LAPI 
eribed to Iilm. The individual, indeed, which was kept 
at Drefden, would eafily difpatch thirteen pounds of he(h 
in a day ; but that which Buffon pofielfed, though it fed 
with great greedinefs, confumed only four pounds ; and 
another, belonging to the Hudlon’s-Bay Company, was 
ufually fatisfied with the ordinary allowance of a malt iff 
dog. In fact, the more clolely that we inveftigate the 
hiltory of any fpecies of animal, the greater diverfities, 
both of phyficai and intelleft-ual temperament, we (hall 
probably find to obtain among the individuals of which 
that fpecies is compofed. Ginelin, we believe, is folnary 
in the opinion that this animal inhabits the warmer re¬ 
gions of the globe, equally with the latitudes of the north. 
But, even the weight of his name is infufficient to eftablilh 
fuch a curious fact, unlefs it can be proved by the diftinct 
and refpeftable teftimony of fome ocular witnels. 
This country abounds alfo with elks, beavers, and ot¬ 
ters, which live here unmolefted, and find plenty of filht 
for their fubliftence. The forells of this country furnilh 
haunts to a great number of beautiful martens and fquir- 
rels; which laft change their colour every winter from 
brown to grey. Lapland is alfo the native country of the 
zibeling, or (able, wliofe Ikin is extremely valuable. Here 
are likewife ermines, weafels, hares, large black cats which 
attend the Laplanders in hunting, and little prick-eared 
curs trained to the game. But the mod remarkable ani¬ 
mal of Lapland is the rein-deer, for an account of which, 
fee Cervus tarandus, vol. iv. p. 51. Thefeanimals, fo ufe- 
ful in various refpeffs to the natives, are kept at noexpenle. 
In fummer they feed upon gralfes and alpine plants; in 
winter, as already mentioned, upon the Lichen rangiferus, 
or rein-deer lichen, and its varieties, which are fo abun¬ 
dant as in many parts almofl totally to cover the ground 
for the fpace of feveral miles, and which the fagacious 
animal difcovers under the fnow by the peculiar acute- 
nefs of its fin ell. Molt of thofe ufed for draught are caf- 
trated when very young, and are larger and fatter than 
the bucks. The woods, mountains, and rivers, are well 
ftocked with wild fowl; fuch as bultard, partridge, growle, 
heathcock, pheafants, lapwings, fwans, wild geele, wild 
ducks, and all forts of aquatic birds that build and breed 
in northern climates. In the beginning of the fpring the 
fwans go thither in numerous flights trom the German 
ocean ; the lapwings follow in iuch fwarms that they 
darken the fky as they pafs along, and fcream fo loud that 
they may be heard at a great dillance. The rocks and 
mountains are likewife frequented by eagles, hawks, fal¬ 
cons, kites, and other birds of prey. The rivers abound 
with delicious falmon from the Gulf of Bothnia, trout, 
bream, and perch of exquifite flavour and amazing mag¬ 
nitude , and the inhabitants of Wardhus, or Daniih Lap- 
land, are well fupplied with fifli from the northern ocean. 
With refpeft to infeeds, the flies hatched in the morafles 
and woods in futnmer are fo numerous, that they often 
obfcure the face of day; and fo venomous, troublefome, 
and intolerable, that the rein-deer fly to the tops of the 
higheft mountains for flielter, and the Laplanders betake 
themlelves to the fea fide, which is the leaft infelted by 
thefe peftilent vermin. M. de Maupertuis, in his account 
of the voyage he made to Lapland, in company with the 
other French mathematicians lent thither by the king to 
meafure a degree of the meridian, gives us to underltand, 
that on the tops of the mountains in Torno the flies were 
fo troublefome, that even the Finland foldiers, who are 
accounted the moft hardy troops in the ferviceof Sweden, 
were obliged to cover their faces with the (kirts of their 
coats from the attacks of thefe animals, which fwarmed 
to fuch a degree, that the moment a piece of flefh appear¬ 
ed it was blackened all over. Some of thefe flies are very 
large, with green heads, and fetch blood from the (kin 
wherever they (trike. The Laplanders (hroud themlelves 
in the fmoke of a large fire kindled for that purpofe; yet 
even this difagreeable expedient was not fufficient to de¬ 
fend the French philofophers ; they were obliged, notwith¬ 
standing the exceiiive heat, to wrap up their heads in gar- 
'AND, 231 
ments made of the fkins of the rein-deer, called in that 
country lapvmdes ; and to cover themlelves with a thick 
rampart ot fir boughs 5 yet all thefe precautions proved 
ineffectual. M. de Maupertuis obferved a lake quite co¬ 
vered with little yellowilh grains, refembling millet-feed, 
which he fuppofed to be the chryfalifes of fome of thefe 
infects. 
