274 



ANIMALS OF 



tains, and leaves the woody country, and the 

 low pasture, which at that season are truly 

 deplorable. The gnats breed by the sun's 

 heat in the marshy bottoms and the weedy 

 lakes, with which the country abounds more 

 than any other part of the world, are all upon 

 the wing, and fill the whole air like clouds of 

 dust in a dry windy day. The inhabitants, 

 at that time, are obliged to daub their faces 

 with pitch, mixed with milk, to shield their 

 skins from their depredations: All places are 

 then so greatly infested, that the poor natives 

 can scarce open their mouths without fear of 

 suffocation ; the insects enter, from their num- 

 bers and minuteness, into the nostrils and the 

 eyes, and do not leave the sufferer a moment 

 at his ease. But they are chiefly enemies to 

 the rein-deer : the horns of that animal being 

 then in their tender state, and possessed of 

 extremesensibility, a famished cloud of insects 

 instantly settle upon them, and drive the poor 

 animal almost to distraction. In this extre- 

 mity, there are but two remedies to which the 

 quadruped, as well as its master, are obliged 

 to have recourse. The one is, for both to 

 take shelter near their cottage, where a large 

 fire of tree-moss is prepared, which tilling the 

 whole place with smoke, keeps off the gnat, 

 and thus by one inconvenience, expels a great- 

 er; the other is, to ascend to the highest sum- 

 mit of the mountains, where the air is too thin, 

 and the weather too cold, for the gnats to 

 come. There the rein-deer are seen to con- 

 tinue the whole day, although without food, 

 rather than to venturedown to the lower parts, 

 where they can have no defence against their 

 unceasing persecutors. Besides the gnat, 

 there is also a gadfly, that, during the summer 

 season, is no less formidable to them. This 

 insect is bred under their skins, where the egg 

 has been deposited the preceding summer; 

 and it is no sooner produced as a fly, than it 

 again endeavours to deposite its eggs in some 

 place similar to that from whence it came. 

 Whenever, therefore, it appears flying over 

 a herd of rein-deer, it puts the whole body, 

 how numerous soever, into motion; they know 

 their enemy, and do all they can, by tossing 

 their horns, and running among each other, 

 to terrify or avoid it. All their endeavours, 

 however, are too generally without effect; the 

 gadfly is seen to deposite its eggs, which bur- 



rowing under the skin, wound it in several pla- 

 ces, and often bring on an incurable disorder. 

 In the morning, therefore, as soon as the Lap- 

 land herdsman drives his deer to pasture, his 

 greatest care is to keep them from scaling the 

 summits of the mountains where there is no 

 food, but where they go merely to be at ease 

 from the gnats and gadflies that are ever an- 

 noying them. At this time there is a strong 

 contest between the dogs and the deer ; the 

 one endeavouring to climb up against the side 

 of the hill, and to gain those summits that are 

 covered in eternal snows ; the other ibrcing 

 them down, by barking and threatening, and, 

 in a manner, compelling them into the places 

 where their food is in the greatest plenty. 

 There the men and dogs confine them ; guard- 

 ing them with the utmost precaution the whole 

 day, and driving them home at the proper sea- 

 sons for milking. 



The female brings forth in the middle of May, 

 and gives milk till about the middle of Octo- 

 ber. Every morning and evening, during the 

 summer, the herdsman returns to the cottage 

 with his deer to be milked, where the women 

 previously have kindled up asmoky fire, which 

 effectually drives off the gnats, and keeps the 

 rein-deer quiet while milking. The female 

 furnishes about a pint, which, though thinner 

 than that of the cow, is, nevertheless, sweeter, 

 and more nourishing. This done, the herds- 

 man drives them back to pasture ; as he nei- 

 ther folds nor houses them, neither provides 

 for their subsistence during the winter, nor 

 improves their pasture by cultivation. 



Upon the return of the winter, when the 

 gnats and flies are no longer to be feared, the 

 Laplander descends into the lower grounds; 

 and as there are but few to dispute the pos- 

 session of that desolate country, he has an 

 extensive range to feed them in. Their chief, 

 and almost their only food at that time, is the 

 white moss already mentioned ; which, from 

 its being fed upon by this animal, obtains the 

 name of the lichen rangiferimus. This is of two 

 kinds ; the woody lichen, which covers almost 

 all the desert parts of the country like snow; 

 the other is black, and covers the branches 

 of the trees in very grent quantities. How- 

 ever unpleasing these may be to the specta- 

 tor, the native esteems them as one of his 

 choicest benefits, and the most indulgent gift 



