however, be an a il of injuflice, if I claimed the merit of the laft
mentioned additions as entirely my own ; and I therefore acknowledge
with grateful pleafure the obligations I owe to feverallite-
rary gentlemen for their liberal affiftance. Dr. Quenzel, of Stockholm,
furnifhed me with the lift in the branch of zoology ; by the
kindnels o f Mr. Paycul, o f Stockholm, and Profeffor Thunberg,
of Upfala, in granting me free acceis to their valuable collections,
I was enabled to form a catalogue, and to take drawings of many
curious objects. Here I cannot omit mentioning the name of my
friend Lieutenant Guftavus Brandel, who, being a proficient in
the art of drawing, rendered himfelf very ufeful to me by his aid
and good advice. For the lift of the \ indigenous plants o f Lapland,
I am indebted to the goodneis of Profeflor Swartz, a name
too well known to need any commendation from my pen ; and
for that of the minerals my thanks are due to Mr. Hyelm, in-
fpeilor of the muleum of minerals, and mailer of the mint, at
Stockholm, a gentleman not lefs diftinguifhed by his accurate
knowledge, than by the fimplicity and politeneis of his manners,
and his readinefs to affift the inquifitive in the puriuit of icience.
SECTION II.
O f the Origin of the Laplanders.
I l
ROM whence the Laplanders derive their origin they them-
felves are wholly ignorant. The moil general opinion is,
that they are defcended from the ancient Finni, or Finns, and
this fuppofition appears to our miffionary, as it muft to all men of
fenfe, more probable than the notion of thofe who deduce their
defcent from the ancient Hebrews. The coincidences, on the
ftrength of which the advocates for the Hebrew origin fupport
their opinion, the miffionary thinks it worth while to detail at fome
length. I ihall extra* the principal of them, not from any idea
th a t they are worthy of ferious attention, but merely for the pur-
pofe of adding a few to the many examples which are already before
the world of the fancies and conceits of etymologifts. “ In
« the firft place, the Laplanders generally have black hair, fo have
“ the Jews ;• the Jews are of fmall ftature, fo are the Laplanders:
“ Saturday was confecrated to devotion among the Jews; fo it
“ was alfo, before the introduction of Chriftiamty, among the L ap-
“ landers: the manner and modulation of the voice in finging the
| pfalms in Lapland is very like that of the Jews in their fyna-
» gogues : the Jews, when they offered up facrifices to God, were
a “ wont