_Of the wild Beasts of the_ Laplanders.
Of all the Beasts in _Lapland_ the Bear is chief: him saies _Sam.
Rheen_, they stile King Of the Woods, and gives this reason, because
in strength and fierceness he exceeds all the rest. They are very
numerous, some fiercer than others, especially those which are mark’t
with a white wreath about their necks, many of which are found in the
North. These annoy the Inhabitants Cattel, and overturn their Stores;
which they fix on the top of a Tree, to preserve their flesh and fish,
and all that concerns provision: but in one night the Bear destroys all
the food they have laid up.
Next the Bear the Elk is remarkable, which _Olaus_ calls the wild
Asse, _Scaliger_ confounds it with the Rain-deer, for he saies, tho
it had Asses hair, it was called by the _Swedes_, _Ranger_, by the
_Goths_, _Rangifer_, by the _Germans_, _Ellend_, by the _Moscovites_,
_Lozzi_, and some Books say that in _Norway_ they were named _Rehen_:
what Books he means I am ignorant, but I am sure the _Elks_, which
the _Germans_ call _Ellend_, were never called _Rehen_, but _Ælg_, or
_Ælgar_, which is now the common name through all the North; neither
can I think otherwise of the _Moscovites Lozzi_, for it is the same
with the _Lithuanian Losso_, as _Herbestenius_ observes. That which
the _Lithuanians_ call _Loss_, the _Germans_ call _Ellend_, and many
in Latin _Alce_. So that _Loss_, _Lozzi_, _Ælg_, _Ellend_ is the
same Beast, but quite different from the Rain-deer, contrary to what
_Scaliger_ thought. For first it excells the Rain-deers in bulk not a
little, being as high as any Horse; its horns are shorter, but above
two palms in breadth, shooting out a few, tho not many young sprouts.
His leggs are not round, but long, especially the foremost: he engages
very smartly, and his sharp hoofs enable him to encounter all Men and
Dogs that oppose. He hath a long head, and huge thick lips alwaies
hanging down; his color is not so white, but all over his body it
inclines to a dark yellow mixt with ashen: when he walks he makes no
noise with his hoofs as all Rain-deers do; whoever sees both Beasts (as
I have often) will perceive such difference, that he will wonder how
any one should mistake. There is no great breed of these in _Lapland_,
but they have them from other places, especially _Lithuania_. _Charles_
the ninth, by a public Proclamation claimed all the skins of those that
were killed for his Exchequer, as I mentioned in another place. _Olaus_
saies that they continue altogether in the South of _Lapland_, and are
taken most frequently by running them down, or hunting; in other places
they are rarely found: but it is manifest that twice a year they swim
in great Herds out of _Carelia_, over the River _Niva_, to wit, in the
Spring to go into _Carelia_, and in Autumn to return into _Russia_.
Some few Stags have bin seen in _Lapland_. _S. Rheen_ mentioning the
chief Beasts which have bin found there, reckons severall species
of four footed Beasts, as wild Rain-deers, Bears, Stags, Wolves,
Gluttons, Beavers, Otters, Martins, Squirrels; but these Stags are but
few and little, such as they call _Damacervi_, or _Platicerotes_, which
since they have nothing peculiar from those in other nations, let it
suffice that they are named. To these I may add wild Rain-deers, but
because they differ from the tame ones only in bulk, being bigger,
and in color somewhat blacker, I will likewise pass them over. _Sam.
Rheen_ after the Stags mentions Wolves, of which there is a great
number, distinguisht from those in other Countries only by their color,
something whiter, whence they are often called white Wolves: their
hair is thicker, longer and rougher. These most of all molest the
Rain-deers, which are armed against them with their horn.
