392 HISTORY OF 



the Swedish Laplanders there isineveryfamilyadiumfor consult- 

 ing the devil; and although these nations are robust and nimble, yet 

 they are so cowardly that they never can be brought in to the field. 

 Gustavus Adolphus attempted to form a regiment of Laplanders, 

 but he found it in'^possible to accomplish his design •, for it should 

 seem that they can live only in their own country, and in their ow n 

 manner. They make use of skates, which are made of fir, o f 

 near three feet long, and half a foot broad ; these are pointe d 

 and raised before, and tied to the foot by straps of leather. 

 With these they skate on the icy snow, and with such velocity, 

 that they very easily overtake the swiftest animals. Tbey make 

 use also of a pole, pointed with iron at one end, and rounded at 

 the other. This pole serves to push them along, to direct their 

 course, to support them from falling, to stop the impetuosity of 

 their motion, and to kill that game which they have overtaken. 

 Upon these skates they descend the steepest mountains, and 

 scale the most craggy precipices : and in these exercises the wo- 

 men are not less skilful than the men. They have all the use 

 of the bow and arrow, which seems to be a contrivance common 

 to all barbarous nations ; and which, however, at first, required 

 no small skill to invent. They launch a javelin, also, with 

 great force, and some say, that they can hit a mark no larger 

 than a crown, at thirty yards distance, and with such force as would 

 pierce a man through. They are all hunters ; and particularly 

 pursue the ermine, the fox, the ounce, and the martin, 

 for the sake of their skins. These they barter with their south- 

 em neighbours, for brandy and tobacco ; both which they are 

 fond of to excess. Their food is principally dried fish, the Hesh 

 of rein-deers and bears. Their bread is composed of the bones 

 of fishes, pounded and mixed with the inside tender bark of the 

 pine-tree. Their di'ink is train-oil or brandy, and when de- 

 prived of these, water, in which juniper berries have been infus 

 cd. With regard to their morals, they have all the virtues ol 

 simplicity, and all the vices of ignorance. They offer their 

 wives and daughters to strangers ; and seem to think it a parti- 

 cular honour if their ofl^er be accepted. They have no idea of 

 religion, or a Supreme Being ; the greatest number of them are 

 idolaters ; and their superstition is as profound as their worship 

 is contemptible. Wretched and ignorant as they are, yet they do 

 not want pride ; they set themselves far above the rest of man 



