_Of the Emploiments common to both Sexes._
The other buisinesses, which we have not treated of yet, whether they
be at home or in journies, belong to both Sexes, and that they may
be the better undertaken, men and women wear breeches, and as _Joh.
Tornæus_ takes notice, equally undergo all pains and work excepting
hunting: by which words _exceptâ venatione_ he doth not deny but men
and women have peculiar emploiments. In their travels the master of a
family goes first, with his baggage and Rain-deers after him, and next
him his wife with hers; in Summer they both walk on foot, in Winter
both are drawn in sledges, which I have described in the next page:
in these they like children are tied and bound fast with fillets and
cords, especially when in hast, having only their hands and head at
liberty, and their back leaning against the end. The Rain-deer is not
harnessed like an Horse, but hath a strong cloth about his neck, to
which is fastened a rope that goes between his fore and hind feet,
to the hole in the prou of the sledge. He therefore that drew _Olaus
Magnus_ pictures was much deceived, when he made Rain-deers joined to
the sledge with traces on both sides, and such a collar about their
necks, as is used in other Countries upon their thillers; and in
another place two yoaked together drawing a cart with wheels, which is
a thing unknown to the _Laplanders_, and men riding upon them as on
a Horse, whereas they never do so, but walk on foot, and carry their
goods only on them in dorsers. He that is drawn rules the beast, not
with a bridle, but an halter made of Sea-dogs skin tied about his head
or horns, fastned to a stick which he holds in one hand, with which he
removes the thong to either side, according as he would go or turn:
with the other he guides the sledge, for it being round at bottom is
still wavering, so that he which rides, must still with the motion
of his body, and hand, take care it overturns not, as you may see in
the picture. When they thus travel in the Winter, the _Rain-deer_ are
bravely adorned with needle work of tin-thred upon diverse colour’d
cloth, about their necks and back, and a bell, with which they are
mightily pleased. They travell in these at what rate they will; but
if upon a remove, alwaies slow, because of the weight of their goods,
in which journies the man and his wife go first, and all the family
come after. _Ziegler_ saies in 24 houres they can go 150 miles:
_Herbersternius_ saies in a day 20 _German_ miles: but ’tis not to be
believed that it is performed with one _Rain-deer_ in the day of 12
hours, except the waies be good and slippery, but they ordinarily go 12
14 or 16 _German_ miles in ten hours, which number doubled will make
out _Zeigler_’s opinion: and that not with one _Rain-deer_ which is
impossible to out so long, but that it must dy or be left to rest the
next day. In this way of travelling the Women are as expert as the men,
and _Olaus Magnus_ saies more. As the men and women travel together,
so they help one another in fishing, and at baiting time to feed their
cattle, which is evident in the _Rain-deer_, for the women take as much
care of them as the men, and equally take the trouble to milk them: and
in fishing ’tis manifest; for women in the absence of men, are very
intent for some weeks at catching fish, which they gut and dry up for
Winter. Their way of catching them is with Nets, and other instruments,
as every where else. I know not what _Paulus Jovius_ meant, when he
said they have a foolish way of fishing, except he refers to their
hooks which are nor of Iron but Wood: they make them of _Juniper_ bent
round: these they fasten to sticks, and throw them into the Rivers,
and very easily take many large fishes. If they fish with a Cane or
Whale-bone, the fisher never knows when the fish bites, but pulls up at
a venture. Their way of fishing alters with the season, in the Summer
usually with drag nets, between two boats, or else with spears like
Tridents, but that they have more teeth. With these they strike pikes,
especially when they ly sunning themselves near the top of the Water:
they do the same by Night burning dry wood at the prow, by which light
the Fish are enticed thither. In the Winter time they thrust nets under
the ice to a banck side, and then by a great noise above drive the Fish
to them; all these things the Women often do alone, which is the less
to be wondered at, because every where in this Country there is a great
multitude of Fish. Besides all these, they carry and cleave wood, and
make hedges, with such like works, which are so inconsiderable as not
to be worthy to enlarge our discourse.
[Illustration]