Of the Permians, Samoites, and Lappes.
THE Permians and Samoites that lye from Russia
, North
and Northeast, are thought likewise to have taken their
beginning from the Tartar kinde. And it may partly
bee gessed by the fashion of their countenance, as having
all broade and flat faces as the Tartars have, except the
Chircasses. The Permians are accounted for a very
ancient people. They are nowe subject to the Russe
.
They live by hunting, and trading with their furres, as
also doeth the Samoit, that dwelleth more towardes the
North Sea. The Samoit hath his name (as the Russe
saith) of eating himselfe: as if in times past, they lived
as ye Cannibals, eating one another. Which they make
more probable, because at this time they eate all kind
of raw flesh, whatsoever it be, even the very carion that
lieth in the ditch. But as the Samoits themselves will
say, they were called Samoie, that is, of themselves, as
though they were Indigenae, or people bred upon that
very soyle, that never changed their seate from one place
to another, as most nations have done. They are subject
at this time to the Emperour of Russia.
I talked with certaine of them, and finde that they
acknowledge one God: but represent him by such things
as they have most use and good by. And therefore they
worship the Sunne, the Ollen, the Losh, and such like.
As for the story of Slata Baba, or the Golden hagge,
(which I have read in some mappes, and descriptions of
these countries, to be an idole after the forme of an olde
woman) that being demanded by the Priest, giveth them
certaine Oracles, concerning the successe, and event of
things, I found it to be a very fable. Onely in the
Province of Obdoria upon the sea side, neare to the
mouth of the great river Obba, there is a rocke, which
naturally (being somewhat helped by imagination) may
seeme to beare the shape of a ragged woman, with a
child in her armes (as the rocke by the
North Cape the
shape of a Frier) where the Obdorian Samoites use much
to resort, by reason of the commoditie of the place for
fishing: and there sometime (as their manner is) conceive,
and practise their sorceries, and ominous conjecturings
about the good or bad speede of their journeies, fishings,
huntings, and such like.
They are clad in Seale skins, with the hairie side out
wards downe as low as the knees, with their breeches
and netherstockes of the same, both men and women.
They are all blacke haired, naturally beardlesse. And
therefore the men are hardly discerned from the women
by their lookes: save that the women weare a locke of
haire downe along both their eares. They live in a
manner a wilde and savage life, roving still from one
place of the countrey to another, without any property
of house or land more to one then to another. Their
leader or directer in every companie, is their Papa or
Priest.
On the North side of Russia
next to Corelia, lieth the
countrey of Lappia, which reacheth in length from the
farthest point Northward, (towards the Northcape) to the
farthest part Southeast (which the Russe
calleth Sweetnesse or Holy nose, the English men Capegrace) about
345. verst or miles. From Sweetnesse to Candelox by
the way of Versega (which measureth the breadth of that
countrey) is 90. miles or thereabouts. The whole countrey
in a maner is either lakes, or mountaines, which towardes
the Sea side are called Tondro, because they are all of
harde and craggy rocke, but the inland partes are well
furnished with woods that growe on the hilles sides, the
lakes lying betweene. Their diet is very bare and simple.
Bread they have none, but feede onely upon fish and
foule. They are subject to the Emperor of Russia, and
the two kings of Sweden
and Denmarke: which all exact
tribute and custome of them (as was saide before) but
the Emperor of Russia beareth the greatest hand over
them, and exacteth of them farre more then the rest.
The opinion is that they were first termed Lappes of their
briefe and short speech. The Russe
divideth the whole
nation of the Lappes into two sortes. The one they call
Nowremanskoy Lapary, that is, the Norvegian Lappes
because they be of the Danish religion. For the Danes
and Norvegians they account for one people. The other
that have no religion at all but live as bruite and
heathenish people, without God in the worlde, they cal
Dikoy Lapary, or the wilde Lappes.
The whole nation is utterly unlearned, having not so
much as the use of any Alphabet, or letter among them.
For practise of witchcraft and sorcerie they passe all
nations in the worlde. Though for enchanting of ships
that saile along their coast, (as I have heard it reported)
and their giving of winds good to their friends, and
contrary to other, whom they meane to hurt by tying
of certaine knots upon a rope (somewhat like to the
tale of Æolus his windbag) is a very fable, devised (as
may seeme) by themselves, to terrifie sailers for comming
neere their coast. Their weapons are the long bow, and
handgunne, wherein they excell, aswell for quicknesse
to charge and discharge, as for neerenesse at the marke
by reason of their continual practise (whereto they are
forced) of shooting at wild fowle. Their maner is in
Sommer time to come downe in great companies to the
sea side, to Wardhuyse, Cola, Kegor, and the bay of
Vedagoba, and there to fish for Codde, Salmon, & Butfish, which they sel to the Russes, Danes, & Norvegians,
and nowe of late to the English men that trade thither
with cloth, which they exchange with the Laps & Corelians
for their fish, oyle, and furres, whereof also they have
some store. They holde their mart at
Cola on S. Peters
day: what time the captaine of Wardhuyse (that is
resiant there for the king of Denmark) must be present,
or at least send his deputie to set prices upon their stockfish, train oile, furres, and other commodities: as also
the Russe Emperors customer, or tribute taker, to receive
his custome, which is ever paide before any thing can
bee bought or solde. When their fishing is done, their
manner is to drawe their carbasses or boates on shore,
and there to leave them with the keele turned upwardes,
till the next spring tide. Their travaile to and fro is
upon sleddes drawen by the Olen Deere: which they use
to turne a grasing all the Sommer time in an Island called
Kildyn, (of a verie good soyle compared with other partes
of that Countrey) and towards the Winter time, when
the snowe beginneth to fall they fetch them home againe
for the use of their sledde.
