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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 161
‘our good fortune. We hunted in the ftrangeft and moft delightful manner imaginable.
No one has ever heard that people went a hunting with fticks in France; but fuch
is the practice here, for fo abundant is the game that they make ule of rods,fand even
flicks to kill them. The birds which we caught in greateft numbers, were divers ;
and we admired the addrefs with which they were taken. ‘The peafants followed them
wherever they went; and when they perceived them fwimming below water, they
threw their ftick, and ftruck them in the head at the bottom of the water with fuch
addrefs, that it is difficult to conceive the promptitude with which they performed this
action. For our parts, who were not made for this mode of hunting, and whofe eyes
were not fine enough for piercing to the bottom of the river, we ftruck at random in
the fame places where we faw they ftruck, without any other weapons than fticks ;
and fo much execution did we make, that in lefsthan two hours, we procured more
than twenty, or twenty-five pieces of game. We returned to our little dwelling,
much pleafed with having feen this hunt, and ftill more with bringing fomething along
with us for our fupport. Good fortune, like bad, feldom comes alone, and fome
peafants, having heard of our arrival, which had been rumoured over the country to
a great diftance, partly from curiofity to fee us, and partly to receive fome of our
money, brought usa fheep, which we purchafed for five or fix fous, and which
increafed our {tock of provifions, to fuch a degree, that we believed ourfelves well
enough furnifhed to undertake a journey of three days’ length, during which time we
fhould be unable to meet with any other houfe. We fet out early on Sunday morning,
that is, at ten o’clock; for the neceflity which we were under of taking reft, prevented
us from being ever on the road before this hour.
- We were furprized at meeting with fo many fwallows in this northern lati-
tude, and having afked the country people who conduéted us, what became of
them in winter, and whether they migrated to warm regions, they affured us, that
they formed platoons, and buried themfelves in the flime which is at the bottom of the
lakes; and that they await in this place, the return of the fun to his former vigour,
when he pierces to the bottom of thefe marfhes, and gives them again that life which
the cold had deprived them of. I was told the fame thing, by the ambaffador
at Copenhagen, and by feveral perfons at Stockholm; but I could never believe,» that
thefe animals could live more than fix months buried in the earth, without any
fuftenance. However, fuch is the fact; andthe truth of it has been confirmed to me
by fo many people, that I can no longer have any doubt on the fubje&.
We lodged to-day at Coctuanda, where Lapland commences; and next day, being
Monday, we travelled four miles, and encamped on the bank of the river, where we
were obliged to fleep in the open air, and where we made fmoking fires to preferve
us from the irnportunity of the gnats. We made a large round intrenchment formed °
of a number of tall dry trees, and of fmaller ones for the purpofe of lighting them ;
we placed ourfelves in the middle, and made the beft firethat I have ever feen. The
wood which we burned would certainly have been fufficient to load one of thofe large
boats which come to Paris with wood; and a fmall quantity more would have been
fufficient to fet the whole foreft on fire. We remained in the midft of thefe fires the
whole night, and we fet out next morning, being Tuefday, for the purpofe of vifiting
the copper-mines, which were only two leagues diftant. We travelled towards the weit
on the border of a little river, called Longafiochi, which formed here and there the
‘moft beautiful farms that I have ever feen: and after having been often obliged to
earry our boat, for want of water, we arrived at Swapavara, or Suppawahara, where
VOL. I. ¥ the
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