THROUGH LAPLAND. 
89 
gions, we flarted a white hare, and fome birds of different forts : 
but it was not without difficulty and trouble that we could fire a 
fhot, on account of the infects. The pleafure of fhooting any 
thing was dearly purchafed by the pain to be endured in perform¬ 
ing that operation. In order to charge, level our pieces, and take 
aim, it was neceffary to pull off our gloves, and put afide the veils 
that covered our faces: but when all this w T as done, or while doing, 
our enemies, ever watchful for a favourable moment of attack, 
allured by the fcent of their prey, fell on the parts expofed with¬ 
out mercy by millions. 
We began to be exceedingly fatigued; but as there was no 
fuel at hand for making fires to drive aw r ay the mufquetoes, 
which did not permit us either to take refrefhment or repofe, we 
pufhed on in quefl of fome trees, and made, by a roundabout 
way, towards a cabin, which we were told by one of the oldefl of 
our guides, had been eredled in a plantation hot far off by fome 
travelling merchants, for the purpofe of refling and warming 
themfelves in the winter feafon, while the Laplanders baited 
their rein-deer. This cabin is a fquare room about eight or ten 
feet in diameter, conflrudted of wood, with a hole in the top for 
letting out the fmoke of the fire in the centre. We did not all 
go into the cabin at once ; but after the Laplanders had collected 
abundance of the withered branches of trees, one of them entered 
alone and lighted the fire, having firfl ufed the precaution of flop¬ 
ping up the hole in the roof in order to keep in the fmoke. When 
the chamber was fo completely filled with fmoke as almofl to pre- 
Vol. II. N 
vent 
