letters from high latitudes-第31部分

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；　and　an　enormous　leak　had　followed。　Becoming　water…logged；　she　was　run　ashore；　the　first　tine　at　Onundarfiord；　and　again　in　Reykjavik　roads；　whither　she　had　been　brought　with　the　greatest　difficulty。〃


LETTER　X。

BUCOLICSTHE　GOATMAID　MARIANA　LAPP　LADYLAPP　LOVE…　MAKINGTHE　SEA…HORSEMANTHE　GULF　STREAMARCTIC　CURRENTSA　DINGY　EXPEDITIONA　SCHOOL　OF　PERIPATETIC　FISHESALTENTHE　CHATELAINE　OF　KAAFIORDSTILL　NORTHWARD　HO！

July　27th；　Alten。

This　letter　ought　to　be　an　Eclogue；　so　pastoral　a　life　have　we　been　leading　lately　among　these　pleasant　Nordland　valleys。　Perhaps　it　is　only　the　unusual　sight　of　meadows；　trees　and　flowers；　after　the　barren　sea；　and　still　more　barren　lands　we　have　been　accustomed　to；　that　invests　this　neighbourhood　with　such　a　smiling　character。　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　change　has　been　too　grateful　not　to　have　made　us　seriously　reflect　on　our　condition；　and　we　have　at　last　determined　that　not　even　the　envious　ocean　shall　for　the　future　cut　us　off　from　the　pleasures　of　a　shepherd　life。　　Henceforth；　the　boatswain　is　no　longer　to　be　the　only　swain　on　board！　We　have　purchased　an　ancient　goata　nanny…goatso　we　may　be　able　to　go　a…milking　upon　occasion。　Mr。　　Webster；　late　of　her　Majesty's　Foot…guards；　carpenter；　etc。；　takes　brevet…rank　as　dairy…maid；　and　our　venerable　passenger　is　at　this　moment　being　inducted　into　a　sumptuous　barrel　＇Footnote：　The　cask　in　question　was　bought　in　order　to　be　rigged　up　eventually　into　a　crow's…nest；　as　soon　as　we　should　again　find　ourselves　among　the　ice。＇　which　I　have　had　fitted　up　for　her　reception　abaft　the　binnacle。　A　spacious　meadow　of　sweet…scented　hay　has　been　laid　down　in　a　neighbouring　corner　for　her　further　accommodation；　and　the　Doctor　is　tuning　up　his　flageolet；　in　order　to　complete　the　bucolic　character　of　the　scene。　The　only　personage　amongst　us　at　all　disconcerted　by　these　arrangements　is　the　little　white　fox　which　has　come　with　us　from　Iceland。　Whether　he　considers　the　admission　on　board　of　so　domestic　an　animal　to　be　a　reflection　on　his　own　wild　Viking　habits；　I　cannot　say；　but　there　is　no　impertinenceeven　to　the　nibbling　of　her　beard　when　she　is　asleepof　which　he　is　not　guilty　towards　the　poor　old　thing；　who　passes　the　greater　part　of　her　mornings　in　gravely　butting　at　her　irreverent　tormentor。

