trip over them with wonderful adroitness and facility. We wished to give them our assistance in drawing their nets, and by a great exertion of courage we got almost over one third of the palisade; but if one of my companions had not desisted in time, his head becoming giddy by the motion of the water under his feet, he must have dropt into the river. The children, and even the men themselves, are sometimes too confident of their agility, so that scarce a year passes without some of them falling in and being drowned, the current being too strong for a boat to be of any use to them. "The address with which Finlanders drive their stakes into the bottom of the river, at places where the current is extremely rapid, deserves like wise to be noticed, as an operation highly dangerous as well as difficult, and to which those poor people sometimes fall victims." p. 358, 359. Chap. XXVIII. In this chapter the hospitality of the clergy in this country is particularly commended, of which a particular instance is given in the person of Mr_Swamberg, head minister of Ofver Tornea, who insisted that the whole company, consisting of ten persons, should lodge at his house, where they were treated with the most unbounded hospitality. Herefrom Mr. Cartrein deter mined to return to his family, while the rest of the travellers prosecute their journey. Chap XXIX. They now proceed by water, and coming to a palisade where the people had caught in the course of the day three hundred pounds weight of salmon, they bought one of the largest, and learned for the time to eat it raw. The manner of preparing it is "to cut it in pieces tranversely, and put it in salt; when salted, it is left in a wooden dish with a little water; and after three days this raw salmon is delicious eating. It is a favourite dish with the first nobility of Stockholm, insomuch that they seldom give a fine dinner when raw salmon is not presented on the table. This kind of provision was a great resource to us during our navigation of the rivers, as we were able to preserve it a long time, and inight easily dress it; at least as often as we could find the necessary trifling ingredients." p. 372. The passage by water on this river is extremely perilous, as appears from the following account. in a small boat such a formidable "To ascend succession of cataracts, where the water is almost every where rolling down in foam, would at first sight seem impossible; but nothing is imrendered familiar to danger. Those possible to man, whom habits have Finlandish Laplanders, besides an address peculiar to themselves, have, what perhaps is of still more consequence, the most perfect coolness and apathy. They take their places, the one at the head, the other at the stern of their canoe, and with a long of the river, find their point of repole, which they thrust to the bottom sistance, and thus push the boat against the stream. made of pine, and about fifteen feet This pole is long; they are obliged to throw it with all their strength to the bottom, in order to overcome the current, which constantly impels it backwards. It is an Herculean labour; besides, it requires infinite practice to guide and manage the boat, forming, as circumstances demand, many obstacles. a sharp angle amidst a multitude of The most disagreeable, they are hospitably entertained by brand, the first volume is concluded. Here Mr. A. informs us that the separation of his companions had nearly shaken his resolution to prosecute his design; but his ambition to accomplish his end, and the ardour of the Colonel's mind, determined them to pursue their journey. Volume II. An engraved sketch of the North of Sweden, of Norway, Finland, and Lapland, describing the rout of Mr. Ascerbi's Travels to the North Cape, is prefixed to this volume. Chap. I. In this chapter we have the commencement of the author's travels in Lapland, and an account of new difficulties, particularly in journeying through a wood, where sometimes they sunk so deep in the moss they were afraid of being immersed in it up to their necks; and the passing of a tremendous cataract, where the descent is so rapid that you accomplish an English mile in the space of three or four minutes, and this is rendered more dangerous by the many rocks which lay in this passage; but they passed in safety by the skill and perseverance of an old man who was their pilot. Chap. I. The last chapter notices the departure from Rengis, arrival at Kollare, and the prosecution of the journey to Muonionisca. In their way they found a little colony of Finlanders, which seemed extremely poor, and by their particu. lar situation interested them much. Their situation is described, and the author notices that "whoever is disposed to establish himself in Lapland, has only to chuse his situation, but it must be at the distance of six miles from the bounds of the nearest village; and the moment he has built his hut, all the land for six miles round him is his own by right of possession." p. 14. In describing the country, Mr. Ascerbi says, "The traveller, who in his excursion visits this country in summer, will be enchanted at every step he takes with the Siniling aspect of those