3 i6 TRAVELS 
duced to flour by the labour of the hands, either by pounding in 
mortars, or by grinding betwixt two Rones. This was a daily 
talk, and it fell to the woman’s lot to perform it in Finland, as in 
other countries. During the long and dreary winters of that cli- 
mate, they were engaged in this work at home, whilft their huf- 
bands abroad were either in purfuit of game, or employed in the 
neceflary bufinefs of feeking wood, forage, &c. 
To cheer their minds, and beguile their labour, fuch of the 
women as were unable to invent fongs, ftudied the compofition 
of new ones; w 7 hilft others who were not fo happy as to poflefs 
that talent, fung thole they had learned, whether new or old. In 
The pally now is open laid. 
And all the rogue’s trick is difplay’d 5 
But words I want now to exprefs 
His rage, his fury, and diflrefs; 
He flamp’d, he fwore, with paffion flutter’d. 
But calmer grown, tliefe words he utter’d : 
How wretched man ! expos’d to cheats ! 
At meals who knows not what he eats ! 
This day it may be leg of cat, 
To-morrow fome,thing worfe than that •, 
Thro’ life in all things thus he’s cheated. 
And moft when bell he thinks he’s treated j. 
One truth he firmly may believe. 
That death fhall furely not deceive ; 
But howe’er fumptuoufly he eat. 
For worms at laft will make him meat. 
Thus ends Vanonen’s tale, which you 
Have liften’d with attention to ; 
I trull you think it well beftow’d, 
For all allow the moral good. 
one 
