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58 TRAVELS
in amongft them and devoured their ftock, we fhould have been
induced to fuppofe that the account they gave of the prefent
{mall number of their rein-deer, was intended to convince us of
their poverty, and how unable they were to bear any contribu-
tion that might be demanded. But intelligence of their difafters
in that terrible year had reached as far as Uleaborg; and it was
even urged by our good friends there as a reafon why we fhould
give up all thoughts of our projected journey. They faid, that as
more than a third of the rein-deer had been deftroyed by the
wolves, it would not be an eafy matter for the Laplanders to fur-
nifh a fufficient number of thefe animals for conveying us on, in
our long and hazardous expedition.
It is a fingular phenomenon, that the number of wolves in
Lapland has increafed very fenfibly every year fince the com-
mencement of the laft war in Finland. ‘The Laplanders believe
that this war chafed away the wolves from Finland, and forced
them to take refuge in the north ; juft in the fame manner, per-
haps, as the prefent inhabitants of Finland, in their progrefs weft-
ward from Afia, drove the old Fins into the wildernefs, in which
they now fojourn. This reafon, however, feems not fo well found-
ed as to give any folid fatisfaction. We know from experience
that the wolves are difpofed to follow the courfe of war, and to
feed on the victims of our broils and contcfts, rather than to fhun
and fly away from them. I muft therefore refer the increafe of
wolves in Lapland to fome unknown caufe, which I do not pre-
tend to penetrate.
We
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