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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 185
fidered me a man already doomed to deftruction, who could not go many fteps without
being at leaft thunder-ftruck, for the moft certain mark, in their opinion, of a god in-
cenfed is the weight difcovered in the idol; as, on the other hand, wken the god is
propitious, and ready to go where he is defired, the idol can be lifted with great eafe :
it is by this means alfo that they learn whether he is defirous of a facrifice.
We had no fooner left this ifland than we entered the lake of Tornotrefch. From
this lake the river Yorno takes its rife: it is in length about forty leagues from eaft to
weft, but in breadth it is very inconfiderable : it is frozen from September to St. John’s
day, and furnifhes an almoft inconceivable quantity of fifh to the Laplanders. The tops
of the mountains by which it is furrounded are {fo high that they conceal it; and the
fnows with which they are conftantly. covered prevent one almoft from diftinguifhing
them from the clouds. Thefe mountains are totally bare, and have no wood growing
on them: there are neverthelefs a number of beafts and birds upon them, and chiefly
fielripor, which prefer thefe fituations to any other. It is around this lake that the
Laplanders fpread themfelves when they return from Norway, whence they have been
banifhed for a feafon by the heat and the gnats; and it is here and in the neighbour-
hood where the greater number of them depofit their riches: they have no other ftrong
box to hold their money and their moft valuable articles. They take a pot of copper
and fill it with their moft precious goods, after which they carry it to the moft fecret
and retired {pot which they can think of ; there they bury it in a deep hole dug for the
-purpofe, and cover the place with grafs and mofs, to prevent any one from difcovering
it, All this is done by the Laplander without giving any information refpecting it to
his wife or children ; and it often happens that the children lofe a treafure in confe-
quence of its being too well hid, when the father happens to die an unexpetted death,
which prevents him from difcovering where his riches are concealed. All the Lap-
landers hide likewife their property, and quantities of rix-dollars, and veflels of filver,
rings, and other trinkets, and ornaments, which have no other owner but him who finds
them, and who does not give himfelf very much trouble in feeking after the true owner,
are often difcovered. We advanced pleafantly about feven or eight leagues upon the
lake, near to a mountain which furpafled all the reft in height: it was here that we
ended our journey, and erected our memorial. We were fully four hours in afcending
to the top, by a path which had never before been trod by a human being: when we
had at length arrived at the fummit, we faw the whole extent of Lapland,and the northern
ocean as far as the North Cape on the weitern fide. It was here that we planted the
following infcription, which was its proper place, but which will never be read, I believe,
except by the bears:
“€ Gallia nos genuit ; vidit nos Africa ; Gangem
Haufimus, Evropamque oculis lultravimus omnem :
Cafibus et variis acti terraque marique,
Hic tandem ftetimus, nobis ubi defuit orbis.
De Fercourt, De Corberon, Regnard.
Anno-1681, die 22 Auguiti.”*
This rock will be at prefent known in the world by the name of Metavara, which we
gaveit. This word is compounded of the Latin word meta, and another Finland word
vara, which means rock ; as if we had faid, the rock of boundary. In fact, Sir, it was
here that we ftopt, and I do not believe that we will ever go farther.
While we were mounting and defcending from this mountain, our Laplanders went
© For the tranflation, fee page 175.
VOL. I. BB to
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