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lities that usually commend Lands for Agriculture. Then as to his urging its
as well for their neighbourhood to Helsingia, of which before, as for their
worshipping a God by the name of Jomala, which is a Finland word,
denoting God amongst them to this day. Moreover the Biarmians have many
other things like the Finlanders, as the Art of darting, of Magic, &c. So
that Biarmia may be a Colony of Finland, whose People were called by
Strangers, from their skirring along, or gliding upon the snow, Scritofinni. But
now supposing all this true, and that the Biarmia of the Ancients, and
Scritfinnia were the same, ’tis a question still whether Lapland be distinct from them
or not. Joh. and Ol. Magnus in their Geographic Tables and descriptions, make
them distinct Countries. But that cannot be; for if Scritfinnia and Biarmia
reach one way to Helsingia and Jamtia, on the other to Finland; if they lye so
near these Provinces, and extend to the Bay of Bothnia (both which have bin
demonstrated before) I do not see where Lapland can have any place at all.
And the same Authors are also mistaken in putting it South of Biarmia and
Scritfinnia, whereas the Antients placed these beyond it. For that they mean’t
only by Biarmia that which the Swedes now call Trennes, appears to be false from
what has bin said before: for where are any Rivers in Trennes that run into the
Bay of Bothnia? and how is it bordering upon Finland? Wherefore contrary to
Joh. and Ol. Magnus, I think rather that Lapland is the same that was first by the
Inhabitants called Biarmia, by Strangers Scritfinnia, then changing the name for
some of the reasons here produced, it came to be Lappia or Lapponia; which
beginning from Jamtia and Angermannia, goes all about each Bothnia, and at length
ends in the extremities of Carelia and Finland, so as to comprehend all the
whole tract from the North even to the main Ocean, the white Sea, and the Lake
Ladek, which are the very bounds of old Biarmia and Scritfinnia. But that it went
as far as the Ocean, the Antients seem not to have so well understood; nor indeed
Johan. and Ol. Magnus, who in those parts have made Scritfinnia and Biarmia
different Countries from Lapland. So also Damianus Goes, who, whatever
he knew of Lapland, had it from them, says it extends it self to unknown
Regions, because he knew not who lived further towards the North Sea. But
the Antients have placed there, besides the Scritfinni, the Cynocephali, Busii,
Troglodytes, Pygmies, Cyclops’s, and some others, passing by the Himantopodes,
of whom we have spoken before: tho in this age none doubts but the Laplanders
inhabit it all, and those who have failed along those Coasts have met with none
others but Laplanders. In fine Charles the 9th King of Swedland in the year
1600, being desirous to know the truth of that Country, sent two famous
Mathematicians, M. Aron. Forsius a Swedish Professour, and Hieronymus
Birkholten a German, with instruments, and all necessaries to make what
discoveries they could of Lapland; who at their return, did certify, and make it our,
that beyond the Elevation of the Pole 73 degrees there was no Continent
towards the North but the great frozen Sea, and that the farthest point was
Norcum or Norcap, not far from the Castle of Wardhouse. But of this distant
Lapland those that are curious may enquire at their leisure, we purpose to
treat here only of that which is subject to the Government of the Swedes;
and this is a vaft Country, thought by Paulinus in his history of the North,
of equall extent almost with all Swedland properly so called. Andr. Buræus
says it contains in length above 100 German miles, and in breadth 90. All
this Country comes now under the name of Lapland, in which all agree that
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