The Laplanders are low in ftature, and are remarkable 
for having large heads. They are alfo ill-fhaped, and 
their features harlh. They arc, however, flrong, hardy,, 
and robuft, infomuch that they will bear incredible fa¬ 
tigue; and it is remarked that the flouted Norwegian is not 
able to bend the bow of a Laplander. The women are 
much lefs homely than the men, and many of them are 
noted for a delicate and florid complexion. Thefe people 
are Ample, honeft, hofpitable, and timorous; their timi¬ 
dity, however, refpefts war alone ; for to many other fpe¬ 
cies of dangers they ekpofe themfelves with furprifing in¬ 
trepidity, whether in afcending and defcending mountains 
and precipices with their fnow-(hoes and in fledges, or in 
venturing amidft whirlpools and cataraCfs in little (lender 
boats made of thin fir boards, faftened together with 
thongs of leather, finews of wild beads, or tough and 
flexible twigs of willow and ofier. Thefe boats are of dif¬ 
ferent fizes, from two to fix yards in length, managed 
with oars, and caulked with mofs fo tight as to keep out 
the water. The Laplanders are partly iettled, and in part 
wild and roving; the latter live in tents made of coarfe 
cloth ; the former are fixed in Anal] villages near the lakes, 
and chiefly follow fiftiing. They build their cottages 
fomewhat in the (hape of a cone, by placing a circle of 
large trees or poles aflant in the earth, and clofe to each 
other, fo that their tops meet, and form a fmall vent for 
the ifiue of the fmoke ; they cover the ground within with 
branches of trees. In fpring their food conlifts princi¬ 
pally of the eggs of water-fowl, which are extremely plen¬ 
tiful in thofe parts; in fummer and autumn, of the birds 
themfelves, and of various others of the partridge tribe ; 
and in winter of the milk and flefh of the rein-deer, and 
dried fifli. They had till lately no bread ; but in lieu 
thereof ufed the inner rind of the pine-tree dried and 
ground, and dried fifli reduced to powder. They make 
confeftions and decoitions of berries, angelica, and for- 
rel, which they juftly reckon to be prefervatives againlt 
the fcurvy. The Laplander is fecured in the pofleffioti 
of uninterrupted health by temperance and exercife, which, 
together with the feverity of the climate, brace his nerves 
to a very unufual pitch of ffrength, and fortify his con- 
ftitution in fuch a manner, that he often lives to the a°-e 
of 100; and it is not uncommon to fee a Laplander, m 
extreme old age, hunting, fowling, (kating, and perform¬ 
ing all the feverefl exercifes with undiminifhed agility. 
The fummer garb of the men confifts of a long coat of 
coarfe cloth, reaching down the middle of the leg, and 
girded round the waift with a belt or girdle; from which 
hang a Norway knife, and a pouch containing flints, 
matches, tobacco, and other neceflaries; the girdle itfel'f 
being decorated with brafs rings and chains. Their 
caps are made of the (kin of the northern diver, with 
the feathers on; and their (hoes of the rein-deer (kin, 
with the hair outwards. They wear no linen ; but the 
garments of the better fort are of a finer cloth, and- 
they delight in a variety of colours, though red, as the 
moft glaring, is the molt agreeable. In winter they are 
totally cafed up in coats, caps, boots, and gloves, made of 
the rein-deer (kins. In the Flora Lapponica, Linnseus 
fays, “Perhaps the curious reader, will wonder how the 
people in Lapland, during the terrible cold that reigns 
there in winter, can preierve theirdives ; fince almofl all 
birds, and even fome wild beafts, defert it at that time. 
The Laplander, not only in the day, but through the 
whole winter nights, is obliged to wander about in the 
woods with his herds of rein-deer. For the rein-deer ne¬ 
ver come under cover, nor eat any kind of fodder but a. 
particular kind of liverwort. On this account, the herdf- 
men. 
