TRAVELS 
58 
in amongft them and devoured their flock, we fliould have been 
induced to fuppofe that the account they gave of the prefent 
Email number of their rein-deer, was intended to convince us of 
their poverty, and how unable they were to bear any contribu¬ 
tion that might be demanded. But intelligence of their difafters 
in that terrible year had reached as far as Uleaborg ; and it was 
even urged by our good friends there as a reafon why we fhould 
give up all thoughts of our projected journey. They faid, that as 
more than a third of the rein-deer had been deftroyed by the 
wolves, it would not be an eafy matter for the Laplanders to fur- 
nidi a fufflcient number of thefe animals for conveying us on, in 
our long and hazardous expedition. 
It is a lingular phenomenon, that the number of wolves in 
Lapland has increafed very fenfibly every year fince the com¬ 
mencement of the lad: war in Finland. The Laplanders believe 
that this war chafed away the wolves from Finland, and forced 
them to take refuge in the north ; jud in the fame manner, per¬ 
haps, as the prefent inhabitants of Finland, in their progrefs wed- 
ward from Ada, drove the old Fins into the wildernefs, in which 
they now fojourn. This reafon, however, fcems not fo well found¬ 
ed* as to give any folid fatisfa&ion. We know from experience 
that the wolves are difpofed to follow the courfe of war, and to 
feed on the vidims of our broils and conteds, rather than to diun 
and fly away from them. I mud therefore refer the increafe of 
wolves in Lapland to fome unknown caufe, which I do not pre¬ 
tend to penetrate. 
We 
