of the rein-deer, a fmall quantity of milk o f the fame, and dried
fifh. A little further was a rude inclofure, or paling, made in
hafle, which ferved as a fold or yard for the rein-deer when they
were brought together to be milked—thofe animals were not
near the tents at the time we made our v ilit: they were in
the mountains, from whence they would not defcend till towards
night. As. we did not feel ourfelves difpofed to ramble
about in quell of them, at the hazard of lofing ourfelves among a
feries of mountains, exhibiting throughout an uniform appearance,
we judged it more advifable to offer fome brandy to the
Laplanders, on condition th a t they would go with their dogs and
bring the rein-deer home, or as near as they could to the tent.
Scarcely had they fwallowed the brandy, which we had given
them as an earnefl of more, when we heard the fhrill barking o f
the dogs refounding through the mountains. The Laplanders
then told us th a t the rein-deer were coming; and very fhortly
after we beheld a troop of not lefs than three hundred deer de-
fcending from the mountains in a diredlion towards the tent. W e
then infilled that they ihould drive the rein-deer within the inclofure
near the tent, that we m ight have an opportunity o f feeing
and examining them the better, and tailing the milk frefh from
the does. They did as we defired; but not without very great
difficulty, becaufe the animals, not being accuflomed to be fhut
up in the fold at that hour of the day, were unwilling to
be confined, and it was not till after repeated efforts th a t the
Laplanders were able at lafl, with the afliflance of the dogs, to
compel
compel them to enter. W e had then time to view them at our
leifure. Thofe poor animals were lean, and of a fad and melancholy
appearance: their hair hung down, and their exceffive
panting indicated how much they fuffered at this feafbn of heat
and affliiftion: their ikins were pierced here and there, and ulcerated
by the mufquetoes, and the eggs of the fly called, in Lap-
ponefe, \erma, ( cejirus tarandi, Linn.) which tormented them in
the moil cruel manner. I made a colledtion of thofe infects and
their eggs, intending them as prefents for my entomological friends.
As to the milk which we tailed, it is not fo good at this time as
in winter. In fummer it has always a kind o f flrong or wild
tafle, and too much of what the French call an limit gout.
Our guides advifed us to return to the boats, and avail ourfelves
o f the favourable breeze that had fprung up for purfuing our
voyage; and we took leave of our Laplanders, whofe only regret
at our departure feemed to be a mortification at the removal of
the brandy. W e pafled in our boat the Whaal-Sund, or Sound
of Whales, which was agitated at the fame time by the current
th a t fets in here very flrong, and by the wind, which blew contrary
to the current. Whales relort to this flrait in great numbers,
and are, as we were told,'very common in all thelefeas.'
Although we were allured by our mariners, that they had never
pafled this flrait without feeing eight or ten whales, we were fb
unfortunate as not to get a fight of one. W e went on fhore to
the houfe o f a merchant, fituated on an illand near Havefurid:
this was perhaps the moil difmal habitation on the face of th e:
earth.