LAPLAND. 81 



ner is very different from tlie hearty welcome lie 

 receives in old Wermland. Luckily, they are 

 exceedingly covetous, and will do almost anything 

 for money; so if you have but the circulating 

 medium you are sure to get all the assistance you 

 require, and anything the country affords. And 

 as a hint to the traveller, let me advise him, before 

 reaching Lapland, to change his notes into silver. 

 Small silver money will often save a rixdollar; 

 and a specie dollar, or "blank," as they call it 

 here, will rouse the apathy and greed of a Lap 

 when paper currency will have no effect. With 

 plenty of silver money, and a few notes of 100 rix- 

 doliars (or £5) to fall back upon — and he will 

 have no difficulty in changing them, provided that 

 they are new notes of the Stockholm bank— a 

 stranger will have no trouble about money matters. 

 Although covetous to a degree, I always found 

 both settlers and Laps strictly honest ; and when 

 a bargain was once made, I never knew them wish 

 to back out. 



The reader will, perhaps, be curious to know 

 what these settlers do to occupy their time in a 

 country where they can scarcely reckon on more 

 than three months' summer ; and this question is 

 soon answered. Their whole life (to use a homely 

 but forcible expression of my old Australian mate) 

 appears to be one perpetual struggle for " grub." 



G 



