conduced us to the ftore, which was a little wooden box, or fhed,
raifed upon beams to a certain height from the ground, that the
provifions it contained might not be damaged by the humidity
o f the fnow in winter. We were aftonifhed at the quantity of
things this good and provident woman had in her magazine.
There was great plenty of dried filh, and dried rein-deer fleih,
cheefe, and tongues of the rein-deer, oatmeal, rein-deer ikins,
fur and woollen cloths, and other articles. Every thing befpoke
riches and comfort; and, what was moft remarkable, our kind
hoftefs gave us whatever we wanted in the moft liberal manner,
and without the leaft idea of receiving aught in return ; on the
contrary, lhe periifted in refuiing to accept any money when we
offered it. I have feen very few places where the people live in
fo ealy and happy a fimplicity as in the maritime diftrids of Lapland.
Their huts are dark and narrow, and they have neither
bedfteads, chairs, nor tables ; for they ileep and fit more comfortably
on the ground, and their houfes are as convenient as they
need be for their occupations and different purfuits. Their local
fituation has, at leaft in fummer, a cheerful and fmiling afpeft,
being placed near the fea, and at the foot or on the fides of m ountains,
where the bountiful hand of nature has given them rich
paftures that want no cultivation ; and what is moft valuable, the
ground on which they tread, and the foil which yields them fuf-
tenance, they call their own, and acknowledge no landlord over
it. There is no mafter to trouble them, or to infpire them with
any fear or apprehenfion : the only fevere influence they have to
dread, arifes. now and then from the rapacity of merchants.