hills and Jakes, and with the variety and softness of the pictures which present themselves in succession to his eye." p. 14. Arriving at Muonionisca, the author gives the etymology of the name. Muonio is the name of the river, and isca signifies beginning; because here the river begins to assume a regular form. The place is composed. of fifteen or sixteen dwelling houses and a church. The parish is about two hundred square miles in extent. It is mentioned, to the honour of the inhabitants, that drunkenness is regarded by them as the most scandalous vice to which a man can be subject. Chap. III. relates some excursions made by the travellers around Muonionisca, and the collection of some subjects in natural history. Chap. IV. relates their departure from Muonionisca, and their stop.. ping at a settlement or colony called Pallajoveniö, at a small distance from the little river of Pallojohi, and which is the boundary of Lapland towards Torneä. In passing on to Lappajervi, our travellers halted upon a mountain from whence they took a view of the country, and give us the following account of the food of the rein-deer. "The country around offered a scene very uncommon, and to us quite new. The moss on which the rein-deer feeds covers the whole ground, which is flat, and only skirted by hills at some distance; but these hills are also clothed with this moss. The colour of the moss is a pale yel low, which, when dry, changes to white: the regularity of its shape, and the uniform manner in which the surface of the ground is decked with it, appears very singular and striking: it has the semblance of a beautiful carpet. These plants grow in a shape nearly octagonal, and approaching to a circle; and as they closely join. each other, they form a kind of Mosaic work, or embroidery. The white appearance of the country, which thence arises, may for a moment make you imagine that the ground is covered with snow; but the idea of a winter scene is done away by the view of little thickets in full green, which you perceive scattered here and there, and still more by the presence of the sun, and the warmth of his rays. As this moss is very dry, nothing can possibly be more pleasant to walk upon, nor can there be any thing softer to serve as a bed. Its cleanness and whiteness is tempting to the sight, and when we had put up our tent, we found ourselves in every respect very comfortably lodged. I had many times before met with this moss, but in no place had I found it so rich. It was the only produce here, which nature seemed to favour and support: no other herb was growing near it, nor any other vegetable on the spot, except a few birch trees, with their underwood, and some firs, dispersed on the hill by the river side. All these seemed to vegetate with difficulty, as if deprived of their nourishment by the moss, and appeared withering and stunted. Some trees, indeed, which grew very near the water, had the appearance of being in a flourishing state, perhaps owing to the moisture they derived from the river: but, in short, this moss appeared to be the royal plant, which ruled absolute over the vegetable kingdom of the country, and distributed its bounty and inAuence amongst a particular race of men and animals." p. 33, 34. "We arrived at Lappajervi in the evening, and our boatmen were glad to take some rest after their wearisome voyage. When we arrived on the borders of the lake, we fell in with two Lapland fishermen, who had returned from their day's fishing, and were preparing to pass the night there. We were guided to the spot where they were by a large column of smoke, which mounted into the air. On approaching them we found that they had besmeared their faces with tar, and covered their heads and shoulders with a cloth to protect them from the musquetoes. One of them was smoking tobacco, and the other was securing the fish they had taken from the depredations of the insects. (This is described by an engraving) Their meagre and squalid looks discovered evident signs of wretchedness. They were covered from head to foot by swarms of mus quetoes, from whose stings their clothing scarcely shielded them. They were melting with heat, yet they durst not throw off their covering, much less remove from before the fire. Our arrival added millions of these flies to the myriads already there, as their numbers were continually increasing in our passage thither. It was impossible to stand a moment still; every instant we were forced to thrust our heads into the midst of the smoke, or to leap over the flames, to rid ourselves of our cruel persecutors. "We drew our boat ashore, and walked about a mile into the country to visit the families of these two Lapland fishers, who had fixed their constant babitation there. We found fires every where kept up: the pigs had their fire, the cows had theirs; there was one in the inside of the house, and another without, close to the door. The Lapland houses are not so large as those of the Finlanders. The door-way of the one we saw here was only four feet high, so that we found it necessary to stoop as we entered. We had left our tent behind us, supposing we should find accommodation to pass the