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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 193
they pufh overit. All thefe articles are adorned on the lower fide alfo with a number
of brafs rings of various fizes, the noife and found of which amufe them extremely ;
and they believe that thefe ornaments tend eflentially to fet off their natural beauty.
But perhaps, Sir, whilft] am {peaking of beauty, you will have the curiofity to inquire
whether there are any handfome Laplanders. ‘To this queftion, I will anfwer, that
nature, which has been pleafed to create mines of filver and other metals in the northern
regions, the moft diftant from the fun, fports herfelf fometimes with forming beauties
which are fupportable in thefe very countries. It is always however true, that thofe indi-
viduals who furpafs the reft by their beauty, are {till but Lapponian beauties, and could
only be confidered fuch in this country. But, generally {peaking, it is certain, that all
the Laplanders, male and female, are horribly ugly ; and very much refemble monkeys :
Ido not know a comparifon by which they can be more properly defignated. Their
face is fquare ; their cheeks are much elevated; the reft of their countenance is nar-
row; and the mouth extends from ear to ear. Such, in a few words, is a defcription
of all the Laplanders.
Their drefs as I have already mentioned, confilts of the valdmar. The cap of the
man is generally made of the fkin of the /oom, as I have already defcribed, or even of
fome other bird, which has been flayed. ‘The head-drefs of the women is compofed of
a piece of cloth; and the richéft among them cover their heads with a fkin of a fox, a
martin, or fome other beaft. They do not make ufe of a ftocking, but they have ,
folely, during the winter, a pair of boots of the leather of the rein-deer, and put over
them fhoes like thofe of the men, that is a piece of leather which furrounds the foot,
and which is elevated on the fore-part: a hole is left for the purpofe of putting the foot
in, and they tie them above the ancle with a long woollen cord, which goes round five
or fix times; and that thefe coverings for their legs and feet may give them no un-
eafinefs, and allow them to walk with eafe, they fill their fhoes with hay, which they
have boiled for that purpofe, and which grows in abundance throughout all Lapland.
Their gloves are made of the {kin of the rein-deer, which they divide into feveral com-
partments with another kind of leather which is whiter, fewed and fixed upon the
glove. They are made like mittens, without any fingers, and the handfomeft are lined
on the lower fide, with the fkin of the /oom. The women have an ornament, which is
peculiar to them, and which they call kraca, made of a piece of red cloth, or fome
other colour, which encircles the neck, like the collar of a Jefuit, and defcends upon
the ftomach, where it finifhes in a point. This cloth is ornamented with their moft
valuable articles; the neck is covered with various plates of pewter, but that part
which fronts the breaft, is adorned with their rareft commodities. The rich place here
buttons and plates of filver, the moft beautiful that they can procure, and the poor con-
tent themfelves with putting on the fame place, pieces of pewter and copper, according
to their abilities.
We alfo made inquiry among thefe people refpecting all thofe matters which we had
been informed of by others, and they confirmed the truth of them in every point ;
and what particular information they gave us, I have given in the place where 1 {poke
on that fubject. But we wifhed to gain fome knowledge ofall the quadrupeds that are
to be found in this country, and they related to us the following particulars.
They affured us, in the firft place, that in this country, they were frequently expofed
to winds fo impetuous, that they carried away every object that they encountered.
The {trongeft houfes are unable to with{tand them ; and they carry to fuch a diftance,
even whole troops of beafts, when they are on the fummits of the mountains, that it
frequently is unknown what has become of them. The hurricanes bring with them fuch
VOL. I. Gc a quan-
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