and fingers were covered with trinkets and rings. We prevailed upon some of the younger females to sing. Their tone of voice did not differ from the sort of howl we had heard in Torneå Lapmark; but they accompanied their voices with a continued beckoning motion of their right hands, standing at the same time opposite to each other, while they sung; which were gestures we had not before observed.

Near the tents there was a large enclosure constructed of trees, thrown together so as to form a tall fence like a cheval-de-frise. This enclosure contained about six or seven hundred rein-deer, and many of the female Lapps were employed milking them. Other rein-deer were roaming about the mountain; and, at a distance, we saw several Lapps dragging more of these animals towards the enclosure. They are thus folded every night for milking; the fence serving to confine them, and to protect them from the wolves; some persons being constantly appointed to watch them in their enclosure, which has only one narrow gate or place of entrance. We breakfasted by taking draughts of the reindeer milk, which was as rich and luscious as cream, tasting deliciously sweet: but we had afterwards reason to repent of our rashness in having so done; as this milk is very difficult of

IV.

CHAP. digestion, and we were grievously troubled with head-ache in consequence. Afterwards, we entered into the tents, and sat down in some of them. The Laplanders themselves have a peculiar mode of sitting in their tents, which may be considered as one of the marks of their Asiatic origin: they first kneel, like a Turk or Arab preparing for his devotion; then, leaning back, they sit, in this posture, upon their feet. Every thing respecting the economy and arrangement of a Laplander's tent, and of their manners and customs, has been represented by plates, and accurately described, in the curious work of the Missionary Leems': but this work is so rare, that we shall briefly describe the ground-plan of one of them, according to the notes made upon the spot. The hearth, or fire-place, is in the centre, between two parallel rows of stones; and a large oblong stone is placed at the entrance: smoke, always, filling the tent, escapes through a hole in the top. Pots, kettles, &c. hang from the sides. In the small space between the parallel rows of stones is the only area for cooking. The floor is covered with bushes of the Betula nana; upon which are

(1) Canuti Leemii de Lapponibus Commentatio, multis tabulis æneïs illustrata, &c. Kióbenhavn, 1767.

IV.

laid rein-deer skins, for the beds, all round the CHAP. hearth.

of killing

We took this opportunity to buy one of their finest and fattest rein-deer; upon condition that a Lapp would conduct it to Bracken, upon the Norwegian side of these mountains, and there kill it. This fine animal was five years old: we paid for it seven rix-dollars, in silver; and would gladly have sent it to England from Trönjem; but without a Laplander to attend it, we knew that it would not live. It is also necessary that a Laplander should kill the rein-deer, in order to taste their venison in perfection. Their mode of doing Their mode this is the same used by the butchers in the Rein-deer. south of Italy; the most antient and best method of slaying cattle, because it is attended with the least pain to the animal, and the greatest profit to its possessor. They thrust a sharp-pointed knife into the back part of the head, between the horns; so as to divide the spinal marrow from the brain. The beast instantly drops, and expires without a groan or struggle, as if it fainted. The blood is not suffered to flow; but is collected afterwards into a pail from the stomach, yielding about two gallons: it is then used for food. In this respect the method differs from that of the Italian butchers, who open the throat after the beast has fallen, and suffer the blood to flow.

CHAP.
IV.

The Laplander, as soon as the rein-deer falls and appears to be dead, plunges the knife dexterously behind the off-shoulder, into the heart; then opening the animal, its blood is found in the stomach. The skin which is taken from the legs and feet, they prize highly; because they make their shoes of it. The Laplander who attended our rein-deer begged for this part of the skin, and was very thankful for it when we allowed him to take it.

After our visit to the Lapps, we ascended the lofty Fjal, upon which they had pitched their camp; and crossed over into the other road; if roads they may be called, which exhibit no other vestige of human labour than, at every quarter of a Swedish mile, a tottering pillar of wood, to mark the distances. We passed three of these; the third being the last in Sweden. Here we first observed the rivers beginning to take their course towards the Norwegian Seas; and a wide Alpine prospect before us plainly indicated that we had now attained the highest Passage of point of the passage into NORWAY, whence we were to descend into other regions, and visit another people. A feeling of regret was excited at the moment; and we looked back with hearts yearning towards SWEDEN. In the pleasing recollections then suggested, we called to mind

the Norwe

gian Alps. Valedictory Re

trospect of

the North

of Sweden.

the simple and innocent lives of the arctic farmers, fishermen, and hunters; jovial Finlandhospitable Westro-Bothnia-hearty Angermannland-merry Helsingeland-sturdy Herjeådalenall, all were gone! Nothing remained to us of SWEDEN, save the athletic natives of Funnes

dalen, who attended as our guides; and a grateful association of ideas made us regard them as our friends.

CHAP.

IV.

from the

We descended, a long time, by a doubtful and Descent perilous path (among low birch-trees, hardly Heights. rising higher than our heads, and disposed to creep like the Betula nana), through bogs, and over slippery rocks. In these bogs we found the cloudberry, covering all the surface from the very summit. The jaded horses on which we rode, were almost buried in some of the swamps. Very often, not a trace of any path could be discerned; and, more than once, our guides having lost their way, made us measure back our paces in search of it. Towards the north-west, mountains in greater number, and more lofty than any we had yet seen, appeared far beyond us: one in particular, which, if we rightly apprehended our guides, was called St. Skarven-Field, of prodigious elevation, and of a conical shape, had for its base a series of other mountains. It resembled one of the Paps of Caithness in