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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 445
The knowledge, fuch as itis, of fith, and the method of catching and managing them,
being communicated to the reader, 1 with to add fomething of the manner in which
the tythes from the fifheries are collected in Finmark. That tythes were in practice
from the earlieft times among the Norwegians, I am of opinion, isa thing well known.
It appears from the records of the remoteft times, that the great Lagebettcr, king of
Norway had levied tythes on his fubje¢ts from corn and other produce of the country,
from the year of Chrift 1268 ; that king Chriltopher, by a decree publithed in the year
of Chrift 1448, had ordained, that tythes fhould be divided into three equal parts be-
tween the church, the bifhop, and the pafter of the parifh; that king Frederic I. had
ordained and had difpofed of tythes by various decrees, is well known. And as to
what belongs to Finmark, it is to be obferved, that tything was introduced there later
than elfewhere through Norway ; yet in progrefs of time they were ordained, given, and
accepted, until by royal authority and care they were brought into that order, that no-
where through all Norway were they more juitly and equally paid. The payment of
tythes from the fifheries, in what manner they were firft inflituted, and then brought
into exact order, may eafily be feen from the following decrees.
Since it has been known that certain factors trading through Finmark and Norland,
exchanged fith, which the peafants had expofed for fale, for injurious and ufelefs wares,
fuch as brandy, baftar, rommenau, and, before a decimation was made, had tranf-
ferred fraudulently to themfelves the advantages, king Frederic II. by an edi&, publifhed
at Efferom, bearing date the 17th of April 1562, has forbid fuch fraud for the future.
Certain Laplanders of the mountains, of the Ruffian and Swedifh territories, having
had the boldnefs to ‘fifh in the fea of Finmark, without having either afked or obtained
permiffion, king Chriftian the IV. of glorious memory, has forbid the fame, by a de-
cree publifhed at Scanderburg in Jutland, that it fhould not be lawful for the faid Lap-
landers to fith on the fhores of Finmark by any other condition than that obtained
with refpect from the royal governor, and paying tythes from the quantity of fith
that may be taken.
Charles king of Sweden, at the time when he exatted tribute from the maritime
Laplanders of Finmark, granted permiffion of fifhing in the fea of Finmark to the citizens
of’Gottenburs, on the condition of duly paying the tenths from the quantity taken.
The Swedes being compelled to yield, by the peace of Knorodfke, 1613, all pre-
tenfions on the maritime Laplanders of Finmark, the governor was commanded to
exact tythes, by a decree of Chriftian the IV., dated the 1oth of June of the next
year, from the maritime inhabitants of the diftriét, Laplanders as well as Norwegians,
ver which he prefided, exercifing the right of fifhery in the fea.
The inhabitants of Finmark petitioning the king, on the iniquity of the governor, on
the exaction of tenths, felecting none but the beft and largeft fith, and rejecting the
fmall, his royal Majefty by a refcript to his governor, dated 22d April 1617, declares
of his goodnefs, that it is his royal pleafure, that Laplanders as well as Norwegians
fhould contribute for the future from the firft hundred of fifhes taken, eight ; from the
fecond hundred, nine, without any regard whatever to their fize.
‘Though, from the tenor of the royal decree at Efferom, in the year 1562, tythes
were to be paid from fifh frefh taken, as well as thofe that were cured in the wind ;
yet there were perfons who were daring enough to refift the law. Hence it was ap-
pointed, that a royal governor, a lawyer, a treafurer, and a fecretary or inferior judge,
fhould folemnly meet in 1620, in Skiotnings-bierg, to determine by law, that the por-
tion of tythes due to the king in fifh, at the time of the year when they are liable to be
{poiled by infects, fhould be falted ; and to make an order, that no one from that Hrs
fhould
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