IX.

CHAP. growing among the rocks. As soon as the boatmen had forced a passage above this cataract, and we returned to take our station on board, the extraordinary scene exhibited baffled all power of verbal description; and even painting would give but an imperfect idea of it. Its formality was not less striking than its great magnificence. Let the Reader imagine himself at the extremity of an area whose form is that of a Greek stadium, two English miles in length, and a quarter of a mile wide; the ground of this area occupied by the most rapid and pellucid river, flowing placidly towards him; all the lower parts of the immense coilon, for the seats, covered with wild roses, weeping birch, downy willows, aspens, alders, &c.; all the upper parts, with high-towering pines, standing in tiers one above another, and, at a distance, seeming like crowded rows of spectators in this vast natural amphitheatre. To add to the splendour of the scene, the sun, reflected in dazzling brightness

by the water, was shining in all its glory. Before Tugurium we entered the boat, we found by the water-side of the Lap the first genuine tugurium of the Laplanders we

landers.

In that glad season, from the lakes and floods,
Where pure Lapponia's fairy mountains rise,
And, fring'd with roses,Torneå rolls his stream,
They draw the copious fry."

Thomson.e

IX.

had yet seen. It was something like the sort CHAP. of dwelling constructed by our Gipsies'; only, the materials being of greater magnitude, gave rather a bolder feature to its appearance. It consisted of the stems of trees, placed together in a conical form, like a stack of poles for hops, standing close to a sheltering bank; beneath which the trunks of two large trees, lying crosswise, had served at once as a fire-place and as a part of the fuel. Over the sloping poles they spread a cloth of their own manufacture; and for a carpet, cover the earth with the boughs of evergreen firs. Afterwards, during our progress, we saw several of these sheds, and they were all alike. Two boats passed us, descending the river, with iron ore. Presently we landed again, to walk, while the boats were dragged up the cataract, called Lappea by the Finns, and Utmoiks-koski by the Swedes. This cataract was probably the old boundary of Torneå Lapmark.

'

(1) “ As the Asiatic origin of the Gipsies is now ascertained, there may possibly be some connexion between their history and that of the Laplanders; since the two languages have, in common, some traces of the antient Persian. The language of the Gipsies is the Hindoostanee. In their manner of life there is little difference; they exercise many of the same employments for the people in whose countries they are found; and both have the same vagrant habits.

(2) The wigwams of the Cree or Knisteneaux Indians, in Hudson's Bay, are exactly of the same form, and constructed precisely in the

same manner.

CHAP. Here the Muonio River falls into the Torneå;

IX.

and they begin their united course with that clamour and agitation which very generally characterizes their progress towards the Gulph of

CHAP. X.

FROM THE MOUTH OF THE MUONIO RIVER,
TO ITS SOURCE,

TWO DEGREES AND A HALF BEYOND THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

Appearance of the Torneå and Muonio, at their confluence -Iron-Works of Kängis-Nature of the Ore-Ofverfors-Growth of Barley-Cleanliness of the PeopleMosquitos-Dearth of Provisions-Trap-Kolare Island -News of a rich bed of Iron Ore-Fires kindled by the Natives-Insects Huukis-Rapids-Jalo-koskiKihlangi-Diet of the Natives-Parkajoansuu-Midnight Sun-Muonion Alusta-Principal Cataract of the Muonio Muonioniska - The party adopt the practice of tarring their bodies-Account of a Lapland PriestVisit to the Tugurium of a wild Laplander-Description of its appearance - Inmates Savage propensity for

Spirituous

X.

Appear

Torneå

& Muonio,

Aluence.

Spirituous Liquors -Lapland Song — Comparison between the Nomade and Agricultural Tribes-Wild Laplander's Dairy-Rein-Deer-Return to MuonioniskaDeparture-Plants-View from Kätkessuando-Boundary of Torneå Lapmark-Sångamutka - Poloiens * Mode of taking Birds' Eggs -Kuttanen-Mistaken notions of Lapland - River Birds - Kaaresuando→→ Appearance of the Muonio towards its source-Scandinavia insulated-Enontekis.

CHAP. WE crossed a neck of land lying between the Cataract of Lappea and that part of Torneå which here bears off westward towards its source in the Norwegian Alps, that we might ascend a hill for ance of the the purpose of viewing to more advantage the confluence of the two rivers. This hill, not more than at their con- 300 paces from its base to its summit, had been mentioned to us as a mountain proper for this purpose. The gradual rise of the country, the whole way from the mouth of the Torneå, soon causes it to be considerably elevated above the level of the sea'; but such appearances as may properly be termed mountains are very rare in Lapland: hence it might be proper to speak rather of the heights than of the mountains of Lapland; those heights being for the most part all that Linnæus

(1) The height of the country at the confluence of the two rivers, according to the barometer, is 420 English feet. See Von Buch's Travels, p. 361 (Note). Lond. 1813.