Having spoke of those things that relate to their Meat, Drink, Cloathing, and other necessities, the subject of our next discourse will be their employments, which are either rare and more solemn, or daily and more usual: these latter too are of two sorts, either common to both Sexes, or peculiar to one. Of those that are proper to men Hunting is the cheif, for in this Countrey that exercise is lawfull to none but men: _Olaus Magnus_ is of the contrary opinion, and saies Lib. 4. Cap. 12. that there is here such a multitude of Beasts, that the men alone, without the help of women, dare not go out to hunt; and therefore they are as active in this sport, if not more than men. I beleive he had not this from any good tradition, or his own knowledg, but rather followed the authority of some ancient Writers, as _Procopius_ Lib. 2. _Gothic._ or _Tacitus de mor. Ger._ for whatsoever they say concerning the _Fenni_ and _Scritfinni_, is so far from being true of the _Laplanders_, that they do not permit women so much as to touch their hunting weapons or beasts brought home, and debar them all passage at that door thro which they go to that sport, as will be shewed hereafter. They observe in hunting many things with great superstition, as not to go out upon ominous daies, such as S^t _Marks_ (whom they call _Cantepaive_) S^t _Clements_ and S. _Catherines_, because they believe on these daies some misfortune will happen to their weapons, and that they shall have no good success all the year after. They think they cannot prosper, unless they have first consulted their Gods by their Drum, which they use before their going out, and have therefore severall beasts pictured upon it. This is chiefly before the hunting a Bear. The third observation is that they will not go out at the usual door, but at one in the backside of the house called _Posse_, I suppose it is to avoid women, the meeting of whom is an ill omen to huntsmen, and therefore they are forbidden to come on that side of the house where this door is, as _Ol. Matthias_ assured me while I was writing this, who was very well acquainted with this Country. _Zieglerus_ saies the same, tho something obscurely, that a woman is not to go thro this door that day her husband is hunting: but it is not only that day, but at no time else. All these things are by way of preparation. The hunting it self is various according to the time of year, and severall sizes of beasts. In the Summer they hunt on foot with Dogs, which are very good in these parts, not only for their scent, but that they dare set upon any thing, being still tied up to make them more fierce. In the Winter they themselves run down the game, sliding over the snow in a kind of scates, which I shall describe more fully in another place. Little beasts they chase with bow and arrows, the greater with spears and guns; tho sometimes they use other arts. That sort of beast they call _Hermelines_, they take in