The men are very dexterous in making veflels of various capacities,
from cups to drink out of, to caiks for containing the milk
_ 0f their rein-deer. The wood they employ for this purpofe is from
the beech-tree, which is equally beautiful with the maple, when
finely polifhed. From the horns of the rein-deer they manufacture
fpoons in a neat manner, which they contrive to ftain very
handfomely in figures not unikilfully defigned. Steel they work
into knives, to which they fix handles, and ornament them in an
elegant manner. W e have already Ipoken of their Hedges , be-
fides which they build boats in common with the Norwegians
(called Nordmands) who inhabit Finmark. Sawing-mills are but
lately introduced amongft them, which will contribute greatly to
the faving of wood : for whereas with the axe, which they be-
ufed, they could only iplit a fcantling into two planks, they can
now by the help of the faw divide it into feveral.
SECTION XIX.
O f fome particular Cu/loms among the Laplanders.
T N this feftion the reader will find feveral things mentioned,
which are not touched upon in any other part of this work.
From the time o f the ancient Saxons, or the beginning o f the
twelfth century, the Laplanders were known by the name of
Shrit-Finni; and from that period to the prefent have invariably
obferved their original cuftoms and manners.
I t is ufual with them, as in the Eaft, never to wait on a fupe-
rior without a prefent. I f a Laplander has occafion to attend a
magiftrate, or his clergyman, he brings w ith him either a cheefe,
a hare, partridge, fea or river fifh, a lamb, fome veniibn, a reindeer’s
tongue, butter, a quantity o f down feathers, or fomething
o f the like kind. In return for his prefent, he never goes back
empty, but receives either fome tobacco, or a bottle of mead, a
keg o f beer, iome ginger and ipices, or, in lhort, whatever is at
hand which may be fuppofed acceptable. The iame cuftom prevails
amongft the Mufcovites.
The Laplanders formerly made ufe of a ftick called prumjlceve,
by way of almanack, on which were marked the leveral feftivals
and principal days of the year.
V o l . II. O o The