Part 5

It is only in winter the clothes of the Laplanders have any sort of lining, except that these people generally wear, next the stomach, the skin of a young reindeer fawn. The sleeves of their coats are not fixed to the jacket, or body of the garment. The part which covers the shoulder folds over the top of the sleeve, in the shape of a wedge. A seam reaches the whole length of the jacket, from top to bottom, on each side, the jacket becoming gradually wider, downward. It reaches as low as the middle of the leg. The collar is for the most part blue, stitched with white thread.

The reindeer are not slaughtered in the same manner as cattle usually are either at Stockholm or in Smoland. The animal being secured with a halter, the Laplander takes his spear and sticks it into the thorax behind the shoulder, so as to pierce the heart. By this means the blood collects in the cavity of the thorax, none of it appearing externally. After the skin is flayed off, the blood is found coagulated in the thorax, from whence it is extracted, and bruised into a soft mass. With this the poorer sort of people make a kind of soup, by boiling along with it the brains of the animal, which the rich do not eat. The testicles are never eaten by any sort of people. The _penis_ serves to make a thong to draw the sledges.

Such of the Laplanders as inhabit the forests go to the alps at midsummer and return about St. Laurence's day (August 10th); and the mountain Laplanders descend into the lower country between the first of November and Christmas, and go back again about Lady-day.

All kinds of clothing made of skins are sewed with sinews of animals, as before described; but those of walmal cloth, with hempen thread purchased from the neighbouring countries.

_July 28._

To-day I found the _Pseudo-helleborine_; (possibly _Cypripedium Calceolus_, not before mentioned in this journal.)

All the little rills and rivulets hereabouts produced a _Potamogeton_, which I was doubtful whether to distinguish from the common kind, as it varies excessively in appearance, but the leaves are more grassy. (_P. gramineum_, as appears from the _Flora Lapponica_, yet nothing can be less like the "common kind," if by the latter be meant the _natans_, which, with the _perfoliatum_ and _gramineum_, compose the catalogue of species in _Fl. Lapp._)

Hereabouts grew the _Juncus_ with three seeds (_capsules_) at the top of the stem, which also I observed to be sometimes reflexed. (_J. triglumis_; see _Fl. Lapp._ ed. 2. 90.)

Several days ago the forests had been set on fire by lightning, and the flames raged at this time with great violence, owing to the drought of the season. In many different places, perhaps in nine or ten that came under my notice, the devastation extended several miles' distance. I traversed a space three quarters of a mile in extent which was entirely burnt, so that Flora, instead of appearing in her gay and verdant attire, was in deep sable, a spectacle more abhorrent to my feelings than to see her clad in the white livery of winter, for this, though it destroys the herbage, leaves the roots in safety, which the fire does not. The fire was nearly extinguished in most of the spots we visited, except in ant-hills, and dry trunks of trees. After we had travelled about half a quarter of a mile across one of these scenes of desolation, the wind began to blow with rather more force than it had done, upon which a sudden noise arose in the half-burnt forest, such as I can only compare to what may be imagined among a large army attacked by an enemy. We knew not whither to turn our steps. The smoke would not suffer us to remain where we were, nor durst we turn back. It seemed best to hasten forward, in hopes of speedily reaching the outskirts of the wood; but in this we were disappointed. We ran as fast as we could, in order to avoid being crushed by the falling trees, some of which threatened us every minute. Sometimes the fall of a huge trunk was so sudden, that we stood aghast, not knowing whither to turn to escape destruction, and throwing ourselves entirely on the protection of Providence. In one instance a large tree fell exactly between me and my guide, who walked not more than a fathom from me, but, thanks to God! we both escaped in safety. We were not a little rejoiced when this perilous adventure terminated, for we had felt all the while like a couple of outlaws, in momentary fear of surprise.

