5 2 
TRAVELS 
After fupper we employed ourfelves in obferving all the man¬ 
ners and actions of the Laplanders, in order to form an idea of 
their mode of living. With this view we propofed feveral quef- 
tions to them. The two children were chubby, robuft, and 
hearty. They did not feem to be at all ffruck with furprife or 
awe at our appearance, nor were they in the leafb difcompofed by 
our prefence, or put out of their ufual way. They went to the 
river and fetched water, which they would fometimes throw on 
our fhoes, and fometimes on our baggage. They did fome damage 
or other to every thing they laid their hands on, and deranged 
whatever was within their reach ; yet the Laplanders took no 
more notice of the children’s behaviour, than if they had not 
exiffed. They faw all their motions ; they fuffered all the mifchief 
they did with the moft perfect indifference. They cared for no¬ 
thing. The children feemed to be the fovereigns of the place. 
The Laplanders never faid fo much as one word to them of any 
kind. They never obferved that it was not well done to throw 
water on the fhoes of Grangers, or gave them any leffons refpect- 
ing good manners and propriety of conduct. Thefe, indeed, are 
terms and ideas with which the Laplanders are wholly unac¬ 
quainted ; and their only mode of training up their children is not 
to train them at all. 
In the mean time, while the children were thus engaged in 
doing all the mifchief in their power, the old Laplanders were 
bufied in cooking their fupper, which confifled of various fifh cut 
into pieces and boiled in a pot, together with fome dried fat of 
the 
