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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 4443
The Swedes formerly contended that they had a claim to a certain part of the often-
mentioned rivers the Alten and Thana; foras they impofed a tribute on the maritime
Lapianders, as far as the peace of Knorod, in the year 1613, folemnly made be-
tween each kingdom, by which it was ftipulated, that all kind of tribute and demand on
the part of the crown of Sweden fhould ceafe in future ; fo they further demanded
that two-thirds of every fifhery were equally their right, as plainly appears from letters
of King Charles of Sweden to the royal treafurer of Finmark, dated October 30, 1596.
Meantime the Swedes, by the force of this pretenfion on the faid fifheries, fent often
fifhermen into Finmark, who, obftructed by the inhabitants, were compelled, without
effecting any thing, to return : hence the matter broke out into public complaints. The
commiflaries of the crown of Sweden remonftrated much on this bufinefs ; and the
governor of Swedifh Lapland, the illuftrious Balthafar Bech, in the month of November
1607, received not only an order from his fovereign that he fhould inquire, from the
governor of Finmark refiding at Wardhus, the caufe, as alfo true information of the re-
fufal which the fifhermen who were fent out from Sweden to Finmark had fo impro-
perly met with ; but he himfelf went into Varanger, with labourers and fifhermen ne-
ceflary for the management and difpatch of this bufinefs, that he brought with him :
he had alfo a treafurer with him, who was to colleé& the tribute, and who was to refide
in Vafoe, for the purpofe of collecting the revenue from the Laplanders of Finmark 5
and alfo a prieft, who was to refide there and manage the holy affairs of that place, to
whom, in confideration of his labour, two-thirds of the falary which annually was paid
hitherto to the Danifh clergyman fhould be paid to him in future; and all other dues of
the diftri&t which the treafurer of the province, Bartholomew Henricfon, had remitted to
the governor of the King, Olaus Peterfon, by letters dated February 23, 1608.
At the fame time, the faid-mentioned Balthafar Bech informs the governor of Finmark
by letters, grievoufly complaining of the injury that was committed, as it feemed to him,
that when the Swedifh labourers were going to erect weirs on the rivers, they were
violently hindered by the inhabitants. To this was added a ferious remonftrance, ex-
acting that a free right of fifhery fhould be granted, without any tergiverfation, to the
fifhermen daily fent from Sweden into Finmark. On thefe remon{trances being made
by the crown of Sweden, and tranfmitted moft humbly by the gavernor of the province
to the Danifh court, a decree of Chriftian IV., dated December 20, 1609, was publifhed,
in which it is ftriétly declared that all Swedes, as many as were to be found in Finmark,
rauft readily depart from the country ; that the crown of Sweden had no right over
the fifheries, or the other prerogatives and rights of the Kings of Denmark and Nor-
way, by any claim whatever; that no Swedifh maritime Laplander had a right
to fifh in the feas of Finmark without permiflion from the governor, and even then, not
unlefs he would pay a yearly tribute for faid licence to the King of Denmark and Nor
way, as the rightful mafter of the fea. The Swedes did not even then defift; the faid
Balthafar Bech fent again other workmen and fifhermen, by an order, bearing date
April 14, 1609, into Finmark to follow up the work, fo {trenuoufly and actively begun,
and to build a place of worfhip on the bay of Alten. But this attempt too of the
Swedes was difappointed, the new workmen being hindered, as one may fuppofe, by the
governor of the province, who ftript them of their axes, their other tools and working
inftruments, with which they came to work, as appears by the acts of the judicial affem-
bly, dated May 9, held in the fame year. After a variety of ikirmifhing, this whole
contention was at length adjufted, and terminated by the peace of Knoroditke, by which
the Swedes renounced all claims upon Finmark. Befides the faid-named river of ‘Thana,
there are alfo others in the eaftern Finmark, diftinguifhed for the abundance and fifhery of
Ee falmon 5
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