night with the Laplanders, and that it would at least be equally good as that we had met with among the Finlanders; but we found ourselves disappointed: however we were forced to put up with what convenience the people could offer us; and therefore, when it was time to retire to rest, we were accommodated with rein-deer skins, laid over small birchen twigs and leaves, which were spread on the ground in a small apartment filled with smoke. We groped our way into our bed-chamber, because the smoke hindered us from seeing any light." p. 34, 35. Chap. V. The first thing we notice is the arrival of our travellers upon a little island called Kintasari, in the lake of Pallajervi, where they met with three fishermen who had erected a kind of hut with boughs of trees, and had bung up in it à quantity of fish to dry. The situation is thus noticed. "When we looked round us, we discovered nothing that resembled any country we had hitherto seen, and we seemed to be transported into a new world. The sun which shone upon us never sunk below our horizon; and we beheld almost no colour but white intermingled with green. These objects, joined to the habitation of the fishermen, the novelty of the flowers which ornamented the isle, that of the birds, which made the woods resound with their notes, all contributed to astonish our senses, that had not anticipated such extraordinary scenes," p. 38, 39. Here they staid during three days with much pleasure, and had their attention particularly engaged by a species of bird called the Sea Swallow (sterna hirundo, Lin.). "The flocks of these birds announced the return of the fishermen from their Ebour long before we saw them These birds feed on the small fishes which the fishermen cast out to them, or leave in the boats when they clear out the nets. There appeared to be an agreement and understanding betwixt the men and these birds, which depend upon the fishery for subsistence and support during this season. They came duly at the same hour in the morning, as if to inform the fishermen it was time to begin their work, and the latter needed no other regulator. The birds set off with the boats, and served the fishers as guides in the prosecution of their calling, by hovering over those parts of the lake where the fish were collected in the largest shoals. The sight of these birds is particularly keen, so that when the fishermen heard their cries, and saw them plunging into the water, they knew those were the most proper places to cast their Dets in with a probability of success; and herein they were sure not to be deceived; but, on the contrary, never failed to take the most fish where they were directed by the birds. The shermen had such an attachment to these swallows, that they expressed much uneasiness whenever we seem ed desirous to take some of them by way of specimens. The birds were become so tame and familiar that they would seize the small fish in the nets, and even in the boats, in the presence of the fishermen; and they were so nimble in their flight, that if a fish was thrown up into the air they would dart down upon it, and catch it in its descent before it reached the water. As the, fishermen appeared to be apprehensive that they would leave them if a gun was to be fired off, I made a trial of taking them by means of a hook and line. Accordingly I contrived to bury a hook in the body of a fish, and holding the other end of the string, to throw the bait at some distance from me: but this contrivance was attended with no success; for such is their keenness of sight, that they discovered the device, and though they seized the fish they would not gorge it when they found it was made fast to a string." p. 40, 41. One of the fishermen went in search of some Laplanders to conduct the travellers on their journey, and find ing two families with whom he made an engagement, Mr. Ascerbi and his companions resorted to the appointed place of meeting, where they found a "party composed of six men and a young girl. We found them seated under a birch-tree, on the branches of which they had hung up the provisions for the journey, which consisted of dry fish. They lay along the ground in different postures, surrounding a large fire, by which they roasted their fish, which for this purpose was held in cleft sticks cut from the tree which shaded them.” p. 42, 43. Anengraving accompanies the foregoing description. "The persons and dress of these Laplanders, taken altogether, were the most filthy and disagreeable that it is possible to conceive. They held the fish they were eating in their hands, and the oil that distilled from it ran down their arms, and into the sleeves of their coats, which might be scented at the distance of some yards." p. 43, 44. A memorial is here recorded of an affectionate parting with the honest Finlanders, who accompanied our travellers from Meconionisca, and who could not restrain the tear of affection at their separation. This incident, says our author, appeared to give the Laplanders a favourable opinion of us, and to excite their zeal to some exertion for our service, if it be possible to excite the least sentiment in minds so torpid as theirs. They