Chap. IL Norfhern Goafts ^EuiioPe, 465 
paffed the Day before. Our Rain-Deer, to our Apprehen- 
fion, ran fafter than any we had hired in our Journey to 
Kola. 
V/e arrived at the firJd Village by feven o’ Clock ; we 
palled the River and came to the fecond ; where we put 
up at our old Landlord’s, who received us with Joy, hop- 
ing that we had Hill an End of Tobacco left, to give him 
for the Hire of fome Rain-Deer and Sledges. He pre- 
fently gave each of us a Cup of Brandy, for they tofs it 
off there as we do Beer in the South ; and a&ed us if 
we would have the Rain-Deer put to the Sledges ? We 
replied, we had rather reft ourfelves till Morning, for 
there was no Village befides in fome fcores of Miles from 
this. He filled out another Cup, which when we had 
drank, he offered to take us with him to the Funeral of 
one of his Neighbours, who had been dead about four 
Hours. We were very glad of the Opportunity of fee- 
ing their Ceremonies on this Occafion, hearing much 
talk of them. We accompanied him to the Houfe of 
the Deceafed ; we faw his Corpfe taken from the Bear- 
Skins, on which it lay,, and removed by fix of his moft 
intimate Friends, into a wooden Coffin, being firft v/rap- 
ped in Linnen, his Face and Hands only bare. In one 
Hand they put a Purfe with Money in it, to pay the Fee 
of the Porter at Paradife Gate, and in the other a Pafs, 
figned by a Prieft, to be given to St. Peter ^ as a Certifi- 
cate that he was a good Chriftian, and ought to be. ad- 
mitted into Heaven. They alfo put into his Coffin a 
Barrel of Brandy, fome dried Filh, and Rain-Deer- 
Venifon, to ferve him to eat and drink on the Road, have- 
ing a long Journey to take. They then lighted fome Fir- 
Tree Roots, piled up to a convenient Diftance from the 
Coffin, wept and howled plentifully, making flrange Gef- 
tures, and turrdng therrifelves in a thoufand different Pof- 
tures, to fhew the Extravagance of their real and affe£led 
Sorrow. When this Noife and Gefticulation was over, 
they marched round the Corpfe feveral times in Proceffion, 
aflring the dead Man why he died ? if he was angry with 
his Wife ? if he wanted any thing ? if he was hungry or 
a-dry ? if he had loft his Game at hunting ? or had bad 
Luck at filhing I or had not Cloaths to his Mind Then 
they fell a howling again, and ftamping like fo many Mad- 
men. One of their Priefts, who affifted at the Solem- 
nity, every now and then fprinkled fome Holy-water on 
the Corpfe; the fame did the Mourners. I forgot to in- 
form the Reader, that having an extraordinary Venera- 
tion for St. Nicholas., they, as well as the Mufcovites., are 
Nicholatians by Religion, and always place the Image of 
that Saint near the Bodies of their Dead, inftead of a 
Crucifix. This Saint is not the fame for whom we ce- 
lebrate a Feftival in France ; but Nicholas., one of the 
feven Deacons, mentioned in the ASis of the Apoftles. 
His Image is dreffed up by them in a Pilgrim’s Habit, in 
s long Robe, with a Cam ail hanging dowm over his 
Shoulders, a broad Girdle about his Middle, and a Staff 
in his Hand. 
The Noife they made having almoft deafened us, and 
- being weary with looking on their barbarous Rites, we 
left the Cottage of the Defun6t, to go to our Hoft’s, 
where "we found only our’ Hoftefs at Home. She had 
made a Sally out of the Place to which her Hufband had 
confined her, on our Arrival ; as foon as fhe faw us, fuppo- 
fing he was with us, fhe would have retired to her Corner; 
but our Guide and Interpreter, giving her to underftand 
the good Man was at the Funeral, and would not come 
home prefently, fhe ftayed and viewed us all- round, one 
after another, looked very kindly on us, drew her Seat 
near us, and lliewed us a Bonnet of her own embroider- 
ing, done very curioufiy with Tinfel Threads. The 
Work of all the Mufcovite Laplanders, is to make Cloaths 
for themfelves, their Hufbands, and their Children. The 
Edges of them are all emoroidered with Tinfel Thread. 