I have long ago related my sufferings from gnats in the course of my Lapland expedition. In this place I was still more incommoded by some very small flies, about a line in length and very narrow. Their breast was of a blueish grey. Front of the head whitish, with black eyes. Wings pellucid. Body greyish, oblong and narrow. A white scale was placed on each side at the insertion of the wings. The legs were black, with a white joint in the middle of each, the base being speckled. The hind part of the shoulders was whitish. _Antennæ_ simple, minute, parallel, and pointing right forward. The wings lay one over the other so as to resemble a single one, notched at the extremity, when the insect was at rest. Each of us was beset by a whole legion of these flies towards sun-set. What rendered them peculiarly troublesome was their manner of running over the face, and flying into the nose, mouth and eyes. When they were approaching in order to inflict their bite, they were not to be driven away by our blowing ever so hard. The Laplanders call these insects _Mockere_, alluding to the smallness of their head; the Swedes _Knott_. (_Culex reptans._ Linnæus mentions in the _Fauna Suecica_ the extremely tiresome noise made by these gnats in their approach.) They covered our linen so as to render it quite black. It was to no purpose to attempt to drive them away. (See _v._ 1. 208.)

I visited the Laxholms, islands so called from the salmon fishery. Here the Common Salmon (_Salmo Salar_, named _Lax_ by the Swedes,) is found with the under jaw occasionally hooked, which variety is termed _Kroklax_, or Hooked Salmon. I inquired whether this hooked kind was esteemed a distinct species, or whether a difference arising from age; to both which questions I was answered in the negative. I was shown fish of the smallest size, which had in proportion as large a hook to the lower jaw as the largest. Bonge has therefore fallen into an error in his dissertation upon salmon. (_Daniel Bonge_, _Dissertatio de Salmonum naturâ_, _corumque apud Ostrobothnienses piscatione_, _Upsal._ 1730. 4to. under the presidency of Professor Roberg, with wooden cuts.) I inquired whether the hooked salmon were furnished with roe or with milt. I was answered that they had always milt. On opening seven of them I found this verified, whereas four salmon which were not hooked had all of them roes. The hooked (or male) salmon is so called, because the point of its lower jaw is bent inward, and has a taper form, resembling a finger; while on the contrary the upper is furnished with a cavity to receive that point, embracing it like a sheath, for about half its length. The female fish has a more obtuse lower jaw, but not less inflexed, there being only a very slight furrow in the upper one; so that the two sexes may be distinguished from each other by these marks from the earliest age.

Those who fish for salmon come to this place about a fortnight before midsummer, and remain till St. Bartholomew's day, August 24th, as during that space of time the salmon keep ascending the river. After the day last mentioned none of the fishermen remain. Few of the fish escape being taken, so as to return down the river. At Michaelmas the fishermen come here again, when they catch a smaller sort of salmon.

This day I observed the harvest beginning. The corn now cutting, though sown but a few days before midsummer, was nevertheless quite ripe. The lent rye was not yet ripe enough to be cut, but the winter rye ripens some time before the other corn. Thus it appears that corn (barley) springs up and ripens at this place in the space of sixty days.

In my walks I gathered the berries of the Strawberry-leaved Bramble (_Rubus arcticus_), which proved delicious. They have somewhat of the flavour of Blackberries (_Rubus fruticosus_), but are more agreeable. This fruit does not separate from its calyx like other specie of its genus. It is a compound berry, in size and structure somewhat between what the Smolanders call _Kodden_ (_Rubus saxatilis_), and Raspberries (_R. idæus_). Its colour is a brownish crimson.

The (_Pedicularis_) _Sceptrum Carolinum_ is perennial, with scales, not a fibrous tuft or beard, at the root[7]. The stem is round, not quadrangular. Calyx five-cleft[8]. Lower lip regular, divided into three equal segments.

_Pedicularis_ with a purple head (_Bartsia alpina._ _Linn. Sp. Pl._ 839. _Engl. Bot. t._ 361. _Euphrasia._ _Fl. Lapp. n._ 246.) shows an affinity to the _Crista Galli_ (_Rhinanthus_) in its calyx, which is divided into four equal acute segments. The fruit is ovate and acute, compressed at the point. Lower lip straight. All the other _Pediculares_, except _Sceptrum Carolinum_, have an oblique fruit.

