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368 TRAVELS OF EHRENMALM,
by a fillet of woollen cloth, for want of ribbons of filk, and a light border of wool, in-
ftead of lace.
The dwellings of the Laplanders are no way fuperior to their clothing. They are of
three kinds known by the name of Kafor. The firft isa fort of tent compofed of poles
difpofed in a circular form; it is covered with branches of the pine, cloth, or hides ;
fo that the rain cannot penetrate. A hole contrived at the top, ferves at the fame time
for chimney and window. But the tranfparency of the fkins which inclofes the tent,
compenfates for the little day light afforded by the aperture of the roof. The doorisa
frame compofed of two upright and fix crofs bars, to which is attached a f{quare piece of
cloth, yet it is fo narrow that it can only be paffed fideways. But they feldom quit
their tents, and never enter in a crowd.
The fecond {pecies of tent 18 of a more oblong form, but round. It confifts of four
poles a little bent at the top, and joined together by a fquare frame. In all other re-
{pects it refembles the former.
The third kind is the moft commodious, and belt fuits the more fociable Laplanders.
Every family builds one of thefe dwellings. The greater part have them near the
church of Afehle, to pafs the Sunday. ‘Thefe cabins or barracks, are formed of four
partitions of planks thruft into the earth, fix feet in height, covered with a fort of roof
compofed of very fhort poles fupporting green turf and the bark of the birch. The
door alfo made of planks, is fmall and ferves for a window. The hearth always in the
middle confifts of a flat and round ftone, upon which they place wood, and the fmoke
arifing from it departs through the hole in the roof. In this houfe all the Laplanders
fleep together, men and women, children and fathers, married or fingle. But the
crimes and debauchery which accompany both mifery and opulence in civilized coun-
tries, never enter into thefe little habitations. The climate prevents the temptation of
licentioufnefs ; ignorance and fimplicity, have not even the idea.
The houfehold utenfils confift of pots of brafs, and feldom of iron ; wooden plates
and fpoons. Men who do not tarry in one place for more than three weeks, fhould
not have many goods toremove. A chain furnifhed with hooks, where they hang
their pots and other kitchen furniture ; fome chefts fecured by plates of iron, a flint,
boats and nets; thefe form all the luggage they have to tranfport on their fledges.
With fo {mall a retinue, they do not fear the meeting of robbers, nor the purfuit of cre-
ditors, nor the vifit of extortioners.
The fubfiftence and manner of life vary among the Laplanders according to the foil
they inhabit. The Laplanders of the woods, fuch as thofe of the province of Afehle,
who retire in winter to the forefts of pine trees, where their rein-deer feed on the mofs
of the trees; thefe Laplanders moftly live by fifhing. The waters of that region, and
the river Anghermanna in particular, furnifh them with perch, trout, and pike. In the
failure of thefe fifh, the lakes have others, and each lake have fome which are peculiar
‘toit. In general the fifh are finer aid fatter, but not folargeinthe lakes. Should the
goodnefs of thefe fifh be attributed to the purity of the waters, to the length of the
winters during which the fry are not difturbed, to the great number of fitheries,
which not permitting the Laplander to travel over them all ina year, the fifh are left to
increafe and fatten? It is befides a cuftom among the Laplanders and Swedith colonifts,
to pay regard to the time of fpawning, and to leave the fifheries at reft like the lands.
Every father of a family has a {pace alloted for fifhing ; but this fpace comprehends fo
many lakes, that the year is clofed before he returns to the firft in which he fifhed. A
certain policy finds its way amongft men in the moft favage ftate, whether hunters or
13 fifhermen.
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