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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 181
purpofe of knowing where they may be found, when any of them are loft. There
are fome figures which tell the proper places for hunting, and others for fifhing ; fome
for difcovering, whether the difeafes with which they are affected, will be mortal; and
in this manner, of feveral other matters of which they are in doubt.
Two circumftances are eflential to the making ufe of this tabor; the index, for the
purpofe of marking the thing which they defire, and the hammier to ftrike the tabor,
for the purpofe of moving the index, till it ftopat fome figure. ‘This index ufually
confifts of a piece of brafs made in the form of {tuds which are fixed m the bridles of
horfes, from whence feveral other little rings of the fame metal are pendant. ‘The
hammer is made out of one bone of the rein-deer, and is of the form of a large T.
Some are made in a different form, but this is the moft ufual. In fuch veneration do
they hold this inftrument, that they keep it always wrapped up in the fkin of a rein-
deer, or in fomething elfe: they never carry it into the houfe by the fame door,
through which the women pafs; but they introduce it, either through the cloth, which
furrounds their hut, or by the aperture through which the fmoke iflues. They gene-
rally make ufe of the tabor, for three principal purpofes: for hunting and fifhing,
- for facrifices, and for knowing the tranfaétions which are taking place, in the molt
diftant countries: and when they wifh to know fomething on this fubjeét, they take
care, firft, to bend the fkin of the tabor, in taking it near to the fire; then a Laplan-
der, falling on his knees, together with all thofe who are prefent, he begins to {trike his
tabor all round, and redoubling the {trokes with the words which he pronounces,
as if he were poffefled, his countenance becomes blue, his hair ftands ereét, and he,
at length, falls motionlefs on his face. He remains in this ftate, as long as he is poflefl-
ed by the devil, and as it is neceflary for his genius to bring him a fign to prove that
he has been at the place where he was fent, then recovering his fentfes, he tells that
which the devil revealed to him, and fhows the mark which has been brought to him.
The fecond manner, which is lefs important, and lefs violent, is, how to difcover the
event of a difeafe, which they learn, by means of the fixture of the index, upon the
fortunate or the unlucky figures.
The third, which is the leaft confiderable of all, fhews them in what direction they
ought to move, when they wifh for a good chace ; and when the index, agitated feveral
times, {tops at the eaft or the weft, the fouth or the north, they infer from hence, that
in following the quarter which is pointed out to them,’ they will not be unfuccefsful.
They have alfo a fourth ufe, to which they apply the index, viz. for the purpofe of
difcovering whether their gods defire facrifices, and of what kind they with them to be.
If the index ftop at the figure which reprefents Thor or Seyta, they facrifice to him,
and learn at the fame time, what victim gives him the greateft fatisfaction.
Behold, Sir, the ufefulnefls of this wonderful Lapponian tabor, of which, we in
France are totally ignorant. For my part, I who believe, with difficulty, refpecting
forcerers, I fhall cheerfully oppofe the general opinion of the whole world, as well as of
many intelligent men, who have aflured me, that nothing was more true, .than the Lap-
landers could know diftant events. John Vornzus, whom I have already mentioned,
prieft of the province of Torno, an extremely learned man, whofe veracity I would
readily believe, afferted, that this had happened to him fo frequently, and that certain
Laplanders had told him fo often every thing that had occurred in his journey, even to
the fmalleft particulars, that he had no difficulty in believing all that had been related
concerning it. ‘The archives of Bergen teftify a fact, which happened to the fervant of a
merchant, who, wifhing to know what his mafter was doing in Germany, went to vifit
a very famous Laplander, and having written the information of the forcerer in the
I archives
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