EAST BOTHLAND. 215 



such seals as, having been killed early in 

 the spring, have been left among the bro- 

 ken ice till they are by chance cast upon 

 the shore. They are consequently putrid, 

 and the oil is so offensive, that few persons, 

 except such as are in great extremity, or 

 not very nice, can be brought to take it. 

 In general Castor is here considered as a 

 sheet-anchor in such cases, as being found 

 by long experience very effectual in bring- 

 ing on the labour-pains. Others take saffron 

 infused in wine. For after-pains they swal- 

 low, as at Kimi, a few drops of blood 

 from the umbilical cord, not only in the 

 woman's first lying-in, but every subsequent 

 one. 



Some Finlanders, as I w^as told, have a 

 method by which they pretend to catch 

 bears, with a sort of magic. This is done 

 by procuring some of the bear's dung, fresh 

 and warm if possible, and mixing it with 

 that of one of their own cows. The conse- 

 quence is said to be, that the bear will be 

 attracted by sympathy to come after the 