＇Figure：　fig…p142。gif＇

But　I　must　relate　our　last　week's　proceedings　in　a　more　orderly　manner。

As　soon　as　the　anchor　was　let　go　in　Hammerfest　harbour；　we　went　ashore；　and　having　first　ascertained　that　the　existence　of　a　post　does　not　necessarily　imply　letters；　we　turned　away；　a　little　disappointed；　to　examine　the　metropolis　of　Finmark。　A　nearer　inspection　did　not　improve　the　impression　its　first　appearance　had　made　upon　us；　and　the　odour　of　rancid　cod…liver　oil；　which　seemed　indiscriminately　to　proceed　from　every　building　in　the　town；　including　the　church；　has　irretrievably　confirmed　us　in　our　prejudices。　　Nevertheless；　henceforth　the　place　will　have　one　redeeming　association　connected　with　it；　which　I　am　bound　to　mention。　　It　was　in　the　streets　of　Hammerfest　that　I　first　set　eyes　on　a　Laplander。　Turning　round　the　corner　of　one　of　the　ill…built　houses；　we　suddenly　ran　over　a　diminutive　little　personage　in　a　white　woollen　tunic；　bordered　with　red　and　yellow　stripes；　green　trousers；　fastened　round　the　ankles；　and　reindeer　boots；　curving　up　at　the　toes　like　Turkish　slippers。　On　her　headfor　notwithstanding　the　trousers；　she　turned　out　to　be　a　ladywas　perched　a　gay　parti…coloured　cap；　fitting　close　round　the　face；　and　running　up　at　the　back　into　an　overarching　peak　of　red　cloth。　Within　this　peak　was　crammedas　I　afterwards　learnta　piece　of　hollow　wood；　weighing　about　a　quarter　of　a　pound；　into　which　is　fitted　the　wearer's　back　hair；　so　that　perhaps；　after　all；　there　does　exist　a　more　in；　convenient　coiffure　than　a　Paris　bonnet。

Hardly　had　we　taken　off　our　hats；　and　bowed　a　thousand　apologies　for　our　unintentional　rudeness　to　the　fair　inhabitant　of　the　green　trousers；　before　a　couple　of　Lapp　gentlemen　hove　in　sight。　They　were　dressed　pretty　much　like　their　companion；　except　that　an　ordinary　red　night…cap　replaced　the　queer　helmet　worn　by　the　lady；　and　the　knife　and　sporran　fastened　to　their　belts；　instead　of　being　suspended　in　front　as　hers　were；　hung　down　against　their　hips。　Their　tunics；　too；　may　have　been　a　trifle　shorter。　None　of　the　three　were　beautiful。　High　cheek…bones；　short　noses；　oblique　Mongol　eyes；　no　eyelashes；　and　enormous　mouths；　composed　a　cast　of　features　which　their　burnt…sienna　complexion；　and　hair　like　ill…got…in　hay　did　not　much　enhance。　The　expression　of　their　countenances　was　not　unintelligent；　and　there　was　a　merry；　half…timid；　half…cunning　twinkle　in　their　eyes；　which　reminded　me　a　little　of　faces　I　had　met　with　in　the　more　neglected　districts　of　Ireland。　Some　ethnologists；　indeed；　are　inclined　to　reckon　the　Laplanders　as　a　branch　of　the　Celtic　family。　Others；　again；　maintain　them　to　be　Ugrians；　while　a　few　pretend　to　discover　a　relationship　between　the　Lapp　language　and　the　dialects　of　the　Australian　savages；　and　similar　outsiders　of　the　human　family；　alleging　that　as　successive　stocks　bubbled　up　from　the　central　birthplace　of　mankind　in　Asia；　the　earlier　and　inferior　races　were　gradually　driven　outwards　in　concentric　circles；　like　the　rings　produced　by　the　throwing　of　a　stone　into　a　pond；　and　that　consequently；　those　who　dwell　in　the　uttermost　ends　of　the　earth　are；　ipso　facto；　first　cousins。

