The Laplanders still retain much of this superstitious spirit, even in the Christian rites which they have adopted. They particularly regard the sacrament as a powerful charm to preserve them from the attempts of evil spirits. It is not long since they used to take a cloth with them to church, into which they were accustomed to spit out the sacramental bread, which they wrapped up with great care, and afterwards divided into as great a number as possible of small crumbs. One of these crumbs was given to every one of their cattle, in the full persuasion that the herd would thus be secure from all injury. Their very defi cient acquaintance with Christianity may, in some measure, be ascribed to the very inefficient manner in which they are instructed. It has generally been the practice of the mis sionaries and pastors to address the natives by means of an interpreter ; and the attempts of the Danish govern ment to remedy this defect have hitherto proved unsuc cessful. Neither could the Laplanders be prevailed upon to pursue in Denmark the necessary education for officiat ing as preachers to their countrymen ; nor could they be induced to adopt the Danish language as the prevailing dialect. The plan of encouraging young persons to study the Lapland language, and of recompensing their labours among them as missionaries, by recalling them to better situations, is more likely to prove successful.
The Laplanders are wholly destitute of learning ; and have no accurate division of time. They begin the year with the Friday before Christmas ; and have names for all the festivals, of which they are reminded by the clergy, who insist rigidly upon their attendance at church on these days, even in the most stormy weather, and from the greatest distance. They use no almunack of their own; but the better instructed among them, and particularly the clergy, have almanacks from Sweden. The Laplanders employ, in place of these guides, a kind of instrument com posed of seven small splinters or boards, like the ancient Runic calendar of the Grails. They have no months, but divide time by weeks. The following are their names for the days of the week : A Though the lot of the Laplanders is full of toil and penury, their attachment to their native country is remark ably strong. OF this the Danish missionary Leanis men tions a striking proof, in the difficulty which he experienced in prevailing upon any of their young men to accompany him to Copenhagen, to be presented to the king of Denmark. Notwithstanding the ingenuity and dexterity with which they construct their canoes and sledges, manufacture thread from the sinews of animals, and sew the harness of the rein-deer, they discover very little intellectual ability. In
their persons they arc dirty, and covered with vermin ; never cutting their hair, or employing any other comb than their fingers. In their manners they are destitute of any kind of delicacy, rising naked from their beds, and dressing themselves promiscuously in the presence of either sex. They are described as very ignorant, which may well be supposed; as extremely indolent, which is the case with most nations so little removed from the savage state; as strongly addicted to the use of spiritous liquors, which is so commonly characteristic of the inhabitants of cold coun tries.' Some travellers have farther stigmatized them as cowardly, covetous, and knavish ; a description xvhich ap• pears to be more applicable to those who inhabit the woody country bordering on Sweden, than to those who occupy the alpine regions, who arc much more distinguished by their honesty and hospitality. On the other hand, their state and manners have been pictured in the most pleasing colours, as almost realizing the ancient descriptions of the golden age ; as those of a people who enjoy undisturbed the blessings of freedom, contentment, innocence, and peace. There is good and grave authority, at least, for saying that they are very attentive to religious duties, par ticularly observant of the Sabbath, and decently devout (luring the performance of dit ine service ; that they are uniformly respectful towards their pastors and missiona ries ; chaste in their manners, and free from every kind of profanity in their speech ; that beggars are unknown among them, and the wants of the aged and infirm duly supplied by their neighbours and relations ; that they arc strangers to the vice of thie‘ing, never needing to use such c things as locks or bolts, and very generally sleeping with open doors in perfect security. See Lemmius de Lapponi linmarchia Commentatio, a work which is held in high estima tion for its accuracy by the northern literati ; Acerbi's Travels in Sweden and Lapland, where the substance of the last mentioned work is contained ; ',humus Lachesis Lapponica, or Tour in Lapland, translated by Dr. Smith ; Baron Von Buch's Travels through Norway and Lapland ; Skioldebrand's Picturesque Journey to the North Cape Thomson's Travels in Sweden ; Wahlenberg's Introduc do Geographica to his Flora Lapponica. (9) LAR. See