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12 6 Of the Laplanders Difeafes ,
hit a mark with an arrow, and as it was thecustotn anciently among the
Baleares , and fo now among the Laplanders , their boies earn their
food every day by their dexterity in Shooting, and thereby at laft they
prove molt excellent marks-men. OUr/s Magnus makes mention of this their
pratftice, and wonderfully extolls their dextroufnefs herein, and avers that
he himfelf has feen fome of them who could exaftly hit a farthing or a nedle,
fetatfuch a distance off as would just let them fee it. On the boies", that
they may take more care to hit the mark, when they have bit it, they beftow
a white girdle, wherein they take huge delight, and fomeiime a new bow.
But as the Laplanders do look totheirchildren in time to teach them arts
reqtirtite to get their living, foalfotoprovide them means to maintain
themfelves withal, where it will not be impertinent to mention, that tis a
cuftom with them to beftow upon their infant a female Rain-deer, foon after
its birth or Baptifm, if it be of female Sex, and upon the horns of it they
ingrave her mark, fo to prevent all controverfies or quarrels, that may
arife concerning her right. She receives likewife another, when fhe cuts
her firft tooth. Which they call Pannikeis, that is,’the tooth Rain-deer.
John Torn ttu» writes as if thefe gifts were given only by women. The
Woman faies he, that firft fpies a tooth in his mouth, is fain to honor him with
a prefent of a Rain-deers Calve. This cuftom might probably have its rife
thus, becaufe, when the infants have gotten teeth, they have need of more
folidmeat, therefore they ftock them with Rain-deer as being their
cheif-eftfood. That Rain-deer then, and whateverencreafe comes ofir, are
pre-ferv’d to the future ufes of the child, as may appear by what we have
elfe-where Said, in the Chapter of their marriages, and fo likewife of the other
Rain-deer which parents give the child befides, fortisufual among them
tofuperadd one to the former, and this they call fVcddom, that is, the
given one. And this is the chief care of the Parents towards their children,
butifthey die, inftead of them are fubftituted Guardians,as among other
nations, out of their neareft kindred, who manage all thefe affairs Sor them.
CHAP- XXVII-
Of their difeafes, Death and "Burial.
THO the Laplanders lead a miserable and hardy kind of life, yet they
enjoy their nealth perfectly well. They have not So much as heard of
moft diSeaSes, and ace not all infedted with thoSe, that elswhere uSe to
depopulate whole Countries. There are no acute and burning feavers among
them, no plague. And if any infedtion be brought among them, it instantly
loSes its Sorce. Some years fince an infection was brought into Lapland in
hemp, but none were burt by it, befides the women that in Spinning
chewed it, for the Northern cold eafily diffipates the poiSonous vapors. The
ordinary and frequent dileafe among them is, foreeies, from whence not
feldom proceeds blindnefs. The caufe of this may be, that from their
infan-cie they for the most part are forced to be infmoak, wherewith their Huts
are
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