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422 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS.
a ftring. The arrow, which was fitted to the hand-bow, was rather long, with a very
fharp point, made of bone or iron.- The other, was called Jualge-daugie, or foot-bow.
This, befides the bow and ftring, was furnifhed with a wooden handle and button, made
from the horn of the rein-deer, on which the ftring held when the bow was bent. The
arrows placed in this bow were without point ; but the G/et-daxgie was {tretched no
lefs by the aid of the feet than the hands, whence it had its name. After the invention
of mufkets, the ufe of bows was rarer, thougl h the Giet-daugic, or that bow which is
called from the feet, has not grown altogether into difufe among the Indagrians in
Sweden ; for as there is in that tract of country a great number’ of {quirrels, ‘the hun-
ters are faid to make ufe of bows inftead of mufkets, leit the fkin of this beaft fhould be
injured by bullets. Forty fkins (which number, when fpeaking of fquirrel fkins, is
called Tommer) are fold by the Laplanders at the price of one thaler.
There is a vaft number of weafels alfo in Finmark. ‘This little animal in Lapland is
called Boaaid, which word exprefles each fex; but the male is called Gsaaige, the fe-
male Gadfe. Weafcls during the winter are grey, unlefs that on the extremity of the
tails they have very black hairs, with the exception of a few of them, whofe tails as well
the reft of the body is all white ; thefe are called by the Laplanders Seibu/o. On their
haunches is founda Kernel, or fmall piece of flefh, when the fkin is removed, of a very
bad and almoft infufferable {mell, which they call themfelves Zhyiavra- Kostas The
weafel is moft greedy and moft eager after eevs. If you faftena clue of thread to a fith,
or any thing elfe of which the soreatel 3 is fond, he will, after dragging the food to his
hole, immediately bring back the clue of chien I ralare what I have heard, but from
thofe who have teftified that they had often feen the matter themfelves. The Alpine
weafel is called by Pliny the winter moufe; more truly and fitly named Aoy/2 Kaz, that is,
living among heaps of {tones, as it is commonly called by the Norwegians ,becaufe it hunts
mice no lefs actively than the tame domettic cat. Weatfels are caught j in a certain trap,
which the Laplanders call Gil/lar: it is made from a piece of wood of the birch. tree, cleft
two parts, of which the one, which is propped on a ftake, falls down on the weafel
creeping to the bait through the aperture, which is open in the trap for this purpofe,
and crufhes him to death by its weight. ‘The whole machine is raifed by a prop from
the ground, left field mice fhould get in and deftroy the bait. Before the trap isa
ftump equalling the elevation, which the weafel, on fmelling the bait, afcends, that he
fhould creep into the trap more commodioufly. When caught in the trap he makes
water through fear, which fhould it touch the tkin, fuperinduces a yellowifh colour, after
fpoiling the former whitenefs of it.
Certain mice, called by the Norwegians Lemaenner, by the Laplanders Godde-Sacpan,
infeft Finmark alfo. Thefe mice ufually lie under {tones, and in {mall cavities, and there
have their nefts and their young: the young inthe beginning are blind, and variegated.
Mice of this fort in reality drop from the fky, which I relate on my own authority.
Daring by nature, at leaft they are little afraid; for fhould any one attack them with a
ftick, they inftantly turn about in a hoftile manner and gnaw it. Whenever they
drop from the {ky, the Laplanders then augur to themfelves as a remarkable year for
the taking of foxes, the following one; for as they are very fond of thele creatures,
they find them in a great abundance on the mountains in the year there is fuch a plen-
tiful fhower of them but on the next, when there is as great a dearth, they betake
themfelves to the fhores, with the hope of finding there what they fought in vain for on
the mountains. “The Laplanders, making the belt ufe of the opportunity, {trive to catch,
by all arts and means in their power, their vifitors. But thefe mice are no lefs expofed
to the attacks of foxes, than they are liable to be devoured by the crows and rooks,
6 In
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