CONCERNING LAPLAND. 
203 
Another collar is fometimes put on by way of ornament, although 
the rope before-mentioned may alfo be fattened to it: this collar 
is made of kerfey cloth, and embellifhed with tinfel, having a ball 
hanging from it at the bottom. 
A broad girth furrounds the body of the rein-deer, and is called 
by the Laplanders aagotas. That part of the girth which is under 
the belly is of leather, the other, covering the back and fides, of 
kerfey, ornamented with tinfel, and lined with fkin: but this 
girth -is not in general ufe, though it certainly appears to be of 
fome fervice, inafmuch as it has an opening for the rope before- 
mentioned to pafs through, and by that means caufes the fledge 
to proceed with fteadinefs ; whereas the cord being fattened to the 
neck collar only, admits of fhaking, and untteady motion out of 
the ttraight line, as the animal bounds from fide to fide in the ve¬ 
locity and violence of his progrefs. This entire harnefs, befides 
other trappings which are only utted occafionally, and not neceffary 
to be here fpecified, is the work of the Lapland women. 
The fledge is made exactly in the fhape of a boat, having a flat 
ttern. It has a keel and thwarts (to fpeak the language of boat¬ 
building), and the fide planks have their ends fattened with 
wooden pegs. The fledge is caulked within, fo that no water 
can enter through the fides. The rope by which the fledge is 
drawn is fixed to the head-poft. The Laplanders have four 
different kinds of fledges. One called giet-kierreSy that is to fay, 
the portable fledge, is moft commonly ufed: this is entirely 
open from head to ttern, and fo light that it may be taken up and 
D d 2 carried 