Here and there grew specimens of Heath (_Erica vulgaris_) with tufted branches, looking like a pruned spruce fir, and very beautiful.

The water of the river now began to decrease, in consequence of which it became clearer, and it was more difficult to catch any fish.

Scarcely any species of _Carex_ was to be found this season but what had some degree of smut or _ustilago_ about its spikes, consisting of little globular black bodies, changing to dust.

_July 29._

Tanning of leather is thus performed by the Laplanders.

The scaly cuticle of the birch being first stripped off, the bark is then scraped from the tree and boiled fresh in water, for about as long a time as is requisite to boil fish; being afterwards set by to cool, to a certain degree, that it may not injure the hide by being too hot. The latter, having previously been scalded, by dipping into luke-warm water, is then soaked in the decoction of bark, and the vessel containing it sunk into a hole dug in the ground, at the extremity of the hut. The hide is taken out every day, and softened in luke-warm water, till the hair becomes loose, when it is scraped off by such a knife as tanners use. The skin is then replaced in the tan when cool, without any previous drying, till the third day after the hair comes off, when it is hung up to dry in the shade. When the leather is but half dry, they often cut it up for shoes, which are always made by the women, without any last. The thread used for the purpose is that made of tendons.

Some persons never scald the hide, but scrape off the hair with a knife, soak it a little in water, and then plunge it into the tan.

Near Swartlär I noticed a mineral spring, but whatever may be its qualities, nobody has yet made any inquiries concerning them.

The river Lulea divides into two branches, not far above the bounds of Lapmark and Westbothnia, one of which is called the little river Lulea, whose origin is among the mountains towards Hyttan, the other Stor Lulea, running from the alps in Nörbattra.

_July 30._

On examining the cultivated Hop (_Humulus Lupulus_), I found the structure of the female as follows. Calyx consisting of an universal involucrum of four leaves, and a partial one, likewise of four ovate leaves, containing eight florets, each of which has an ovate spatha, of a very large size with respect to the rudiments of the fruit. Petals none. Pistils two, horn-like. Stigmas acute. Seed-vessel none, the base of the spatha enclosing the seed, which is solitary.

The shore of the river Lulea produced, in excessive abundance, the Water Sedum (_Tillæa aquatica_); likewise the Aquatic Dwarf Plantain (_Limosella aquatica_). The Spiked Water-grass, with a bent stem, here grew above other plants, twisting its leaves round them, like a sort of bindweed. (_Alopecurus geniculatus_ [beta]. _Sp. Pl._ 89. See _Fl. Lapp. n._ 38.)

The Water Sedum (_Tillæa aquatica_) proved no less plentiful by the sides of the roads.

In the river I gathered an herb, which I was doubtful whether to refer to _Stellaria_ (_Callitriche_), to _Potamogeton_, or to the _Aponogeton_ of Pontedera. (This appears to have been the latter, _Zannichellia palustris_.)

I reached the old town of Lulea in the evening.

It rained and thundered violently during the whole night.

_July 31._

This day I had intended to prosecute my journey towards Tornea, but a heavy rain, with tremendous thunder and lightning, confined me entirely to the house.

The wife of the principal clergyman of Lulea, on whose accuracy I have the greatest possible dependance, assured me that she had, at the posthouse of Biorsiö, in the parish of Torp, in Medelpad, seen large quantities of the Yellow Aconite (_Aconitum lycoctonum_; see vol. 1. 36), collected and boiled for the use of the table, like cabbage. This astonished her very much, as she knew it to be used in Jemtland to poison flies. When she expressed her apprehensions about eating of this herb, the maid-servant laughed at her, telling her it was much too good to be so slighted.

Hares are always hunted in this part of the country, and the dogs are trained not to bark. If they offend in this respect they are sure of a beating.

_August 1._

I found some Truffles (_Lycoperdon Tuber_) between Heden and Swartlä.

