m o re eafily ga in ed , an d lo n g er re ta in ed w h e n delivered by w o rd
o f m o u th , th a n w h e n c om m u n ic a te d in w ritin g . I t w o u ld feem
th a t th e ear is lefs diftradted th a n th e eye ; th a t th e in tenfenefs ©f
th e m in d is g re a te r in h e a rin g th a n in feeing. T h e miffionary
adds his fe rv en t wifh, th a t his fellow-labourers in th is vineyard o f
divine tru th , wo u ld qualify th em felv e s for th e w o rk , by a cq u irin g
a th o ro u g h k n owledge o f th e L a p la n d to n g u e , fo as to pre ach
an d pray in it to th e L ap lan d e rs, as n o t m an y o f th e m en have
a kn owled g e o f th e D a n iili lan g u ag e, fu rth e r th a n th e ufe g f a
few words an d phrafes, w h ic h o c cu r in th e courfe o f t r a f f ic ;
a n d o f th e w om e n , n o t one is th e leaft a cq u a in ted w ith it.
T h e L ap lan d e rs h o ld th e miffionaries le n t am o n g ft th em in th e
g re a te ft e fte em , a n d Ih ew th em m u c h refpedt. T h e y fa lu te th em
w ith g re a t reverence w h en ev e r th e y m e e t th em , an d give th em
pre ced en c e u p o n all occaiions. T h e y m ak e th em freq u e n t p re -
fents o f w h a t are reck o n ed in L a p la n d p e cu lia r d a inties, fu c h as
fro zen re in -d e er’s m ilk , w ith th e to n g u e a n d m a rrow o f th a t a n im
a l. T h e y are very a tte n tiv e to ke ep in g h o ly th e fa b b a th -d ay ;
th e y ab ftain from cu rlin g an d fw e a rin g , w h ich are com m o n vices
am o n g th e in h ab itan ts o f N o rw ay , a n d th e y lead a religious an d
m o ral life. W h o re d om an d a d u lte ry are fins rarely c om m itte d ;
a n d th e c rim e o f th e f t is little o r n o t a t all k n ow n am o n g ft th em ;
lo th a t locks or bolts, for th e le c u rity o f p ro p e rty in L a p la n d , are
e n tire ly un n e ce lfa ry . N o rw a y fw a rm s w ith beggars, b u t b eg g in g
is u n k n ow n am o n g ft th e L ap lan d e rs. I f any o ne, from age or
in firm ity , ffiould ch an c e to be in w a n t, he finds his neceflaries
7 amp ly
am p ly an d in fta n tly fupplied, a n d c h a rity appears u n fo lic ite d w ith
open hands. T h e m iffionary, h ow ev er, a dm its, th a t th e L a p landers
are n o t en tire ly e x em p t from th o fe vices w h ic h ever p re vail
m o re o r lels am o n g ft m a n k in d in a fta te o f fociety. T h e y
c a n n o t refill: th e tem p ta tio n o f e b rie ty , a n d yield to th e a llu re m
e n ts o f avarice. T h e y w ill g e t drunk* like th e m e n o f o th e r
co u n tries, w h e n ftro n g liq u o r comes in th e ir w ay a n d c a n n o t
avoid c h e a tin g , like o th e r dealers, w h en th e y c an do i t w ith o u t
d an g er o f d e te ctio n . T h e {kins o f th e re in -d e e r a re -m o re o r lefs
v a lu ab le, a c co rd in g to th e feafon in w h ic h th e y are killed . I f th e
an im a l b e lla in in th e fp rin g , his h id e is fo u n d p e rfo ra ted by a n
in fec t w h ic h buries itf e lf in it, a n d lays th e re its eggs ; b u t it is
o th e rw ife w ith th e re in -d e e r killed in th e w in te r. T o defrau d
th e p u rch a fe r by try in g to o b ta in th e fame price for a defective
ik in as for a p e rfe c t o ne, th e L a p la n d e r a rtfu lly clofes u p th e
holes in th e i k i n ; an d , in o rder to impofe u p o n th e credulous
tra d e r, w ill n o t fc ru p le to w a r r a n t it free from defedt, an d a flert
th a t th e b e aft was killed in a u tu m n ; th o u g h he well kn ows th e
cafe to be q u ite th e reverfe ; th a t th e ik in is full o f holes, and th e
deer was k illed in fp ring, or th e w o rft feafon.