found these Laplanders extremely lazy, and excessively fond of brandy, for which they were continually asking. Chap. VI. In this journey the travellers found the famous plant Angelica, the chief luxury of the North, and which is deemed a very great antiscorbutic. The inhabitants devour it with avidity, and Mr. Ascerbi was very fond of it, and found the beneficial effects of eating it; he says, "I am fully convinced that I owe to this plant the uninterrupted good health which I enjoyed during all the time I was in those parts: where we had nothing else for our subsistence than dried or salted fish, the dried flesh of the rein-deir, hard cheese, biscuit, and brandy; all heating and insalubrious aliments." p. 50. And adds, "My companion, who had no relish for this plant, was often troubled with pains in his stomach and with indigestion." They were so annoyed by musquetoes that it was not without the utmost difficulty they were able to swallow a morsel of victuals. "They were obliged to eat with gloves on; and at every morsel they put into their mouths they were under the necessity of drawing aside the veils that covered their faces with the greatest circumspection, for fear of the insects entering along with their refreshments. In spite of all their precautions the musquetoes were sometimes swallowed together with their viands. In order to be quit of so disgusting a sauce, they were compelled at each morsel they put into their mouths to draw near the fire and thrust their heads into the rising column of smoke.” p.51. In noticing the manners of these people the author gives us a description of their "supper, which consisted of various fish cut into pieces and boiled in a pot, together with some dried fat of the rein-deer, and a little meal the whole formed a curious kind of mess. While the pot was still on the fire, all the Laplanders sat around it, each with a spoon in his hand, for the purpose of tasting when the soup was ready: when sufficiently boiled, they began to partake out of the same mess altogether. When any one had taken as much as satisfied him, he fell asleep; and when he awoke, he immediately began to eat again while others slept; then these would awake and again eat, while the former elapsed into his slumber; and thus they alternately eat and slept till they were satisfied with the one, and incapable of taking more of the other. There did not appear to be any kind of rule or order among these people; no begin ning of any thing, and no end. Their only regulator and guide seemed to be appetite and instinct." p. 53. Mr. Ascerbi never saw any evidences of regard to the Supreme Be. ing, or any kind of religion among the Laplanders. They supposed that he and his companions were persons of some consequence sent by government to spy out their situation, and find out their wealth; they were in consequence of their suspicions very jealous of them, and represented themselves as very poor. The author says, "They look upon rulers and commissaries in no other light than that of robbers, who like to live in ease and luxury at the expence of others, without taking the trouble, like themselves, of following the rein deer, or even being at the pains either of fishing or hunting." p. 55. Chap. VII. This chapter, which brings our travellers to Kautokeino, is chiefly occupied in contrasting the filth and indolence of the Laplanders against the opposite qualities which they had observed as characteristics of the Fins. Chap. VIII. Describes the situa-. tion of Kautokeino, which till the arrival of our travellers was considered as wholly insulated in the summer season, and inaccessible to travellers. The surrounding district is described in the Danish book of geography as a country consisting of mountains separated from each other by dangerous and impassable morasses: a description of the difference of the mode of life between the wandering Laplanders and those who had fixed habitations; their departure from this place, and embarkation on the river Alten, which affords them very beautiful scenery. Chap. IX. The travellers pursue their route by water, and over mountains, on some of which they find snow in the midst of summer, and have to pass through a wood in which they lose their way, and return to the very spot where they entered it; at last they reach the habitation of a Norwegian merchant, which alone composed the village, so much longed for, of Alten. Chap. X. Here Mr. Ascerbi and his companion have a view of the Frozen Ocean, which penetrates far into the land, and forms a considerable gulf. This highly gratified them, to find they had so nearly accomplished their design; but were better pleased with the hospitality and plenty they found at the merchant's house. Upon enquiry they learned they were now thirteen Norwegian miles, that is, above a hundred miles English, from the North Cape, and that it was impossible to go thither by land, as this peninsula was described to be one continuation of mountains intersected by lakes and morasses, which would intercept our progress at every step; it was therefore determined we should go by sea. They proceeded on this voyage in an open four-oared boat, well furnish |
