Smyrna times., 1857-06-10
About the Firms.
What BayQrd Taylor Says Of Them.

bayard Iaylor, writing from La pland, under
date OF the 2lth of January, says:
Shall employ my time this morning in COM
munlcatlng to you what few particulars con-
cernlng the Flnns have been able to collect.
and for which | am mostly indebted to Mr..
Wolley, whose acquaintance with the Ian ouAge
ana residence OF three years in Lapland have
made hun perfectly familiar with the race. AS
remarked once before, they are a more pic
turesque people than the Swedes, with STRONGER
lights aud shades Ofcharacter more ardent tenn
peraments, and more deeply rooted national
feeling.
They seem 10 be rather cIannish and exclu.
sive, IN fact, dlshklng both Swedes and Rus
Slams, and rarely ntermarrying with them.-
Inc sharply-dehned boundaries uflangua re and
race, at the head Of the Bnhnian Gulf, are
striking evidence of this. Like their distant
relatives, the hungarian Magyars, they retain
many distinct traces Ofthelr remote ASA .ic ori-
GIN. 1t is partly owing to this fact, and partly
TO That Curious approach of extremes winch we
observe IN Nature no less than in Humanity,
That all suggestive traits Of resemblance in these
regions point to the Orient rather than 10 En-
rope.
| have already described the physical charac-
tcrstIcs Of The Fmns, and have nothing to add
except that find the same type everywhere,
even among the mlxed-booded Quans of kau-
tokelno-hIgh cheekbones, square, strong laws,
iull yet firm IIps low, broad torchelds, dark ewes
and halr, aud Il deeper, warmer red On the
cheeks than on those Of the ROSY Swedes The
averaged height Is Derha ps not quite equal 10
that OF the latter race, but in physical vigor |
can see no lnttrIortY, and there are among
them many men Of splendid statue, strength aud
proportion. Won Buch ascrbes the marked DIFF
Tor nj -, l. -
LapIs, both living under precisely the same in-
tuence OF climate, to the more cleanly habits of
the former, aud their constant use of the vapor
bath; but have always found that blood and
descent, even where the variation frCm the
primitive stock is but sllghr, are more potent
than climate or custom. J ne Fmns have been
so long Christlanlzed and civilized (according
to the European idea OF clvilIzatIon,) that what
ever pucelar characteristics they retain must
be looked for mainly in those habits which H.
iustrate their mental and moral natures. In
their domestic life, they correspond in most
PARTICULARS to the SWcdcS of the same class.
They are passionate, and therefore prone to
eXcess-Imaglnatlve,a and therefore, owing to
their scanty education, superstitIous. TAus the
religious element, especially the fantastic ab-
CREATIONS thereof engendered by LIstadius and
other missionaries, while it has tended greatly
to repress the vice, has IN the same proportion
increased the weakness. Drunkenness. for
merly so prevalent as to be the great cur OF
LapIand, Is now exceedingly rare, and so are
the crimes for winch drunkt nncss is responsible
The most fragrant case which has occurred in
tins nelghborhOod for some years past, was that
OF u woman who attempted TO poison her tathcr-
ln-laW by mixing the scraplngs OF Iucler match
cs with his coffee, in order 20 get rid of the bur-
den OF supporting him.
Although the evidence was very convincing,
the matter was hushed up, IN order to avoid u
scandal upon the Church, the woman being a
stcadtast member. In regard TO drunkenness, |
have heard 1t stated that, while il vas formerly
no unusual thlug for a Finn to be frozen to
death while IN this condition, the same calas-
trophc never betell Lapp, owing to his me-
chauIcal habit OF keeping his arms and feet in
motIon--a habit which he preserves even while
utterly stupefed and unconscious.
a singular spiritual epidemic ran through
Polar Finland three or four years ago, colem-
porary with the religious excitement IN Norwe-
gan Lapland, land partly accustomed by the same
reckless men. 1t consisted Of soObngs, strong
nervous convuslons, and occasional attacks Oi
| that state of scmI-cOnsCIousness called trance,
! the subjects of which were looked upon as hav-
ing been possessed by the Spirit, aud trans
ported to the otter world, where visions, like
| tho of John on Patmos, were revealed to
/ them. The missionaries instead Ct represslng
| this unhealthy deluslOn, rather encouraged II,
and even went so far as to publish, as super
! natural revelations, the sensuess rawlings o
these poor, deluded people.
The epidemic spread until there was scarcely
family some member of which was net affec.
ted by t,and even yet it has not wholly subsidcd
! The fit would come upon the infected persons
at any time, 10 matter where they were, or how
employed. 1t usually commenced by con-
vusive catching Of the breath, which increased
ia violence, accompanied by sobbug ald some
times by cries or groans until the victim was
either exhausted or fell into a trance which
lasted some hours The persons who we're af
! fCcted were always treated with the greatest
respect during the attack; no one venlured tC
smile, no matter how absurd form the visitation
M ght take. The principle Of abstlcnce from
strong drinks was promulgated about the same
time, and much ef the present temperance o
the Firms and Lapps is undoubtedly owing Il
the impression made upon their natures by these
phenomena.
So far as regards their moral character, the
Firms have as little Cause for reproach as any
other people. We find them universally
Northern Swedes, who are not surpassed in the
world, in this respect. Yet their cOuntenance'
express more cunning aud reserve, and the vir'
tue may be partly negative one, resulting from
that incidence which charlcierlzes the Frigit
and the Tori zones. Thus also notwithsland
ing physical signs which denote more arden
animal passion than their nelghbors, they az,
equally chaste, aud have as high standard o
sexual purity. lllegtimate births are quite
rare, and are looked upon rs lasting shame
and disgrace to both parties. The practice 0
:. .bundling" which, until recently was very com
fhon among Finnish lovers, very seldom led t.
such results, and their marriage speedily re
moved the dlshonor. Their manners, socially
, in this respect, are curiously contradictory
Thus, while both sexes freely mingle in The bath
in state of nature, while the woman nhhes
tatingly scrub. rub and dry their husbands, brc
Ethers or male friends, while the salutation 10