S E C T IO N V II I .
Of the Diet of the Laplanders, and their Cookery.
* | ''H E re in -d e e r’s m ilk c o n ilitu te s a p rin c ip a l p a rt o f th e L a p lan
d e r s food, a n d h e has tw o m e th o d s o f p rep a rin g it, a c co
rd in g to th e feafon. In fum m e r h e boils th e m ilk w ith forrel,
till it arrives to a confiilence r in th is m an n e r h e preforves i t for
ufo d u rin g th a t ih o r t feafon. In w in te r th e follow ing is his m e th
o d o f p r e p a r a tio n : th e m ilk w h ic h h e collects in a u tum n till
th e b e g in n in g o f N o v em b e r, from th e re in -d e e r, is p u t in to calks,
o r w h a tev e r veflels h e has, in w h ic h it ico n tu rn s four, an d , as th e
co ld w e a th e r comes on , fre e z e s; a n d in th is Rate it is k e p t. T h e
m ilk colledted a fte r th is tim e is m ix ed w ith cranberries, and p u t
in to th e p a u n ch o f th e re in -d e e r, well cleanfed from filth : th u s
th e m ilk foon congeals, an d i t is c u t o u t in ilices, to g e th e r w ith
th e p a u n c h ; to effedl w h ic h a h a tc h e t is ufod, for no fmaller in -
ilrum e n t w o u ld p e rfo rm th e office o f div id in g th a t lum p o f ice.
I t is th e n fep ara ted in to fmall pieces, a n d e a ten th ro u g h o u t th e
w in te r every day a t n o o n , w h ic h is th e L a p la n d e r’s d in n e r h o u r.
I t m u il b e p re fum ed , as it is ferved u p w ith o u t b e in g b ro u g h t to
th e fire, th a t th is is ice c ream in th e g re a te ft p e rfe c tio n : h e re are
fleffi an d fru it b len d ed w ith th e r i c h e i l bu ty rac eo u s m ilk th a t c an
be
b e d raw n from any a n im a l ; b u t n o tw ith fla n d in g th e ex trao rd in a ry
fatnefs, w h ic h m ay be fuppofed to refill in a g re a t degree th e
effect o f cold, th is p rep a ra tio n , as o u r good miffionary rem a rk s
w ith a degree o f feeling, as i f his te e th ilill c h a tte re d w h ilfl h e
delivered th e a c c o u n t, chills an d freezes th e m o u th in a v io len t
m a n n e r w h e n ev e r it is tak e n .
T h e m ilk w h ic h is d raw n la te in th e w in te r freezes im m e d ia te ly
a fte r b e in g d raw n . T h is is p u t in to fm all veffels m ad e o f b irc h -
wood, an d is confidered b y th e L a p la n d e r as fu c h a n e x trao rd in a ry
delicacy, th a t h e referves i t as th e m o il acc ep tab le p re fo n t h e c an
offer even to a miffionary. I t is placed before th e fire, an d e a ten
w ith a fpoon as i t is th aw ed . W h e n p u t by it is carefully covered
u p , becaufe i f th e cold a ir g e t to i t a fterwards, it tu rn s o f a y e llow
colour, an d b e com es ran c id .
Cheefe is m ad e from th e m ilk o f th e re in -d e e r in th e fo llow in g
m a n n e r. T h e m ilk has w a te r m ix ed w ith it, o th e rw ifo , ow in g
to its ex trao rd in a ry richnefs, i t would n o t cu rd le w h e n th e r e n n e t
is p u t in . W h e n a fu ffic ien t q u a n tity o f w a te r is ad d ed to th e
m ilk , it is fot over th e fire to be h e a ted , an d a fte r th is has been
fu ffic ien tly done, th e r e n n e t is th row n in to i t ; th e w h ey is foon
fep ara ted from th e c u rd , a n d th e la tte r is ta k e n o u t a n d wrapped
u p in a c lo th to be p re ffe d ; a fte r w h ic h i t is m o u ld e d in a ro u n d
iliape : i t is e a ten cold, boiled o r to a fled . W h e n h e ld before th e
fire, i t is fo u n d fo fa t th a t it is in dan g er o f b u rn in g , an d i f p e rm
itte d to do fo w ill flam e lik e a c andle. I t is e ile em ed ex c e llen t
to h e al chilblains. T h e re n n e t ufod is o b tain ed by in fu fin g th e
fo u n d