210 
GENERAL REMARKS 
a fmall fpace left open before its mouth to breathe through and 
receive the nipple, which, whenever the has occafion to put into 
the child’s mouth, fhe is under the neceffity of flopping the 
fledge, as fhe is obliged to kneel towards the fide of it, whilft fhe 
applies the infant to her breafl. The refl of the family follow 
the fledges on foot, having in charge to drive the rein-deer the 
way they go. 
It mufl appear wonderful that the Laplanders are able to travel 
in the winter by night as well as day, when the earth prefents one 
entire furface or fheet of fnow, and not a fingle veflige is difco- 
verable of human induflry and labour to direct their way, the 
fnow flying about in all directions at the fame time, and almofl 
blinding them : yet it is certain, that they are at no difficulty to 
find the fpot to which they are bound, and very rarely meet with 
any accident. They fix bells to the harnefs of the rein-deer, as 
before-mentioned, in order that they may be kept together by 
hearing, wdien they cannot fee one another, after the light of their 
fhort day fails them. To guide them in their route, they make 
obfervation of the quarter from whence the wdnd blow's, and by 
night are directed by the ftars; and, as the million ary obferves. 
Providence and thefe never fail them, fo that he does not remem¬ 
ber more than one fatal accident happening during the ten years 
that, as has been already mentioned, he lived amongft them. 
The Laplander has always his flint, fteel, and matches ready by 
him, which he conftantly carries in a pouch in his bofom, occa- 
fionally to light his pipe of tobacco, or a fire, as neceffity requires; 
for 
