_Of the Government of Archangel._
To the west of Archangel, and within its government, lies Russian
Lapland, the third part of this country, the other two belonging to
Sweden and Denmark. This is a very large tract, occupying about eight
degrees of longitude, and extending in latitude from one polar circle to
the North Cape[7]. The natives of this country were confusedly known to
the ancients, under the name of troglodytes and northern pigmies;
appellations suitable enough to men, who, for the most part, are not
above four feet and a half high, and dwell in caverns; they are just the
same people they were at that time. They are of a tawny complexion,
though the other people of the north are white, and for the most part
very low in stature; though their neighbours, and the people of Iceland,
under the polar circle, are tall: they seem made for their mountainous
country, being nimble, squat, and robust; their skins are hard, the
better to resist the cold, their thighs and legs are slender, their feet
small, to enable them to run more nimbly amongst the rocks, with which
their province is covered. They are passionately fond of their own
country, which none but themselves can be pleased with, and are able to
live no where else. Some have affirmed, upon the credit of Olaus, that
these people were originally natives of Finland, and that they removed
into Lapland, where they diminished in stature: but why might they not
as well have made choice of lands less northerly, where the conveniences
of life were to be had in greater plenty? How comes it that they differ
so totally from their pretended ancestors in features, figure, and
complexion? Methinks we might, with as great reason, suppose that the
grass which grows in Lapland is produced from that of Denmark, and that
the fishes, peculiar to their lakes, came from those of Sweden. It is
most likely that the Laplanders are, like their animals, the produce of
their own country, and that nature has made the one for the other.
Those who inhabit the frontiers of Finland, have adopted some of the
expressions of their neighbours, as happens to every people: but when
two nations give to things of common use, to objects which are
continually before their eyes, names absolutely different, it affords a
strong presumption, that one of them is not a colony from the other. The
Finlanders call a bear Karu, the Laplanders Muriet: the sun in the
Finnish language is called Auringa, in the Lapland tongue Beve. Here is
not the least analogy. The inhabitants of Finland, and Swedish Lapland,
formerly worshipped an idol whom they called Iumalac, and since the
reign of Gustavus Adolphus, to whom they are indebted for the
appellation of Lutherans, they call Jesus Christ the son of Iumalac. The
Muscovite or Russian Laplanders, are at present thought to be of the
Greek church; but those who wander about the mountains of the North
Cape, are satisfied with adoring one God under certain rude forms, as
has been the ancient custom of all the nations called Nomades, or
wandering nations.
This race of people, who are inconsiderable in numbers, have but very
few ideas, and are happy in not having more, which would only occasion
them to have new wants which they could not satisfy: at present they
live contented, and free from diseases, notwithstanding the excessive
coldness of their climate; they drink nothing but water, and attain to a
great age. The custom imputed to them of entreating strangers to lie
with their wives and daughters, which they esteem as an honour done to
them, probably arose from a notion of the superiority of strangers, and
a desire of amending, by their means, the defects of their own race.
This was a custom established amongst the virtuous Lacedemonians. A
husband would entreat a favour of a comely young man, to give him
handsome children, whom he might adopt. Jealousy, and the laws, prevent
the rest of mankind from giving their wives up to the embraces of
another; but the Laplanders have few or no laws, and are in all
probability, strangers to jealousy.