72 THE LAPLAND ALPS. 



praying for God's blessing upon the new- 

 married couple, and returning thanks to 

 him who " gives every man his own w ife, 

 and every woman her own husband." 



The parents of the bridegroom next 

 partake of some brandy, and the whole 

 stock of that liquor which they had brought 

 with them is fetched for the company. 



All the relations of the bridegroom then 

 come forward with their provisions, which 

 generally consist of several cheeses, and a 

 piece of meat dried and salted. The latter 

 is roasted before the fire, while the com- 

 pany is, in the mean while, regaled with 

 some of the solid preparations of milk, the 

 bride and bridegroom eating by themselves, 

 apart from the rest. 



Two stewards are next chosen, one of 

 them from the bride's party, the other 

 from that of the bridegroom. The last- 

 mentioned party are then required to fur- 

 nish a quantity of raw meat, amounting to 

 about a pound and half to each person. 

 This the stewards immediately set about 



