When they perceive any one neer death, then if there be present any well disposed persons, and versed in the Christian Religion, they exhort him in his agonies to think of God and Christ. If they are regardless of Religion, they instantly abandon the sick person, carefull only about the funeral banquet, which they begin sometimes to celebrate before the person departing is quite dead. _Steuchius_ confirms this by a Story; There was a rich _Laplander_ named _Thomas_, who when he was taken with a dangerous fitt of sickness, so as to loose all hope of recovery, he summond before him his friends and acquaintance; they when they perceived him to be desperate, they hasted to the Victuallers that keeps the Inn towards _Norway_ and _Jamptland_, and of him they bought Ale and spirit of Wine ready to sacrifice over their friend, whilst he was alive: when they had spent a whole day in quaffing, they camme to the sick mans Hut, and by that time found him quite dead. This is an example of the latest date, that hath happened in these our daies, from whence we may learn how just and reasonable the complaints were, which were premised to the Charter of _Gustavus Adolphus_, concerning the _Lapland_ School. Furthermore, it is customary if any die, of whatever distemper, all instantly forsake the Cottage where the departed person lies; for they imagine (which is elsewhere shewn) that there survives something of the deceased, such as the ancient _Latins_ called _Manes_, and that that was not alwaies benign, but sometimes hurtfull: for this reason they are afraid of the corps of the deceased. And if the person departed were of the richer sort: they wrap his corps in a linnen garment, if a poor mean man, in a woollen tattered one, so as to cover over as well the head, as all the other parts of the body, this they call _Waldmar_. So indeed do they that are more observant of the Christian rites then ordinary there; as for the others, they cover their dead with their own vestments, and those too the best they had when alive, as _N. Matthias Steuchius_ assures me by a Letter, and confirms it too by a late example that a person worthy to be credited, related to him by an Inhabitant of _Undersaok_, a near neighbour to _Lapland_. _The body of the dead_, saies he, _they cover with the best garments he had alive, and shut it up in a Biere_. They lay the corps so wrap’d up in a Coffin, or funeral Chest, which is done by one peculiarly intreated to undertake the employment, and who must receive of the nearest kinsman to the deceased person a ring of Alchimy, and wear it fastned to his right arm. The reason of so tying this ring is, because they beleive it to be a preservative against the harm the Manes of the deceased person may otherwise bring upon them, for this reason he is fain to wear this same ring till the Burial be over, I suppose, because then they think the ghost may be more quiet, which is the ancient superstition as well of _Greeks_ as _Romans_. The Coffin is usually made of the hollowed trunk of a tree, when they have not wherewithall to make a Coffin, as is common with them that dwell in the barren Mountains near _Norway_, they lay the corps of the deceased on a Carr or Sledge, which they call _Akia_, instead of a Coffin. The place of their Buriall in ancient times, before they turned Christians, was the first convenient place they met withall for that purpose, especially a Wood. As for them that dwell at a considerable distance from the Church at this day, they leave not off the custom of burying them any where where they first light, with the Sledge too, especially if there are only bare Rocks, and no Trees to be seen. Others on every side beset the Sledge with the corps too with stocks of Trees, both above and below, on each side, so as that it may not contract filthiness or moulder, nor the corps be torn in pieces, or devoured by wild Beasts.