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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 455
which had fo much recommended itfelf by its whitenefs. When he had tafted it, and
found no illnefs from it, following the example of my affociate, I ate likewife myfelf a
fmall part without the leaft injury, and found the flefh of this animal, with the excep-
tion of the fifhy flavour, fufficiently delicate.
A certain Laplander refided at Porfanger bay, by name Simon Kiaes, fo notorious
for magic; his fame is yet among his countrymen, and will endure, I think, for ever.
His fon Simon Peter was in the family of the illuftrious Knagenhielm, counfellor of
ftate, and judge of the territory of Bergen. This Simon had once come into the village
‘of Kielvig, which the governor of weftern l’inmark, Trude Nittér, then prefided
over. The governor was then drinking a cup of tea, but handed to his gueft one
mingled with much falt in the place of fugar, which he politely received, and artfully
concealing his indignation withdrew. After fome time the governor came accidentally
to the houfe of the faid Laplander. And as in that part of the country where our
Simon lived there grew no fmall quantity of Norwegian blackberries, the governor
afked for a quantity of the berries, if convenient to him. ‘The Laplander obeyed,
bringing the berries refpectfully, but fprinkled with fuch a quantity of falt as to yield
a moft ungrateful tafte. The governor, on tafting the berries, difgutting, from their
bad tafte, reproved the Laplander in fevere terms, reproaching him {erioufly, that the.
berries, good of themfelves, were {poiled by his fprinkling them with too much falt,
by which they had loft their natural flavour. . The Laplander’s excufe was fmart,
that he thought his highnefs muft be exceedingly fond of faltnefs, as he had put into
the tea which he had given him to drink, fuch an abundance of falt in the place of
fugar.
Another Laplander of the fame place, was afked by way of joke, by a failor of
Bergen, whether he could let out the hell fly, or play fuch other hellifh tricks, an-
fwered, that he would immediately. He no fooner faid fo, than he brandifhed a
burning log of wood, fnatched from the fire, all over the houfe in which they were,
running up and down like a maniac; that the failor, fearing left he fhould be ~
burnt from the fparks, fled inftantly with his friends, ceafing to teaze the Laplander
any further. © ‘
That the Laplanders are eafily alarmed and terrified, on the apprehenfion of danger
or war, the following is an inftance. At the bay of Laxfiord is a place called
Laefbefby. A Laplander’s wife who lives there, went out one day to bring home her
fheep who were at pafture. It happened on that day, there was a great fall of {now
that covered the face of things, fo that the woman fearcely could diftinguifh one object
from another, and took the parts of the trees that rofe above the fnow for men; and
as itis the nature of perfons in fear, to fafhion to their imaginations what they moft
dread, fhe fancied that thefe men moved and came near to her. Seduced by thefe
phantoms and out of her fenfes, fhe had no longer doubt but they were Ruffians coming
on for plunder and booty. Without a moments delay fhe returned home and filled all
places with terror. Credit was given toher report. There happened at this very time
to be no fmall number of perfons aflembled, for the purpofe of divine worfhip. On this
forrowful news, all are armed for defence ; fires are lighted up through the plains ; guns
let off, and yells raifed, that the enemy, deceived by figns fuch as thefe that conveyed
the idea of numbers, fhould in alarm run off. At the approach of night three young
men were difpatched as fcouts, to explore and report ; thefe delaying beyond the ufual
time are fucceeded by three others, who return and report that the enemy is coming
up. In this general trepidation each prepares for fight. One from this brave cohort
{natches up, for his gloves, which the pinching cold, and the ardor of the action
feemed,
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