ened, in the ihape of hooks or cranes, for bearing the pot or kettle
iuipended over the fire.
Before the Laplanders retire to reft, they are careful to put out
the fire, and after the hut is clear of fmoke within, they climb up
the roof, and place a board over the hole.
It has been already obferved, that the hut is divided in the centre
by two piles of ftones, in order to form a fire-place. This divifion
is extended towards the door and the further end of the hut, by
means of four logs o f birch wood of a due length being added.
This preferves two vacancies in the centre, befides th a t for the
fire. T h a t towards the door is ufed as a receptacle for fire wood;
th a t at the further end beyond the fire is the place where the
kettles are kept, and the copper veil'd holding the fnow water to
drink. There then remain two fpaces towards the fides o f the hut
on the right and on the left o f the fire-place: thefe are each divided
into three partitions, by logs of wood; the firft next the
door, reaching to where the fire-place begins; the fecond occu-
pying the extent of the fire-place; and the third taking up that
next to the feparation where the pots and kettles are placed.
Thefe partitions in the hut may be ftyled the bed-chambers; for
in them the family ileep in the order which ihall immediately be
explained.
Each of thefe compartments or divifions has the fkin of a reindeer
for a carpet, that no uneafineis may be experienced in fitting
or lying down, from the branches which have been fpread upon
the ground of the hut. When the Lapland houfehold retire to
2 reft,
reft, the following is the order of the beds 1 if only one family occupies
the hut, the huiband and wife take up one fide with its
three divifions ; the other fide is then affigned to the children and
fervants. If, on the other hand, the children and fervants are
obliged to Ileep on the fame fide with the matter and miftrefs, the
order of the beds is in that cafe thus arranged : the huiband and
wife take the end fartheft from the door, which is efteemed the
moft honourable, and called the boJshio-Kafhie; the children ileep
in the middle partition, or, as they name it, gajk-loido, next the
fire-place ; and the fervants occupy the divifion near the entrance,
or the urfa-kiaejhie.
If a miffionary happen to take up his night’s lodging with them,
the belt or principal bed-chamber, the bofshio-kiacjhic, is given up
to him, and the man and wife quit the hut, and this is the cafe as
long as he chufes to ftay with them.
Wh en two families occupy the fame hut, the fire, the vacancy
towards the door wherein is placed the wood, and the lpace oppo-
fite to it at the further end for the pots and kettles are in common
to both families: yet it very rarely happens that any diipute or
quarrel arifes betwixt th em ; and thefe fimple people fet an example
of cordiality and brotherly love to the inhabitants of cities
and towns, who often confider the Laplanders as very little fupe-
rior to favages. •
Their iheep and cattle have a ftall affigned them near the entrance
of the hut, to which they repair by the fame door as the
reft of the family, of which they conftitute a part not of the leaft
confideration.