savage creatures ‘in the country are wolves ; 
those, even when starving, will not venture singly 
to assail the Lee a When assembled, however, in 
herds, and impelled by famine, they sometimes rush 
upon the horses in the sledges; and should the travel« 
ler be overturned and left upon the road, he must fall 
a prey to their ferocity, 
Many 8! 
vailamong the inhabitants,some of which will come more 
properly to be noticed under Swepen, as being com- 
of his 1 renders his efforts unavailing, and he is mon to both countries, and others of them under Laps 
soon di without much risk. The Finlanders’ tanp, where these ancient peculiarities have suffered 
mode of hunting the bear requires a of least change. A Finlander, when about to‘form a mas 
intrepidity and presence of mind. Instead of a musket, 
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trimonial connection, commissions some old women to 
make|known his proposals to the object of his affections, 
at the same time sending a present of a handkerchief, 
- . al 
usal, which may nevertheless yield to a second pro- 
posal, unless the’ young woman, instead of returnin 
the gift~with her hands, suffers it todrop'to the ground, 
which is counted a positive token of decided rejection. 
marriage, one of the friends or neighbours, with 
or speaker, does the rea of the feast, 
y also recites verses, or makes them ex« 
suitable to the occasion ; and, on the day fol~ 
after addressing some advices to the married - 
and sometimes indelicate customs pre- Customs, : 
