LYCKSELE LAPLAND. 



165 



away, and be allowed to fish in these up- 

 per regions, which have no communication 

 ■with the sea shore, and this without pay- 

 ing any tax to the crown or tithe to the 

 curate of the parish, which the fishermen 

 of the country are obliged either to do, or 

 to farm the fishery of the land-holder, who 

 pays tribute for his land, and who justly 

 complains of the hardship he suffers in 

 various respects, without daring to make 

 any open resistance. 



When any of these complaints were made 

 by the Laplanders in my hearing, I asked 

 why they did not seek redress in a proper 

 manner. 



" Alas \" replied they, " we have no 

 means of procuring access to our sovereign. 

 Nobody here exercises any authority to 

 protect us, or to prevent these interlopers 

 from doing with us just as they please. We 

 cannot procure witnesses in our favour, 

 scattered about as we are in an unfre- 

 quented desert, and therefore we are robbed 

 with impunity. We can never believe that 



