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TRAVELS OF EHRENMALM. 257
The tree from which they take this rind, which affords food to man, is very common
and ancient, particularly in the north. ‘The fir reigns in the fands and cold countries,
like the cedar on mount Lebanon. Nordland exhibits fome of very great age. At
the diftance of a quarter of a mile from the church of Afehle, to the S. W., we cut a
fir, and we counted the concentric circles of which the trunk was compofed, in order to
determine the difference between the growth of the fide of the tree towards the north,
and that of the fide towards the fouth. We found that the bulk of this fir, which was
of three thoufand circles, and confequently of three hundred years, had been formed
nearly in the following manner: From the centre we counted, for the firft half century,
five hundred and feventy-two parts to the fouth, and five hundred and nine to the north;
for the fecond half century, three hundred and fixty-eight parts to the fouth, and three
hundred and twenty-feven to the north ; for the fecond century, fix hundred and eighty-
five parts to the fouth, fix hundred and nine to the north; laftly, for the third century,
five hundred and feven parts to the fouth, and four hundred and fifty to the north. The
whole diameter of the trunk of a tree three hundred years old, therefore, contained four
thoufand and twenty-feven parts of our geometrical feale ; that is, twenty geometrical
inches, and nearly aneighth. The foil of this tree was fandy, and covered with mofs,
as is the whole of the province of Afehle.
The inhabitants of Afehle are troubled during the fummer by a fpecies of fly, which
they call Knort : they are {mall infects of a foetid fmell, which feem to forma fpecies, or a
middle clafs, between the fly and gnat: they have black and yellow ftripes on the back
and legs. ‘They are fo numerous, and efpecially in hot weather, and under a ferene fky,
that the inhabitants are obliged to protet themfelves by a kind of pomatum, a mixture of
fat and tar, with which they fmear the face ; but the odour is not lefs infupportable to
men who are not accuftomed to it, than to the flies, who always remove from it. The
inhabitants alfo preferve themfelves-from thefe infects in their houfes, by burning every
night pieces of a knotty tree, the fmoke of which kills them.
The laft church we meet to the north of Afehle is of wood, very badly conftruéted,
and more refembling a barn for beafts than a fold for a chriftian flock. It was erected
under the reign of Chriftina, for the converfion of the Laplanders, and coft fix thou–
fand crowns of copper. I can affirm that the architect, whoever he was, could not have
loft by the undertaking of this edifice.
The province of Afehle is fo extenfive, and the Laplanders are fo far removed from
the church, that divine fervice is only performed once in fifteen days. All the inha-
bitants aflemble together from the Saturday in the evening until the evening of the next
day ; the Laplanders keep in the huts they have raifed about the church, the colonifts
in the houfes they have built there. The mountain Laplanders only repair there on
great feftival-days ; yet they are attraéted by fome human intereft, which is always
united with motivegyf piety. At Chriftmas a fair is held near the church : at this time
the taxes are paid, and law-fuits determined. Commerce, juftice, and religion, are in
fome meafure united, to bind men together, and preferve them in peace, under the yoke-
of fociety. But the Laplanders who frequent the church during the fair, are the moft
attracted by the charms of drinking ftrong liquors, and giving themfelves up to grofs
intemperance.
Near this church is a fchool, where the government pays, lodges, and feeds a mafter,
with fix children, who are taught to read, and inftruéted in religion. The maiter,
whom we faw, told us he would accuftom his pupils to eat bread and wear cloth: he
is perfuaded that this habit, ftrengthened by time, will familiarize the nation with the
Swedes, with whom they will feck commerce; and this is the only method to civilize
the
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