The fourth is making boxes and chests to lay up weapons and other things in, which are all of an oval shape, of which sort Lodovicus Otto Bathoniensis gave me one. They are made of thin birch plancks, which are so contrived and bent into an Oval, that the pegs or twigs, with which they are fasten’d, are not perceiv’d. The lids are of one board, and for ornament often inlaid with Rain-deers bones in diverse figures, which for better illustration you shall see describ’d at the end of this Chapter in the cut markt with the letter C.
The fift Trade is making Baskets, in which Art no Nation can compare with them. The matter they make them off is roots of Trees, which they work not as other people do, for they make them of what bigness they please, and if occasion require, will be so accurate in their work as to interweave the roots so neat and close together, that they shall hold water like a solid vessel. Their shapes are diverse, some round with a cover and handle to carry them by, and others squares or oblongs. Not only the Laplanders and Swedes use these, but they are also for their curiosity and strength sent into farther Countries: the figure B. at the end will give a view of a round one.
Beside these the men make all manner of houshold-stuff of wood or bone; and particularly spoons, one of which I have with all its Rings and Ornaments, as you may see at figure A. I have two weaving instruments, a shuttle about two inches long or more, with an hole at one end D. and a kind of comb or small Loom in wch they weave particular wreaths and ornaments E.
They make also very neat Tobacco boxes carved with knifes in bone, with many Rings and other pretty appendages about them, all which being considered will prove this Nation not to be so dull and stupid as by some it is supposed.
They have also one Art more worth taken notice of, as ingraving flowers and several Beasts in bone, into which they cast several plates of Tin, and with these figures the men and women adorn their girdles and other things: the same way they make their molds for casting bullets. They make instruments for all emploiments, as Cookery, &c. those for hunting are usually made of bone, and others are commonly adorned with it. Zeigler mentions tubs, which are rather cups, or vessels cut out of a stump of a Tree, as traies are: and Wexionius mentions other vessels made of bark, but I forbear to speak of any more, only I shall add that they learn their art not from masters but their fathers according to their capacity.
[CHAP. XXII.]
Of the Womens Emploiments.
Having run thro the mens emploiments, the womens are next to be considered. Two trades are most peculiar to them, as doing the work of Taylors and Shoomakers, for they make and mend all the Clothes, Shoes, Boots and Gloves; and they have a third the making all those things that join the Rain-deer to the sledg, as collars, traces, &c. in order to which they learn subservient arts, as making thred, which is commonly of Rain-deers nerves, because they have no flax: of this sort I have some by me. Olaus Magnus saith ad indumentorum usum, for the making of shirts, which made Lomenius believe the women wove this thred into cloth, who I perceive in his short description of Lapland, hath very closely followed his words more then his sense. In the making of their thred, which is of about 3 ells long, the extent of the Rain-deers nerves, they first cleanse the nerves, then having cut off all the hard parts, they dry, and hatchell them, and lastly mollify them with fishes fat. Besides this they spin wool for swadling clothes, and Hares fur, with which they knit caps, as in other parts of Europe they do stockins with four knitting needles, which art the Germans call stricken. These Caps are as soft as Swans down, and extremly warm. In the same manner they make Gloves, which are very beneficiall to them in the cold. The work of their fillets is very curious, for they put in them many figures, as you may see at the end of the foregoing Chapter, at the figure I. The fourth trade is their covering thred with tin, which first they draw into wire by pulling it thro little holes in horn with their teeth, which holes they fill half up with bone, that the tin may be flat on one side, and fitter to be put on thred. The picture of a woman drawing wire you have in the next page. Then they put it upon the nerves by the help of a spindle, which doth so twist them together that they seem all tin, and when they have done, they wind it about their head or foot, least it should entangle and be spoiled. And this is their way of making thred of tin, as in other Countries of gold and silver, the chiefest use of which is in adorning their clothes after the way of Embroidery, which is the womens fifth art. Ziegler adds to this faciunt vestes intextas auro & argento, that they interweave in their clothes gold and silver, which I cannot believe, because they do not do so now, and whatever is spoke of the mettal, they weave neither linnen nor woollen, but buy it from the Bothnian or Norway Merchants: so then they do not weave this thred into their garment, but embroider them with it. Thus they adorn all their vestments, as gowns called Muddar, boots, gloves and shoes, and she that doth it neatest, is preferred before other women, and had in greater estimation. They do not immediately put this upon the fur of skins, but lists of blew, green, or red woollen cloth. Their gowns are embroidered about the neck, sleeves, breast, and sides; gloves about the tops, shoes; instep and toes; boots, about the knees; in which work they commonly picture; Stars, Flowers, Birds, Beasts, especially Rain-deers: and to make their clothes more glorious, they set them with spangles, fillets, points, and knots of this thred, and wear upon their head shreds of diverse colored cloth, the pictures of all which you have in the former Chapter, Boots F, Gloves G, Shoes H. The Rain-deers harness they embroider in the same manner.
Lastly they have nothing that appears in sight, but it is hereby made very commendable and ingenious. I have by me men and womens scrips, pin-cases, sheaths for knives, very curiously wrought. Of all which, that I might not seem to give too a large commendation of them, I have put the Pictures in the foregoing page.