is in the days of infpeSlion, w h ic h m ean s, th a t ih e is in a co n d itio n
th a t b o th requires h e r to b e careful o f herfelf, a n d to b e a tte n d e d
to by others.
O n th e fubjedt o f p roverbs o r adages, in w h ic h th e lan g u ag e is
b y no means rich , I m u f t n o t om it to m e n tio n one com m o n
am o n g th e N o rw e g ia n ru ftic s o f F inm a rk . W h e n th ey w o u ld
give th e fin cereft te ftim o n y o f com m ife ra tio n a n d g r ie f a t any
m is fo rtu n e o r c a lam ity , b e th e c o n d itio n -o f th e fufferer ever fo
d iftin g u ilh ed or ex alted , th e y e x c la im , BeißeJiakiar, t h a t is, Poor
he a/i, an expreffion w h ic h conveys to th em th e livelieft fenfe o f
compaffion an d forrow.
S E C T IO N IV .
Of the exterior Appearance and bodily Conflitution of the Laplanders
' Their Habits and Mode of Life—Their reVtgious and moral
CharaSler.
TH E ch ild ren o f th e L ap lan d e rs are rem a rk ab ly fat a n d 'c h u b b y ,
w h ic h appears n o t o n ly in th e ir faces, b u t o th e r p a rts o f th e ir
bodies. T h is d ifp o fitio n to increafe in fleih, h ow ev er, is lefs p e rc
ep tib le as th e y g row u p . T h e L a p la n d e r is o f a fw a rth y an d
d a rk com p lex io n , his h a ir is b la c k a n d fh o rt, h is m o u th w id e ,
a n d his cheeks h o llow , w ith a c h in fom ew h a t lo n g a n d p o in te d :
his eyes are weak a n d w a te ry , w h ic h in- fome deg ree p roceeds
from th e c o n fta n t fm o k e h e en d u res w h ilft a t h om e ,-in his te n t
o r h u t ; a n d m ay Iikewife be a ttr ib u te d to th e fnows w h ic h , d u rin
g w in te r , are c o n fta n tly d riv in g in his face, w h ilft he is abroad
an d eng ag ed in h u n tin g u p o n th e m o u n ta in s, w h ic h afford h im
no o b je ft to fix his eyes u p o n b u t w h a t is g la rin g w ith w h iten e fs.
T h a t th is weaknefs o f his eyes proceeds from th e fe caufes, a n d
efpecially th e la tte r, is h ig h ly probable, from th e c irc um fta n c e th a t
a m an o ften lofes his fig h t for feveral days a fte r his re tu rn from
h u n tin g .
T h e L ap lan d e rs have b e en rep re fen ted by fom e a u th o rs as b e in g
o v e rg row n