obferved in this method of cure, namely, that the buck’s finews
only are to be applied to the legs of the female Laplander, and
thofe of the doe to the male.
Their funerals are conducted with little ceremony. The body,,
flightly wrapped up in a coarfe cloth, is borne to the grave, a ttended
by a fmall convoy o f the family and friends of the de-
ceafed; for whofe entertainment a flight repaft is prepared, which
affords nothing beyond the common fare, except a fmall portion
o f metheglin, which is handed about to the company. It was an
ancient cuftom with the Laplanders to bury thofe who excelled
in fhooting with the bow, or with fire-arms, in the ground confe-
crated to the rites performed in honour of their deities» The fe-
pulchre is no other than an old fledge, which is turned bottom
upwards over the fpot where the body lies buried. It was likewife
ufual formerly to raife a heap of ftones over the dead body ; but
that praCtice is now laid afide, and the fledge is at prefent the
only monument. Another eircumftance prevailed amongfl the
Laplanders before their entire converfion to Chriftianity, namely,
that they placed an axe with a tinder-box by the fide of the corpfe,
if that o f a man ; and if a woman’s, her feiffars and needle; fup-
pofing thefe implements might be of ufe to them in the other
world. They likewife put up a quantity of provifions with the
dead body, and immediately after the burial of one of the family,
they removed their habitation to another fpot. For the firfl three
years after the deceafe of a friend or relation, they were accuf-
tomed, from time to time, to dig holes by the fide of the grave,
5 therein
therein to depofit either a fmall quantity o f tobacco, or fbmething
that the deceafed was fondeft of when living. They fuppofed
the felicity of a future flate to confifl in feafting, fmoking to bacco,
drinking brandy, and fimilar amufements ; and they believed
that thefe enjoyments were to be participated in the other
world in a higher degree of perfection than they were experienced
in this. Such was their idea o f the blifs to be found in the life
to come, in which they believed their rein-deer, as well as the
reft of the brute creation, were to be equal partakers.'
I t is a rule with the Laplanders, on the birth of a child, to af-
fign a female rein-deer, with all her future offspring, as a provifion
when the boy or girl fhall be grown up, which he or fhe becomes
entitled to, however the eflate may be difpofed of at the deceafo
of the parents. By this provifion, the child fometimes becomes
the owner o f a confiderable herd.