I find in some Papers of _Euræus_ that the Wolves did never assault
the Rain-deer if it was bound to a stake: the reason may be because
he fears some trap when he sees the rope that binds the Raindeer:
for the Wolf is a very suspicious creature, and thinks every thing
he sees to be a snare to catch him. Besides he may suspect that men
lie hidden to kill him, whereas the Rain-deers are only bound for the
better conveniency of milking them. Nevertheless, the Wolves venture
not only on Beasts, but on Men and Women, especially those that are big
with child. Travellers are forced to go armed, particularly Women near
their time, for the Wolves take their scent and watch more greedily
for them, therefore no Woman is permitted to travel without a guide
assisting her. The next are the Gluttons, which are frequent here,
they have a round head, strong and sharp teeth, like a Wolfs, a plump
body, and feet shorter than the Otters: their skin is of a very dark
color, some of them resemble Sables, only they have softer and finer
haire; this Beast lives not altogether on Land, but many times in the
Water, like the Otter, tho much bigger and stronger: some compare it
to the Otter, but it is far greedier than he, for thence it gets its
name. For _Olaus_ tells us that it is called by the _Swedes_, _Jerff_,
by the _Germans_, _Wildfras_: but this German name doth not denote the
Beast to eat much, but to devour what it finds in the Woods, for _wild_
signifies any thing in the Woods; wherefore either _Scaliger_ did not
understand the word, or else the Printer did not follow his copy: which
appears more plainely, from that the _Gulo_ doth not only infest wild
Beasts, but tame (as hath bin often known in _Swedland_) and Water
creatures too, being it self accustomed to the Waters.
There are abundance of Beavers in _Lapland_, because the Nation abounds
with plenty of Fish, whence they have store of food: _Olaus_ thinks
that the plenty of them proceeds from the quietness of the Waters,
which are never troubled with Ships, as the _Rhine_ and _Danow_ are. I
add nothing of these because they are not distinguish’d from the vulgar
sort, neither are the Otters. Next to these _Sam. Rheen_ speaks of the
Foxes, as being numerous, and of severall sorts over all _Lapland_.
He reckons up, besides the common ones, those that are black, brown,
ash-colored, white; and those that are marked with a cross. The black
are most valued because they are rare: in _Moscovy_ Men of honor
and preferment have their Caps made of their skins, which are sold,
as _Herberstenius_ observes, for 10, sometimes 15 pieces of gold.
Those that are marked with a cross, _Johnston_ calls _Crucigeræ_, and
describes them thus: they have from their mouth, over their head and
back to their tail a black streak, another crossing their back, and
down to their forefeet, which two lines do resemble a cross. These
are preferred before the common red Foxes, being bigger, and having
thicker hair. The ashen-colored Foxes are those which _Johnston_ calls
_Isatidæ_, their color is mixt of ash and blew, such as is the color
of the woad, tho this color is not spread all over his body, nor is
any single hair wholly of this color, for the longest hairs are black
at the end, the shortest white, from both which this color results.
_Olaus_ calls these _Celestine_, or sky-colored Foxes, where too he
tells us that they are of less worth than the rest, and the white ones
too, because their color is so, without the tincture of any other, such
as Conies use to have. The reason is because their number is great, and
their hair not durable: but that there is such abundance of these skins
happens because the Foxes are more easily taken, not living in the
Woods, but on the naked Mountains between _Norway_ and _Swedland_.
After the Foxes the Martins are mentioned. These too are frequent in
_Lapland_, and indeed no Nation doth afford more or better skins than
this doth. But these differ too, those that have yellow on their throat
being preferred before the white: but this is observable that the
_Laplanders_ have no Martins but in the Woods, and they have also a
particular sort of meat, for they feed on Squirrels and Birds. In the
night time, saies _Olaus_, by the advantage of their sharp claws they
can easily climb any Tree, where they make a prey of the Squirrell,
who is quite as nimble, tho not so strong, and therefore can sometimes
save himself by skipping round the arm of a Tree: this the enemy cannot
imitate, especially if the Squirrell leads him up to the top branches,
otherwise he cannot escape, and leap from the top of one Tree to
another. The Martin is not injurious only to the Squirrel, but to both
small and great Birds, which he seizes on as they are at roost: if they
be the greater Birds they presently betake themselves to flight with
him sitting on their backs, and persisting to bite so long, till they
drop down dead.
Next are the Squirrels, which are incredibly numerous. These
particularly change their color every year. When Winter draws on they
turn from red to grisle, which color is valued in the skin; this color
the further the Beasts are Northwards, is the purer, and less mixt with
red, and is so too the farther the Season is from Summer, at which time
they are never hunted, but all in the Winter. Tho they do so abound,
yet they are wont to go away in such troops, till there are scarce any
left. The reason of their departure is not known: some think it is
because they fear hunger and foresee the want of meat. Others think it
is to avoid the injury of the weather. _Rheen_ and _Ol. Pet._ describe
their march on this wise. They go to the brinks of a River, where they
find the bark of Pine, or Birch trees, on which they trust themselves,
and venture to launch forth, pricking up their tailes for sailes. Thus
they are carried at the mercy of the wind till it overturns them and
their bark. Their body is of that nature that it will not sink, but
being drowned, is driven to shore, where very often great numbers are
taken up, and their skins, if they are found soon enough are as fit for
use as ever: but, tho such an accident, as this, sweeps away most of
them, yet the few that are left preserve the species, and multiply very
soon, for each Squirrel brings forth 4, 5, or more at a time. And those
are all the Beasts which _S. Rheen_ mentions.
