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379 TRAVELS OF EHRENMALM,
they are then led back to the fold, and about five in the afternoon they are re-conducted’
to patturage : at night-time they re-enter their habitation, and the young are muzzled
to prevent their exhaufting the milk deftined for the fupport of men. Thefe animals
are fo gentle, that I think they might difpenfe with fhutting them up in folds: the
never leave them before the dog of tneir fhepherd, and till they hear the bell of the
rein-deer which is brought before, in order to ferve as guide; but then they all rufh
out together, difperfing themfelves in every direGtion. In very hot fummers they graze
till midnight, and repofe during the exceflive heat; they are at that time encompaffed
with fire, to protect them from the flies: fuch are the rein-deer of Afehle. In the more
northern parts of Lapland they are tamed, and are more difficult to manage.
The Laplanders immediately boil part of the milk they draw: they leave the remain-
der till it becomes of fufficient confiftency, to be preferved as a provifion for winter.
In that feafon they eat it boiled in water: the tafte, though ftrong, is not difagreeable ;
but it requires time to be accuftomed to it.
The lite of the Laplanders, whether they inhabit the woods in the plains, or encamp-
on the mountains, is really fevere and pitiful; but it is yet preferable to that of the
Greenlanders, who have only the choice of the ice of the fea and that of the land ; who
have not even cattle for their companions, and for fupport in their mifery. It is
better than the life of the people of Siberia, who only fee the arrival of foldiers to
opprefs them, or difgraced courtiers, whofe fall announces a frightful power, and
fpreads contternation in the deferts. This needy and wandering life of the Laplanders
is no way uneafy or diftreffing to them: they do not poffefs the talent of writing ; but
the liberty of talking remains, for they have only to complain of the evils of nature.
All equally fubject to her power, and almoft equally independent of that of man, they
have at leaft no fear of being punifhed for their virtues, of being perfecuted for their
opinions, or being betrayed by their good faith. Society among{t them does not require
thofe difcretions which occafion a public idolatry of the fafhionable vices: they are not
reduced to the neceflity of chufing between clamour and difdain, between obftacles
which repel talents, and the oppreffion which follows obfcurity : they do not perceive any
trace of that defire to injure which wearies and difheartens the beft intentions. Among
them the fentiments of the honeft are not ftifled by the wants of competency: ina
word, they receive all their benefits and all their evils from the hands of nature; and
have neither to fear the unforefeen blows of fate, which bring the indigent to punith–
ment, nor the invafions of war, nor the thunderbolt of defpotifm, which fometimes falls
upon opulence: they are only acquainted with the viciflitudes and injuries of feafons, lefs.
deftruétive to man than the viciflitudes and injuries of fortune: in fine, the exemption
from our pains indemnifies them with ufury for the privation from our pleafures.
They are feldom expofed to abfolute want. The Laplanders of the mountains, in
particular, find on the heights lakes abounding in fifh, They never fpread their
nets without drawing in them feveral {pecies of fifh, but particularly of red fifth, which
they call Rodf/b. As this fpecies is different in Lapland from many other known elfe-
where under the name of red fifh, I fhall here fubjoin a defcription of it.
They took one in our prefence ; it was only nine inches long, though it fometimes
may be two feet in length. This fifh, in general, has the form of the trout. On each
fide are two broad ftreaks, very diftin@, of a dufky colour, and crofling each other.
The firft, formed by little points, fituated very near one another, and of a dark green,
commences near to the head, and proceeds along the back bone, terminating about
the middle of the tail. The fecond ftreak, commencing at the fore part of the
fin, which is fituated on the back, extends to below the belly, where it is of the one,
4 ty)
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