_Paul_, being the 25 of _Jan._ the other at _Arieplog_ on the Feast of the Purification of the B. V. _Mary_, being the 2^d of _February_, each to be held for 3 daies, at which times it shall be lawfull for the _Pithenses_ and all _Laplanders_ to exercise all sorts of traffic, and these Fairs shall first be holden the next year 1641.” From this time they began to be more diligently observed, and are kept upon those Feasts to this very day, for in all Provinces there are every Spring 3 Fairs kept; the first in _Lapmarkia Umensis_ upon the Feast of the _Epiphany_, the 2^d in _Lapmarkia Luhlensis_ on the Conversion of S. _Paul_, the last in _Lapmarkia Pithensis_, _Tornensis_, and _Kimensis_ on the Feast of the _Purification_. These are the Fairs which _Christina_ instituted, only that in _Umensis_ I beleive was observed from the time of _Charles_ the ninth, and the rather because that _Lapmark_ is nighest _Swedland_. Into _Norway_ they resort and keep Fairs twice a year, the first at Midsummer on the Feast of S. _John_, the other in the Autumn on the Feast of _Simon_ and _Jude_, or _All-Saints_ day. And so much for the times and places of their Fairs. As for their way of dealing they were of old in all their bargains very faithfull and just, tho _Damianus à Goes_ seems to note some craftiness in them, and saies they were very cunning in all their tradings. And _Sam. Rheen_ in plain terms call them cheats, and saies they were so deceitful, that one that did not know all their tricks, could hardly escape being over-reached by them. So that we may suppose that as long as others dealt fairly with them, so long they were trusty and faithfull, but in after times coming to learn how others had served them, by understanding how they had been cheated formerly, they themselves learned to deceive others. But of this we have spoken before: and these thing may serve to give us some light into their customs in trafficking. CHAP. XV. _Of the Language of the_ Laplanders.