in fledges drawn by rein-deer. W h a t hay they polfels ferves as
provender for their cows; and the corn they obtain is converted
into flour for their own ufe, which, through long habit, is become
fo neceflary an article of their iubfiilence, that they are
miferable if they have it not all the year round. From fifliing and
the chafe they derive as much refource as they poflibly can. A
people enured,¡to' a roving and hazardous kind of life, prefer to
the laborious purfuits of agriculture, the chances of filhing and
the chafe. It would not be difficult for the few families o f Kautokeino
to raife grain fufficient for their wants : but they chufe
rather to fifh, and hunt, wild rein-deer, than to undergo the weari-
fome toils of huffiandry. They exchange for grain what fiffi they
can fpare, or barter for it the Ikins of bears or other animals
which they may happen to kill. It is, however, by no means to
be wondered at, that this ffiould be lb, when we coniider that fiffi
are fo abundant in the rivers as to make the catching o f them not
a bufinefs of doubtful /peculation, but o f the utmoll certainty ;
and alio, that if any one kill a bear, he gains more by the ikin
than he would by the cultivation of half an acre of land, over
and above the luxury of feailing upon the fleffi of this animal,
which is efleemed very delicious.
The method o f hunting the bear is the lame here as in Finland;
but that o f hunting the rein-deer is attended with exceffive fatigue,
and to be performed only by a Laplander. The wild rein-deer,
which fcorn to live in a herd, but remain in a folitary flate among
the woods and mountains, poflefs a nicety and acutenefs o f precaution
Caution that nothing can equal. When a Laplander perceives one
of thofe animals at the diftance of about half an Engliffi mile, he
takes a circuit to the windward ; coming nearer and nearer to it,;
creeping on his hands and feet, until he comes within gun-fliot.
I have been allured by a Laplander, that hC has been obliged to
creep in this manner for five miles, through ffirubs and mols, in
order to reach the moll convenient Ipot for 'taking aim at his
prey.
In the final! village of Kautokeino, there is in the month of
February an annual fair, which is frequented by the neighbouring
Laplanders and the merchants from Tornea, who come thither
for the purpofe of purchafing rein-deer {kins, furs, and other articles.
In thofe fairs the medium of trade is barter. The Laplanders
give the Ikins of rein-deer, foxes, wolves, and bears, with,
gloves and ffioes, or rather ffiort boots, in exchange for coarfe flannels,
but above all for brandy, tobacco, meal, and fait.
Th8y have a few cows and ffieep, which in fome degree fupply
them with milk and wool. For fodder to their cows, when they
have not hay enough, they gather the mofs that the rein-deer
feeds upon, and which the cows, for want o f better nouriffiment
are glad to live upon. On the adjacent mountains there is a kind
of mofs which the ffieep will eat, and even feem to like. As .ffieep
do not form any article of barter or commerce, they are to be
purchafed at a very low price. W e bought fome for our kitchen,
at the rate of eighteen pence Engliffi a-piece.
The people in thole parts are neither ignorant o f the ufe of
money,