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382 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAMLAND BY LEEMS.
preferred to the office of paftor of a congregation of Alten, in the Weftern Finmark,
which was made up of Norwegian, Lapland, and Swedifh auditors, I preached one time
in Danifh, at another in Lapland, juft as the audience feemed to require, addrefling the
Laplander and the Norwegian, each in his own peculiar language. ‘The offices of
abfolution, bethrothings, nuptials, the introduction of women after child bearing, I
adminiftered to the Laplanders always in their own peculiar language.
And as the Laplanders, as already obferved, have made no inconfiderable progrefs in
the knowledge of religion, fo do they hold it in the greateft veneration. For notwith-
ftanding the public performance of finging, of preaching, and examination, can feldom
be finifhed in lefs than three hours, yet all of them, fhould the cold be as intenfe as
poflible, fit attentive, in tents, rent and full of chinks, bare-headed, in the deepeft de-
votion, filence, and veneration, liftening to the word of God.
They hold in the higheft honor and veneration the profeffors of religion. They re
ceive their doctor or divine inftructor with reverence and great affection, addrefling him
Buorre Atzhie, that is, good father; they rife to him and aflign the moft honorable
place intheinn. They place before him the moft coftly and excellent things they have ;
as the milk of the rein-deer, hardened into a confiftence ; cheefe, flefh, the tongue and
marrow of the faid animal. ‘They return their beft thanks for any religious office he
performs among them, making ufe of this form, Kaitos ednak ibmel fane/t ; that is,
thanks for the word of God.
A great many, even in the abfence of the miffionary, though on their journey, do not
neglect a folemn attention to prayer, morning and evening. ‘There are fome alfo, wha
at private devotion in{trué their children and the reft of the family. Nor is it fufficient
for them, merely to have learned faithfully the word of God, unlefs they alfo exemplify
the force and efficacy of it in a life worthy of achriftian. And hence it is, that no oath,
no curfe is ever heard among them, but rather the indignation of the Norwegians,
execrating thofe addiéted to this crime. ‘Their holy fabbaths feldom or ever do they
violate, they are naturally mild in temper, and very fond of peace, fo as even hardly
ever to come to words and blows. Moft continent too in their habits, for during the
fpace of four years, that I difcharged the duty of miflionary among the Laplanders of
the parifhes of Kidlleford and Kielvig, nota fingle child was born out of wedlock;
and forthe whole fix years of my office at Alten, only one. They refrain with
modefty from the marriage of relations; theft is very rarely committed among them.
During the whole of my time engaged as miflionary among them, I never loft the leaft
thing, but every thing remained without lock and key, packed and untouched.
_ Itisa habit with them, not to touch a crumb of food, without devoutly blefling it firft
’ in this form, Jef/ufatzh fiuned, that is, O Jefus fanctify !
It is much to the praife of the Lapland nation, that {trolling beggars are very feldom
feen there. Each pauper keeps himfelf in his own hut, to be examined and fupported
by the other inhabitants of the parifh: when in the other parts of Norway, and whiere
you would expect better provifion from the law in the management of paupers, you find
vagrants of this fort, and fometimes in herds together.
The Laplanders, like the reft of mankind, have their faults, but they are few, and
feldom occur ; among which I name drunkennefs, to which fome are addicted, and
fraud in their dealings, which the following inftance fhews: In the {pring of the year
there are found in the rein-deer little worns between the {kin, fhort but thick, , called
gnormak, which gnaw into and perforate the hide of the animal; and hence it arifes that
the thides of rein-deer killed about the {pring,’vitiated by the faid worms, yield much in
value and price to the hides of the fame animal killed in the fummer orautumn. ‘to |
remedy
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