containing at most eight feet in diameter; the fire or smoke of the hearth in the middle prevents the draft from the door; and hence this back space is the place of the master or mistress of the herd. The children sit next them, and the servants next to the door. When a stranger demands entrance he is commanded by Lapland politeness to keep himself on his legs in the inside of the door, and sometimes even before a half opened door. The master of the house then asks him the cause of his arrival, and also the news of the country; and if he is pleased with the account, he at last invites the stranger to approach nearer. He then becomes a member of the family; a place in the house is allotted to him, and he is entertained with rein-deer milk and flesh. The Arab invites into his hut, and asks no questions. It was well for us that we passed this night under a roof. The storm raged furiously, and the rain struck like sand against the roof of the gamme. It was not a little wonderful that the feeble hat could .withstand such a hurricane. It is built of stakes, which are united together in the middle in the form of a cone. Several other cross stakes hold them together below. Over this frame there is nothing spread but a piece of coarse linen, generally sail-cloth, in such a manner, however, that a quadrangular opening at the top remains unGovered for the smoke to issue out of. A great part of this covering lies also loose on the ground, and serves to protect their milk and other household concerns against wind and weather, and to cover over their stores; and then these articles, and the covering over them, form altogether a sort of mound, which prevents the entrance and draft of the external air into the gamme from beneath. Another large and loose piece of sail-cloth is drawn round this outward covering on the side from whence the wind blows. This side is therefore always protected with a double covering. The inside seats consist of soft rein-deer skins and white woollen covers. The quality of this skin and cover also determines here the rank of the place and the person who is to occupy it. This is certainly a slight habitation; and it is almost inconceivable how a large and frequently numerous family can find room in such a narrow space for many months together. But all the members of the family are seldom assembled together at the same time; the herd of rein-deer demands their presence and their attention even dar ing the night, and such stormy and dreadful nights as the one we passed bere in Nuppibye. Men and boys, wives and daughters, take the post of watching by turns twice or thrice a-day; and each goes out with several dogs, which belong in property to that individual, whose commands alone they will obey. The former guards in the mean while their return with their hungry dogs. Hence it not unfrequently happens that eight or twelve dogs march over the heads of the persons sleeping in the gamme in quest of comfortable spots for themselves to rest in. They certainly stand in need of rest, for all the time they are out with their master, watching the flock, they are in continual Continual motion. The welfare and the security of the flock rests wholly on them. By them alone are they kept together in their destined situation, or, when necessary, driven to others. The wolves, the dreadful enemies of the Laplanders, are by them driven away from the rein-deer. The timid animal runs frightened up and down the wilderness when the wolf approaches: the dogs then by their barking and snarling keep the flock together, and by this means the wolf will not easily venture an attack. If the reindeer is to the Laplander what his field is to the husbandman, the dog is to the Laplander what the plough is to the other. When he returns wearied to his gamme, he always willingly shares his rein-deer flesh and his soup with his dog, which he will hardly do with either father or mother. ་ shocks a singular noise, and from It is an unusual, a new, and a pleasing spectacle to see, in the evening, the herd assembled round the gamme to be milked. On all the hills around, every thing is in an instant full of life and motion. The busy dogs are every where barking, and bringing the mass nearer and nearer; and the reindeer bound and run, stand still, and bound again in an indescrib-ment, and the commanding mind, able variety of movements. When which presides over the whole, in the feeding animal, frightened by the middle. the dog, raises his head, and displays aloft his large and proud antlers, what a beautiful and ma-jestic sight! And when he courses over the ground, how fleet and light are his movements! We never hear the foot on the earth, and nothing but the incessant crackling of his knee-joints, as if produced by a repetition of electric We had scarcely set our feet out of the door of the gamme in the morning, when in less than half an hour the house was entirely destroyed, and the rein-deer laden with all the utensils, and in mo. tion to the new place of destination. They were bound together in rows of five with thongs, like the beasts of burden on St. Gotthardt, and and they were led by the mother and daughter over the mountains, while the father went before to prepare the new dwelling, and the other children conducted the free herd to their place of pasture. The flock amounted to about four hundred head. We had yet seen none under three hundred. With this number a family is said to be in moderate prosperity. It can be maintained on it. They can afford to kill as many rein deer as are necessary for food and clothing, shoes, and boots, and to sell besides a few reindeer skins, hides, and horns, to the merchants for meal or brandy, or woollen stuffs. On the other hand, a family lives very miserably on a hundred of these inimals, and can hardly keep from starving. Hence, if they are brought down so low, they must give up the free pastoral life on the mountains, and draw towards the sea, and endeavour as sea Laplanders to gain from that element what they can no longer find among the mountains. But their desires are always fixed on the mountains, and every sea Laplander eagerly exchanges his hut and his earnings for the herd of the FieldtLaplander. The charms of a free life among the mountains, and of independence, may have less effect on the producing of this inclination than the actual good living of the Fieldt or mountain Laplanders, which the sea Laplander cannot even procure on holidays. Every day I have seen rein-deer flesh cooked in all these gammes for the whole family, and generally of young fawns, in large iron kettles. Each person certainly received more than a pound for his share. When the flesh was cooked, it was immediately torn asunder by the master of the house with his fingers, and divided out among the family; and the eagerness with which each per son received his allowance, and the rapidity with which they strove, as for a wager, to tear it with teeth and fingers, are almost incredible. In the meantime the broth remains in the kettle, and is boiled up with thick rein-deer milk, with rye