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THROUGH LAPLAND. 13
nity, cut off and infulated from all fociety for five months in the
year, have neither prieft nor temple. They are feparated from
Muonionifca by the many obftructions which we have defcribed
in the former chapter, and from Kengis by a journey of three or
four days, going and returning, the whole of the way of which is
rendered difficult by cataraéts of a moft painful and laborious
afcent. Thefe people, accuftomed to live in the moft perfect foli-
tude, having feldom an opportunity of feeing thofe who refide
neareft to them, were aftonifhed when we made our appearance,
The natives of Kollare diflike to encounter the cataracts, and con-
fequently fubmit to the fatigue of afcending the current of the
river, only when they have fome fpecial reafon, which occurs but
feldom. The colonitts fubfitt by the labour of their hands, and
the {canty produce of their fields. Their property in land extends
fix miles around their dwelling; and lakes, rivers, fifhery, woods,
and meadows are exclufively their own, within a circle whofe ra-
dius is fix miles. Such extenfive property in land formed a ftrik-
ing contraft with the indigence of the poffeffors. They had
only four cows; they fowed but one barrel of barley, which in
good years produced them {even barrels, but fometimes did not
return them even the feed. One year their harveft was fo very
bad, that they muft have died of famine, but for a merchant of
Tornea who paffed this way, and gave them a fupply.. This hap-
pened at the beginning of their colonial exiftence, when they had
firft come to fettle in this place. They were a couple of Fin-
landifh families who had refided at Muonionifca ; but having no-
thing
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