This　relationship　with　the　Polynesian　Niggers；　the　native　genealogists　would　probably　scout　with　indignation；　being　perfectly　persuaded　of　the　extreme　gentility　of　their　descent。　　Their　only　knowledge　of　the　patriarch　Noah　is　as　a　personage　who　derives　his　principal　claim　to　notoriety　from　having　been　the　first　Lapp。　Their　acquaintance　with　any　sacred　historynay；　with　Christianity　at　allis　very　limited。　It　was　not　until　after　the　thirteenth　century　that　an　attempt　was　made　to　convert　them；　and　although　Charles　the　Fourth　and　Gustavus　ordered　portions　of　Scripture　to　be　translated　in　Lappish；　to　this　very　day　a　great　proportion　of　the　race　are　pagans；　and　even　the　most　illuminated　amongst　them　remain　slaves　to　the　grossest　superstition。　　When　a　couple　is　to　be　married；　if　a　priest　happens　to　be　in　the　way；　they　will　send　for　him　perhaps　out　of　complaisance；　but　otherwise；　the　young　lady's　papa　merely　strikes　a　flint　and　steel　together；　and　the　ceremony　is　not　less　irrevocably　completed。　When　they　die；　a　hatchet　and　a　flint　and　steel　are　invariably　buried　with　the　defunct；　in　case　he　should　find　himself　chilly　on　his　long　journeyan　unnecessary　precaution；　many　of　the　orthodox　would　consider；　on　the　part　of　such　lax　religionists。　When　they　go　boar…huntingthe　most　important　business　in　their　livesit　is　a　sorcerer；　with　no　other　defence　than　his　incantations；　who　marches　at　the　head　of　the　procession。　In　the　internal　arrangements　of　their　tents；　it　is　not　a　room　to　themselves；　but　a　door　to　themselves；　that　they　assign　to　their　womankind；　for　woe　betide　the　hunter　if　a　woman　has　crossed　the　threshold　over　which　he　sallies　to　the　chase；　and　for　three　days　after　the　slaughter　of　his　prey　he　must　live　apart　from　the　female　portion　of　his　family　in　order　to　appease　the　evil　deity　whose　familiar　he　is　supposed　to　have　destroyed。　It　would　be　endless　to　recount　the　innumerable　occasions　upon　which　the　ancient　rites　of　Jumala　are　still　interpolated　among　the　Christian　observances　they　profess　to　have　adopted。

Their　manner　of　life　I　had　scarcely　any　opportunities　of　observing。　Our　Consul　kindly　undertook　to　take　us　to　one　of　their　encampments；　but　they　flit　so　often　from　place　to　place；　it　is　very　difficult　to　light　upon　them。　Here　and　there；　as　we　cruised　about　among　the　fiords；　blue　wreaths　of　smoke　rising　from　some　little　green　nook　among　the　rocks　would　betray　their　temporary　place　of　abode；　but　I　never　got　a　near　view　of　a　regular　settlement。

In　the　summer…time　they　live　in　canvas　tents：　during　winter；　when　the　snow　is　on　the　ground；　the　forest　Lapps　build　huts　in　the　branches　of　trees；　and　so　roost　like　birds。　　The　principal　tent　is　of　an　hexagonal　form；　with　a　fire　in　the　centre；　whose　smoke　rises　through　a　hole　in　the　roof。　　The　gentlemen　and　ladies　occupy　different　sides　of　the　same　apartment；　but　a　long　pole　laid　along　the　ground　midway　between　them　symbolizes　an　ideal　partition；　which　I　dare　say　is　in　the　end　as　effectual　a　defence　as　lath　and　plaster　prove　in　more　civilized　countries。　At　all　events；　the　ladies　have　a　doorway　quite　to　themselves；　which；　doubtless；　they　consider　a　far　greater　privilege　than　the　seclusion　of　a　separate　boudoir。　Hunting　and　fishing　are　the　principal　employments　of　the　Lapp　tribes；　and　to　slay　a　bear　is　the　most　honourable　exploit　a　Lapp　hero　can　achieve。　The　flesh　of　the　slaughtered　beast　becomes　the　propertynot　of　the　man　who　killed　him；　but　of　him　who　discovered　his　trail；　and　the　skin　is　hung　up　on　a　pole；　for　the　wives　of　all　who　took　part　in　the　expedition　to　shoot　at　with　their　eyes　bandaged。　Fortunate　is　she　whose　arrow　pierces　the　trophy；not　only　does　it　become　her　prize；　but；　in　the　eyes　of　the　whole　settlement；　her　husband　is　looked　upon　thence　forth　as　the　most　fortunate　of　men。　As　long　as　the　chase　is　going　on；　the　women