or oatmeal, and sometimes, though seldom, with a little salt. This broth is then distributed, and devoured with the same hungry avidity. The sea Laplander, on the other hand, has only fish, or fish livers, with train oil, and never has either the means or opportunity of preparing such costly soups. The former not only relishes his flesh, but finds in it a strong nourishment. In fact, how few boors in Norway or Sweden, or even in Germany, can compare their meals, in point of nutrition, with this. In winter, the food of the Laplanders is more multifarious. They then catch an incredible number of ptarmigans (Ryper, Tetrao Lagopus), wood grouse (Truren) and a number of other wild birds, partly to eat and partly to sell. They not unfrequently also shoot a bear, which they eat like the Norwegian peasants. They have then also no want of rein-deer flesh; for the frozen pieces may be long preserved. They can even préserve the precious milk in winter, although they can then derive none immediately from the rein-deer. They expose it in harvest to the frost, and preserve the frozen pieces like cheese. When melted after a lapse of several months, this milk still tastes fresh and deliciously. liciously. When a stranger then enters the gamme, whom they wish to see, the frozen piece of milk is immediately set to the fire; the guest receives a spoon, with which he skims off the softened exterior in proportion as it melts. When he has enough the rest is preserved in the cold for other guests. Such pieces are not unfrequently brought by the Laplanders down to Alten, and theu disposed of to advantage; for the inhabitants of Alten eagerly purchase this milk. They use it like cow-milk, and can mix a good deal of water with it, without injuring its quality. In its pure state it is even too fat for domestic purposes. Notwithstanding, even in the middle of summer, each rein-deer yields but little milk, it would be quite impossible, especially for any length oftime, to consume the whole quantity at once. In October the milk season generally ceases, and recommences about the end of June or beginning of July. The rein-deer calve about the middle of May. The Laplanders call a doe or female rein-deer a vaija, when it has calved in the third year. It is allowed to suckle the fawn, for six weeks, which is then slaughtered, or allowed to provide its own nourishment; and they can then have milk for three or four months. A moderate vaija about the end of July yields the quarter of a Swedish kanne per day. With a herd of a thousand head the quantity procured from all the vaijas would be very considerable, and perhaps sufficient to maintain a whole family on milk alone. But their prosperity necessarily requires the possession of considerable flocks, that they may always be able to slaughter a deer when the wants of the family require it, without thereby injuring the flourishing condition of the herd. A great part of the Swedish Laplanders in Kemi Lappmark, and especially in the För sambling of Enare, live in quite a different manner. They live there for the most part by fishing, and have but seldom a few rein-deer; on the other band they generally possess eight or ten sheep, but no cows. In summer they scarcely eat any thing but fish from the fresh water lakes, and drink with great eagerness the water in which the fish has been boiled. In winter they must put up with dried fish (Sick, Salmo Laveretus), and with soups (vailing), of water, fir bark, and rein-deer tallow. They peel off, in summer, the innermost bark of the firs, divide it in long strips, and hang them in their dwellings to dry for winter stores. When used, these strips of bark are minced in small pieces along with the rein-deer tallow, boiled together for several hours. with water, till in consistency they form a thick broth, and then eaten. A little ewe milk, and a few mountain bramble-berries (Hiortron, Rubus Chamamorus), contribute very little to the improvement of this wretched diet. Well may they account the rein-deer Laplander happy, and envy his situation. COMISSION OF THE UNITED of pojas BRETHREN. [From Lichtenstein's Travels in Southern Africa, translated by Anne Plumptre.] Those who have read Mr. Barrow's Travels know already something of the institution formed in this district by the Herrenhuters, or Society of United Brethren: it has now been established for a considerable number of years, and deserves every thing that can be said in its commendation. Sparmann mentions a pious German of the name of George Schmidt, as the first of the society who undertook to come out in quality of missionary to Southern Africa. He settled there about the year 1737, and soon collected some Hottentots together for the purpose of converting them to christianity. After his departure a small number of his disciples remained together in a society, and the reports concerning them, which reached Europe, induced three of the United Brethren in Holland and Germany, of the names of Marsveld, Kuhnel, and Schwin, to remove hither in the year 1791; the first was from Zeist, in the province of Utrecht, the other two were Germans. By order of the East-India Company in Holland this spot was granted them for the establishment of a little colony, and the boundaries between the lands awarded to them, and those of the neighbouring colonists, were accurately defined. In a short time they collected together a tolerable number of Bastards and Hottentots, whom they instracted in their religion, at the same time endeavouring to inspire them with habits of industry. In the mean time, that is, in the year 1794, those unfortunate dissensions broke out among the colonists, the destructive conse quences of which were fortunately superseded by the English invasion; but the sad effects of their discords spread even to this peaceful vale. The whole institution was a subject of offence to the surrounding colo nists, partly because they did not see their own strong Calvinistic doctrines taught in it, but still more, because they found themselves restrained in extending their lands, and were in some measure depriv. ed of the services of the Hotten. tots, for the latter preferred lead. ing a quiet life among the Herrenhuters, to attending the sheep and oxen of the farmers. It was to these causes that the enmity of the colonists towards the Brethren mentioned by Mr. Barrow is to be ascribed; but this gentleman suffers his zeal against the colonists to get too great an ascendency over him, when he represents their enmity as having been carried to such lengths, that a conspiracy was form ed among them to murder the missionaries. I have myself been assured by the missionaries themselves, that they never heard of such a thing; they only, by way of precaution, petitioned Sir James Craig, in the year 1796, to grant them a confirmation of their rights, and security against the encroachments with which they were menaced, Since that time, excepting some trifling disputes about the boundaries of their lands, they have lived upon very good terms with the colonists. They are universally esteemed, |