But besides these, there are others, such as are the _Sables_ which
_Olaus Magnus_ calls _Zabelli_, their skins _Johnston_ in his History
of Animals commends. _Olaus_ saith that their skins were made use of
by the _Lapland_ Women, especially by the Brides to adorn themselves
with them; and that there is but small plenty of them in these parts.
Some make this beast like a weezel, others especially _Scaliger_ like
the Martin, and indeed he seems to be in the right both to the bulk
and shape of it. Their color the nearer it comes to black is the more
esteemed. There are found several all white, such as we have often
seen the _Muscovian_ Embassadors bring over to the King for a most
singular present. By which _Adamus Bremensis_ in his _Scandinavia_
seems to have understood white Martins. There are also Ermins which
are found only among the _Laplanders_. _Jovius_ first wrote of them
that they were good exchange for any sort of Merchandize. These Ermins
are nothing but white weezels having the end of their tails black,
_Johnston_ takes notice thereof out of _Albertus Magnus_, he calleth
the beast _Erminius_, which is the same thing with _Armelinus_ and
_Hermelinus_, differing neither in bigness nor nature from the weezel,
the color argues nothing, for he has that only in Winter, but in Summer
is of a bright yellow. It is as greedy of Mice as the Weezels are,
whence the _Sweeds_ call it _Lekat_. I am unwilling to call it with
_Scaliger_ a _Swedland_ Mouce. Among these I had rather reckon a little
sort of beast which they call _Lemmus_, which _Olaus Magnus_ saith
the Ermins feed on, _Samuel Rheen_ speaks of a sort of Mice found in
Lapland which they call Mountain Mice or _Lemblar_, which _Wormius_
describes with short tails and staring hair, and not unlike a Mouce.
I will speak little of their color, which _Olaus_ saies is various,
_Samuel Rheen_ affirms it red, who observes too that they come of a
sudden, and cover the ground with their multitude. _Olaus_ observes
that this is alwaies in stormy weather, and thinks that it rains these
creatures, but is all together in a doubt, whether they are brought
thither by the Winds, or bred in the clouds. _Wormius_ thinks plainly
that they are bred in the clouds: but the learned _Isaac Vossius_ in
his notes to _Pomponius Mela_ corrects him, and saies the reason why
these animals are supposed to fall from the Clouds is because they use
not to appear, but immediatly after rain they creep out of their holes,
either for that they are fill’d with water, or because this creature
thrives much in rain, which opinion seems most probable to me. These
creatures are very bold, never making their escape when Passengers come
by, but keep on their way, and make a noise like the barking of a dog:
they fear neither club nor sword, but if any one strike at them, they
turn again and bite. It is observable in them that they never go near
or do any mischeif in any hut, sometimes they set upon one another,
being divided as it were into two armies, this the _Laplanders_ take
to be an omen of future war in _Swedland_, and gather whence the enemy
will come, by observing whence those animals first moved that provoked
the rest. These creatures have their enemies too, first the Ermines as
I mentioned before, then the Foxes, which bring a great number of these
into their holes: hence the _Laplanders_ have no small disadvantage,
for the Foxes using this sort of food most, regard not the baits which
they lay to catch them. Thirdly the Rain-deers devour them, and lastly
the dogs which eat only the fore part of them. These creatures never
live, if they chance to eat any herb grown after they had tasted it
before: sometimes they perish otherwise, as being choaked in the
Hedges or dropping into Water. The last sort of beasts are hares, which
are esteemed for their white skin, especially in the winter, at which
time they are as white as the Foxes; they change their color every
year, alwaies turning white towards this season; for which tho many
reasons may be given, I think this is most considerable, that Nature
and Providence designed it, least when the ground was quite cover’d
with Snow, their color might easily discover them, and they being
equally oppressed by man and beast should be quite destroy’d. For which
reason too, probably some birds at that time are White. _Olaus Magnus_
testifies the same of hares, that immediatly after Autumn they begin to
grow white, and at that time are frequently taken half white and half
not, but in the midst of the Winter they are all white as before.