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OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 295
of which a cavity is cut which runs its whole length. They kindle a fire in this hollow,
as we do in our ovens, and this caufes an amazing heat, which continues for a great
length of time in the block of ftone. lt is in this room that they finifh the drying of
the barley, which beforehand after the harveft has been expofed to the rays of the fun
on large ladders, which are erected for this purpofe near to every houfe: there are even
fome in the middle of the town of Yorneo. ‘They threfh their grain, thus dried, with
flails, fufficiently refembling thofe which the country people make ufe of in France ;
and after clearing the grain, by throwing it from one fide of the barn to the other to
feparate the duft, they complete the operation of cleaning in rather deep bafkets, which
ferve them for fans.
I ought to have obferved before, that they reap their rye and barley with a fickle, as
is the practice in France: not fo with the hay; they ufe a fcythe, the blade of which,
almoft as long as ours, is much more narrow ; it is faftened to a handle which is no
more than two feet four inches long, or at moft two feet and a half: they dart this
fcythe among the grafs, firft to the right, and then to the left, with fuch quicknefs, and
{tooping fo low, that it is wonderful how they are able to fupport the fatigue.
We began to fee fome horfes, which were returning from their fummer quarters.
The manner of living of thefe animals is among the moft furpriting things of this coun-
try: it is only in the winter that they are made ufe of in dragging fledges, which
ferve for travelling in, as well as to carry the different neceffaries of life, particularly
wood and fodder; for during the fummer all travelling and carriage of every thing is
effecled by water.
During the month of May, earlier or later according to the length of winter, the
horfes leave their matters on the firft thawing of the fnow, and go into certain quarters
of the forefts, where they feem to have eftablifhed among themfelves a rendezvous.
Thefe horfes form feparate troops, which never interfere or feparate from each other :
each troop takes a different quarter of the foreft for its paiturage, and keeps to that
which is fixed upon without encroaching on the others. When their food is exhaufted
they decamp, and go in the fame order to occupy another patiure.
‘The police of their fociety is well regulated, and their march fo uniform, that their
matters always know where to find them, if by chance they fhould want in the fpring
or fummer to travel any where in a carriage or fledge, which fometimes happens to be
the cafe; or if any traveller fhould want horfes. In that cafe the countrymen, receiving
the orders of the gifwergole, that is to fay, the poftmafter, go into the woods to fetch
their horfes, which after rendering the fervices required, return to the fore{t of them-
felves, and join their companionsagain. When the feafon becomes bad, which it began
to do in the month of September, the horfes quit their foreft in troops, and every one
proceeds to his own ftable: they are fmall, but excellent, and lively without vice: their
matters lay hold of them fometimes by the tail to catch them, and they feldom make
refiftance. There are however fome, in fpite of their general docility, who defend
themfelves on taking them, or attempting to harnefs them to carriages. ‘They are very
healthy and fat when they return from the foreft; but their almoft continua! labour
during the winter, and the little food given them, makes them lofe their good appearance
very foon. - When faftened to the fledges, they frequently as they run feize on mouth-
fuls of {now ; and as foon as releafed they roll amid the fnow, as ours are wont to doin
the grafs : they pafs the night as frequently in the yard as the ftable, even in the fharpeft
fro{ts: they frequently are in want of food, particularly when the winter is very long ;
o horfes then go and forage for themfelves in places where the {now has begun to
thaw. 3
No
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