boats, go a-fifhing, frequently a-fowling, and in the fpring time
hunt the fquirrel, which they kill with a wooden arrow Ihot from
a crofs-bow, as is reprefented in the plate.
This figure o f the bow is accurately copied from the original,
which my friend Mr. Julin puchafed, and brought with him
when he returned from his excurfion into the interior o f the government
o f Uleaborg: it has a ftrong refemblance to thoie with
which the Dalicarlian mountaineers were armed before the time
o f Guftavus V a ia . It is extremely heavy, and requires great
ftrength to bend it, even with the afliftance o f a thong which the
Finlander carries about with him tied to his leather girdle. The
ancient uiages, ftill preferred in the country, are an inconteftable
proof o f the fimplicity o f the natives, and o f the little knowledge
they have acquired o f our modern inventions. Thefe uiages are,
however, worthy objedls o f the traveller’s attention, and are now
the more interefting, beeaule they are falling every day into obli?
vion, giving place to others o f recent date.
In fhooting the fquirrel they employ, as has been intimated, a
fort o f blunt, pointlefs arrow, that they may kill the animal without
injuring the fk in : and what is deferving o f being noticed,
they do not take aim as we commonly do, by bringing the handle
o f the crois bow near the eye, ‘but fet it upon the be lly; and yet
by this method, which appears lb awkward to us, they feldom or
never mifs hitting the objeit. The arrow is to,o valuable to be
lo ft; for the moment it falls, it is picked up for another occafion.
But the ipecies o f hunting which fets the courage and enterprife
of
o f the Finlander in the very ftrongeft light, is that o f the feal, or
pfroca vitalina o i Linnaeus. T he feafon o f this chafe begins when
the fea breaks up, and the ice floats in flioals upon the furface.
Four or five peafants will place themfelves in an open boat, with
one trifling mail, fet off to fea, and be more than a month abfent
from their families. « Thus they expofe themfelves to all the dan-
gers o f the highTeas; have a fmall fire which they kindle on a fort
o f brick hearth, live upon the fleih o f the feal, which is extremely
good, and bring home the fat and the ikins. T he perils which
thole .voyagers have, to llrugglc with are incredible: they, are every
kiftant between, maffes o f ice which threaten to crufli their bark
to atoms: they g e t upon the floating flioals, and, creeping along
them, fteal cautioufly upon the feal, and kill W
the ice, . Seven years, ago, two Finlanders only ipt. out ,in ,a boat
for this chafe. Having got fight o f fome feds on a little, floating
ifland, they, quitted their ,boat, and, gpt upon the ice» moving o n
their hands and knees to get near them wifbqut being perceived.
T h e y had previoufly faftenedTheif.bpat tp ^ e Ttttlq ifland o f ice
they difembarked, upon ;, but while,.. thcy. wcre bufily engaged
in-their purfuit, a guft o f wind tore away their boat, when, meet-
jng:-with-other: fhoals, It was, brokpn^in pieces,, and in aTew
minutes .entirely difappeared.. The. hunters were aware of. their
danger when it was too la te : they were now left without help,
without refouroe, without a ray o f hope, on their little floating
ifland. ... They remained two weeks on, this frail fragment; the
heat, which diminiihed its bulk, and alfo its prominent fur-
P p 2 i'ace’