They draw them between their Teeth, as fine as the Wire- 
drawers do their Gold and Silver Threads with their 
drawing Iron. They work with a good Grace. They are 
handfome, well fliaped,' and good humoured, and, if they 
did not very well know how jealous their Hufbands are of 
them, and fear their Refentments, they would willingly 
proftitute themfelves to Strangers \ for which Reafon they 
VoL. II. Numb, CI. 
are flint up when any come among them. While out 
Hoft was bufied about the Funeral, we pulled out fome 
of our Provilions, and gave our Landlady fome of every 
Sort to tafte. She liked all, but efpedaliy the Ginger-- 
bread ; fhe drank two or three Glaffes of Brandy, and 
then withdrew' to the Place of Confinement, fearing her 
Hufband might fiirprize her with us, which would have, 
raifed his Jealoufy to fuch a Degree, that he certainly 
would, have iifed her very indifterently. When one 
Landlord came home, he obliged us to take a Cup or 
two more with him, to fmoak a Pipe, , and flip together 5 
for us he brought forth the Viduals he had in tlie Houfe, 
which he thought would be moft grateful to our Tafte,, as 
Salt-Butter, which we eat with Bread ; our Guide would 
not touch it, and for him the Man of the Houfe got fome 
Bear’s Flefh, w'hich he broiled on the Coals, and fome 
dried Fifli. 
All the Cottages in this A^illage were like the others we 
had obferved elfewhere, built of Wood, and covered 
with Turf ; but they were handfbmer and better fet off 
than any we had feen in the Country ; being both with- 
in and without adorned with Works of Fifh-bones, curi- 
oufly inlaid. We made as good a Supper as we could, 
and, according to Cuftom, lay down with the Family on 
Bear’s Skins ; our Landlady only was miffing, and fhe 
was to do Penance by herlelf in a Corner, till we were 
gone. In the Morning early, on the 1 8th of May, ouf 
Hoft provided our Rain-Deer and Sledges. ' We ftowed 
our Bales, feated ourfelves, and away went our Rain- 
Deer, running as fail as thofe we hired at Kola. In two 
Hours they carried us fix Leagues, where, paffing be- 
tween two Hills, we fpied a Laplander going a Hunting; 
he came up towards us. Aiding on the Snow, which, ia 
that Country, does not melt till Midfummer, as faff 
as we rid in our Sledges ; his Skates were made of the 
Bark of a certain Tree ; they were feven Feet and a half 
long, only four Fingers broad, and fiat at Bottom ; he 
wac: dreffed like the other Laplanders, in a Garment 
made of Rain-Deer-Skin, with the Hair outwards ; hia 
Cap, his Gloves, his Coat, his Breeches, and Boots, 
were embroidered with Tinfel ; he had a Girt of Rain-* 
Deer-Skin about his Waift, a Dare in one Hand, and a 
Bow in the other, a large Quiver hanging at his Back, 
and a black Cat followed him. He kept Company, with 
us about half a League ; W'e parted at the Foot of the 
next Mountain ; we defeended it, and he ftruck off 
another Way. We continued our Rout three Days, ftop- 
ping at the fame Places where we lay in our Journey out- 
wards ; and, meeting with no Lew Adventures, our En- 
tertainment, our way of Travelling, and every thing was 
the fame as before. 
About nine o’clock at Night, on the odd May, we 
arrived fafe at Varanger, having received many Services, 
and no Wrong, throughout the whole Country of Lmijh 
Lapland', for though the Inhabitants are poor and igno- 
rant, they are, however, faithful, and given to no Man- 
ner of Theft or Fraud. Their Honefty is their greateft^ 
if not their only. Virtue. They are fo dextrous in throw- 
ing a Dart, that they will put a Crown Piece, thirty Par 
ces off, and ftrike through it ; as for the Bow, they are 
fo fkilful, that they will Jffioot their Game in what Part 
they pleafe. They don’t much care to go to the Wars ; 
and whenever the 'Kings of Sweden Denmark, or the 
Czar of Mufeovy, have Occafion for Soldiers, for fear of 
being forced to ferve, they leave their Dwellings, and 
fly to the Woods. They have plenty of Fowl, as Geefe, 
Ducks, Pullets, ' and other Sorts. They feed them not 
with Juniper Berries, but with another Grain, of which 
they make their Drink ; and when that is fcarce, or for 
Variety, they give them Fifh to eat. The greateft Part 
of the wild Beafts in Lapland are white, as Bears, 
Wolves, Foxes, and Hares ; and even their Crows are 
fo white, that they may be compared to the Swan, 
having nothing black about them, but their Bills and 
Feet. 
The Fifh they dry to eat inftead of Bread, is very 
: broad, and two or three Ells long, without Bones, and, 
excepting the Fat, has a very good Tafte ; it is firm and 
fubftaiitials and they call it Raff As for other Fifh they 
€ C ■ cat 
