guished from any of his flock at our arrival, now made a most grotesque figure, in a long black coat hanging to his heels, his long hair, or rather mane, uncombed, a broad-brimmed old flapped hat upon his head, a black stock about his neck, and Lapland buskins on his feet. His house had lately been consumed by fire: he said he had then lost all his books; but we could not discover that he remembered any of their names. When we asked what we should send him from Stockholm, to assist him in his labours, he answered, "powder and shot." The same person had formerly a child by his wife's sister; and had given out that the Duke of Orléans, who passed this way about the time', was father of the infant. This circumstance, of course, gave rise to a good deal of scandal; but it seemed to be mentioned rather as a jocular topic of conversation among the people, than with any serious reflections upon the conduct of their pastor. We were entertained with his rough manners and wild appearance. Asking him respecting the distance to Enontekis at the source of the Muonio, he said he once went thither, during winter, in a sledge drawn by rein-deer, in six hours,

(1) Le Duc de Chartres, afterwards Duke of Orléans, with Mr. Montjoye, under the names of Müller and Froberg, visited Lapland in 1796.

X.

CHAP. leaving Muonioniska at two P. M. and arriving at eight; the distance being eleven Swedish miles, equal to seventy-seven English. Like all the Swedish Clergy, he spoke Latin with fluency. By him we were advised to ascend a small river to the east towards Kiemi Lapmark, where, at the distance of about seven English miles, he said, we should find a party of the nomade LapTugurium landers, in a forest, living in their wild uncultiLaplander. Vated state. This people do not herd together:

of a nomade

never more than three or four families pitch their tents upon the same spot. We embarked in search of them. One of the sons of the principal Laplander chanced to be in Muonioniska: we therefore took this lad to be our guide to his father's tents. After working our way up several rapids, sometimes being on foot and as often in the boat, we at last reached a lake about three English miles in circumference. We crossed this piece of water, killing, in our way, some wild-ducks, with which it swarmed. Mr. Pipping shot one of those beautiful and rare birds, the solitary snipe: it was of the size of a woodcock. Afterwards, we quitted the boat, and entered a forest; forcing our way, for two or three English miles, through bogs and bushes, preceded by our young Lapp. During this walk, we had frequent opportunities of observing the immense

CHAP.

X.

ants' nests, which had been laid open by the bears. At length there appeared, in the midst of the forest, a hill, the only approach to which was through a swamp up to our knees in water. Upon the top of this hill stood a single tent of the Laplanders, constructed as before described. By the side of it, hanging to dry, were cakes of cheese, newly made; and hard by, penned within several folds, two or three hundred rein-deer ; whose grunting, as we drew near to them, exactly resembled that of so many hogs. The Lapland boy had before requested that we would allow him to run forward, and advertise his father of our coming, that he might, as he literally expressed it, be dressed to receive us but we forbade it, desiring to see his family in their usual state of living. We now advanced, and threw open the door of the tent: it was full of inmates, Inmates. about seven persons in all, two men and two women, besides children. We presented them with the two offerings most likely to ensure a welcome; namely, brandy and tobacco; the women swallowing the former as greedily as the for spiritu men, who, as it is well known, will almost part with life itself for the gratification of dram-drinking. We now seated ourselves with them in their tent. They had dark hair and tawny skins, but there was no appearance of filthiness. Their

Savage

Propensity

ous liquors.

X.

CHAP. shirts were made of leather; their scull-caps, either of woollen cloth, or of black plush; their shoes, seldom worn in summer, were of the same nature as the labkas of the Russians, made of matted bark-birch'. The outer garments of men and women resembled a Capuchin's cowl, fastened round the waist with a sash. This outer covering is only worn when they are abroad; and then they carry provisions in the large pouch which the bosom affords: this is, moreover, their summer dress. After we had sate for some time, a girl came in, who had been tending the rein-deer; her father being on the outside, in close conversation with Mr. Pipping, our Lapland interpreter. We had previously given to this man the remainder of our brandy, about a pint, thinking he would husband it with great care; and we had seen him place it behind him, upon his bed, near the skirting of the tent. As soon as the girl entered, we called to Mr. Pipping, desiring him to prevail upon the father to allow his daughter a taste of the brandy, as she had lost her share by being absent. The old man made no answer; but, upon our repeating the request, he slily crept round the outside of the tent, until he came to the spot where the brandy was; when, thrusting his arm

(1) See the Vignette to Chap. X. Vol. I. of these Travels.

X.

silently beneath the skirting, he drew it out, and CHAP. swallowed the whole contents of the bottle at a draught. We now offered to buy some rein-deer cheese, which is white, and not unlike the Cottenham cheese made near Cambridge: he said he would supply us with any quantity for brandy, but refused money. Another Lapp brought us some of the cheese, as a present, hoping to get a dram; but our stock of spirituous liquor was already consumed. The brandy seemed, moreover, to have taken effect; for the chief, looking very wise, began to sing. We begged for a Lap- Lapland land song, and it was granted. With both his fists clenched, and thrusting his face to that of Mr. Pipping, as if threatening to bite him, he uttered a most fearful yell: it was the usual howl of the Laplanders, consisting of five or six words repeated over and over, which, when translated, occur in this order:

Let us drive the Wolves!

Let us drive the Wolves!,
See they run!

The Wolves run!

The boy also, our former guide, sang the same ditty. During their singing, they strained their lungs so as to cause a kind of spasmodic convulsion of the chest, which produced a noise like the braying of an ass. In all this noise there

Song.