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and Cuficms in Trading. -j t
thoSe things forwhichthey trade with the Swedes, are Copper and Alchimy
veSTels , ordinary cloth woven by the SwediSh Boors, theSe they change for
Bulls, and Cows, whofe milk they live on in the Summer, and on their
fleSh in the Winter, alSo for Goats and Sheep, out of whofe skins they
make themfelves coverlets, for Silver, for the skins of black Foxes, and
Otters, for woollen blankets, and for filh , which they fell again to the
Swedes, as Herrings, dried CodfiSh, Skails , and fuch like. Johannes
Tor-n£u< comprehends them in a Shorter catalogue, the Laplanders, faies he,
traffic with thofe with Norway and Bothnia, Subjects of the Crown of
Sweden, for ordinary woollen cloth, linnen cloth of both forts, as well the
finest ascourfest, for com, bread, braSs, iron, and all Sorts of Country
utenfils. But above all things it was their chiefest care to get beafls out of
Norway, which in the Autumn, they uSed to Sacrifice to their Idols.
Whether there were anciently any Set places or times in which they did
trade, I cannot certainly pronounce , tho Olaus Magnus, Lib. 4. Cap. 5.
feems to affirm it, and Saies, there were certain Set places, fome in open
fields, and fome upon the Ice, in which they did every year keep their
Fairs, and exhibit to the public view what they had by their own industry
gained, either at home or abroad. But for all this he proceeds not to tell
us where thofe Fairs were kept, or where thofe places were. And Charles
the ninth forbidding the Birkarli continually, and at all times to make,
their circuits round the Country, did nevertheless appoint certain times
and places , in which, as at public Fairs , all traffic lhould be free and open
as well to them as others. The words of the Edift published in the year
1602 I will give you , which run thus : " Wherefore feeing we have for*
bidden the Birkarli to trade in Lapland, according to their old custom,
"and in manner aforefaid, We do will and command to be appointed two
"Fairs eveTy year in every Province, one in the Winter, the other in
" the Summer, as it Shall feem most convenient, and We do will and
com-" mand our Governors to take care that certain fit places be looked our, in
"which thefe Fairs may be kept, and to appoint Set times, at which most
" conveniently as well all Laplanders, Birkirlians, Mofcovites, as others, may
" reSort unto them. Furthermore our Will and pleaSure is, that each Fair
"last for two or three weeks, during which time, it Shall be lawfull for
" every one to make fuch bargains as may be most for his own profit. And
" we do alfo command our Governors, that certain Boothes and Sheds be
" provided after the most convenient manner. Now by all this it may appear
that in former times there were no fuch things either obferved or known,
feeing the King herefpeaks of them as first instituted by him; neither
indeed in the Edift it felf doth he fet down any certain time or place, but
names them only as things intended, and which he leaves to the difcretioh
of his Governors, which alfo Andr. Bur&w feems to intimate was
performed , when he faies that when they were to pay their tribute, they were
at a certain time and in certain places gathered together,as into a Store»
hutfc, where thofe Merchants, we before aWed Birkarli, exhibited their
wares. But now he alfo leaves us in the dark as to a certainty either of
time or place, fo that it may feem thefe Fairs and constitutions did not
find fo good fuccefs as it was hoped they would , untill at length the
Queen Christina taking the bufinefs into consideration, brought it to greater
S a per-
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