Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
404 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY. LEEMS,. ; -
that each may be enabled by it to diftinguifh his own. They take care that the tein-
deer, left they may be fcattered, and thus carried out of the way and into pathlefs places,
fhould be led within the {pace of every civil day twice to the cot to reft, and twice into
the foreft to pafture, which they repeat continually night and day, not intermitting it even
in the middle of winter, when each night, from the fetting fun to day-break, contains at leaft
fixteen hours. Nor is there any one,I think, whois but flightly killed in the principles
of aftronomy to whom it is unknown, that the fun in that. climate altogether recedes
from the horizon for feven weeks together, and that lying under the lower hemifphere,
leaves for full day but the twilight of a few hours; which yet is not fo dark, with a
pure and ferene air, but you can do without a candle from ten in the morning to one at
noon for writing and other bufinefs of this fort, even when the days are fhorteft. And
fince the fun, as mentioned above, altogether draws off its light from the horizon of that -
zone ata certain feafon of the year, it is eafily inferred that the leffer {tars are vifible on
ihe fhorteft days about noon, and that the moon itfelf fhines not only by night, but all
the day. After the fpace of feven weeks the fun returns, to reftore that delightful light to
man and beaft, as it were with ufury ; for the day in a fhort time takes fuch and fo great
an increafe, at the beginning of April, that the whole darknefs of the night begins to
difappear. And as the winter’s fun withdraws its light: for the whole fpace of feven
weeks, and makes the day at its fhorteft ; fo the fummer’s fun, in turn, repairs that lofs,
the noéturnal and diurnal light lafting for the {pace ofas many weeks: where it isto be
well obferved, that the nocturnal light of the fun is much more dull and remifs than
the diurnal, and that the funitfelf by night has.a reddifh appearance. But I now return
to the rein-deer. Led home to reft, they lie down about the cottage, and when down
form accurately a full circle. ‘The watch dogs, of which fome are named Kiepros,
others Gonfak, others by other names, are employed in driving the rein-deer into the
woods and meadows to pafture. They run about in the paftures here and there, re-
moving the fnow by their heels, if any, in order to get at the mufc that is under; they
are under the care of herdf{men, without regard to time and feafon, whether good or bad.
But though the fhepherds take the greateft care of their herds, yet it happens fometimes
that when they are fheltering themfelves behind large heaps of {now, where driven by
the violence of the tempeft, they fometimes retire, when overtaken with fleep, one or two
rein-deer ftraying from the reft of the herd, fall the prey of the watching and invading
wolf. The care and duty of feeding and guarding the herd properly belongs to the
children and fervants of the family ; yet I have known a married woman, who not
having either fervants, or a grown-up family, to whom the care of feeding-the cattle
could be committed, fhe herlelf undertook the duty of pafturing, and having a fucking
infant at her brea{t, was obliged to carry it with her into the woods and pathlefs haunts,
whil(t the fky was all over darkened with {now and hail as thick as poflible.. ‘The rein-
deer are brought home from patture by the afliftance of dogs; nor could they be other-
wife gathered, as feeding at large through the meadows, they go feparated at confi-
derable diftances from one another. ‘The watch dogs are fo inftructed, that they obey
the nod alone, the finger of the herdfman; hence the rein-deer, admonifhed on the fight
of the dogs, inftantly will collect themfelyes in herds: when collected by the help of
dogs, they are driven to the cot by the herdfmen. In winter the father of the family,
or his wife, examining on this fide and on that, ufually furveys the whole herd, now
fed, and difpofed round the cot to reft, to fee if the whole are fafe ; whether any have
{trayed, or fallen a prey to the wolf. There are Laplanders who, are matters of fix
hundred, and fometimes of a greater number of rein-deer ; to thee it is difficult to know
whether any one from fo great a number has gone aftray.
It
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