Near the road grew _Glaux_ (_maritima_), as well as the Narrow-leaved Sea Plantain (_Plantago maritima_), and Small-leaved _Angelica_ (_A. sylvestris_). On a bank I observed _Triticum maritimum_. (This last is thought by Dr. Afzelius to be _Elymus arenarius_. See _Fl. Lapp. ed._ 2 _n._ 34.)

Here various plants, which I had found blossoming at Um[oe]a, were now laden with fruit, as the _Mesomora_ (_Cornus suecica_), _Vaccinia_ (Whortle-berries), _Chamæmorus_ (_Rubus Chamæmorus_, Cloud-berry), and _Chamærubus_ (_R. saxatilis_, Stone Bramble), all which vied with each other in the profusion of their berries. But little Ling (_Erica_) was to be seen.

The hills are but trifling. Rising grounds, which had partly been burnt, were covered with Spruce firs, and even with Reindeer-moss (_Lichen rangiferinus_).

Towards evening I arrived at Tornea. The weather was fine.

Near Grotnäs, situated opposite to the church of Calix, is a ferry to convey passengers to this church, adjoining to which the inhabitants of Lulea and Tornea keep a fair.

The river produces abundance of Flote-grass, which at this time bore its spikes or heads of flowers. I had long been acquainted with the plant, it being very abundant in this country as well as in Smoland, and had wondered what species it could be; especially as I never heard of any botanist who had met with the fructification. It is a _Sparganium_, whose leaves are very long, reaching a fathom or two, according to the depth of the water, and floating on its surface. They are convex at their back, except in the lower part, which is flat on both sides. (This plant named _Flotagræs_, or Flote-grass, in Linnæus's native country of Smoland, is the _Sparganium_ _n._ 345* of _Fl. Lapp._, in the second edition of which work I have called it _S. natans_, on his own authority in the _Flora Suecica_ and _Species Plantarum_; but in _English Botany,_ _v._ 4. 273, and _Fl. Brit._ 962, this error is corrected, so far at least as concerns the original Lapland specimen, which is unquestionably _S. simplex_, _Engl. Bot._ _v._ 11. _t._ 745, a species he did not, in his works, distinguish from our common _S. ramosum_, _t._ 744. I am now persuaded he confounded this _simplex_ with the _natans_ in his Lapland tour, as well as in his herbarium, where the original specimens of the two are pinned together.)

_August._ 2

They dry their corn upon drying sheds as is practised in Smoland. The cross piece is turned towards the south, but the method here differs from that of the Smolanders in one respect. The latter place one sheaf on the top of another, but the inhabitants of Westbothnia lay the sheaves cross-wise, in an alternate order, each thinking their own method the best for procuring the most complete ventilation. In this country fifteen sheaves are lodged under each shed, without supporters; but in Smoland twelve only, ten of which are in the main pile and two at the sides. The Smolanders therefore are able to reach high enough to place their uppermost sheaves by hand, but the inhabitants of Westbothnia find it necessary to be provided with what they term a _Skyllkrok_, or Rick-hook, consisting of a round pole, with a transverse projecting piece of wood, (like a direction-post in England, as appears by the sketch in the manuscript,) by means of which each sheaf is lifted up.

On a heath very near the river Sangis I noticed some earth of a red colour. The dry part of the forest which had been burnt down, produced Reindeer-moss (_Lichen rangiferinus_) in such abundance, that the whole face of the ground was covered with it.

The evening was fine when I reached Zangis (or Sangis), where I took leave of my native tongue.

_August 3._

At sun-rise the marshes were all white with hoar frost. In the preceding night winter had paid his first visit, and slept in the lap of the lovely Flora. I did not observe that she had suffered from her rude visitor, except with regard to the _Dracontium_ (_Calla palustris_), the leaves of which assumed a pallid aspect. The plants latest in bloom at this place, are _Erica_ (_vulgaris_), the Red-flowered Persicaria (_Polygonum Persicaria_), and _Hieracium præmorsum_ (_Leontodon autumnale_, _Sp. Pl._ 1123. _Hedypnois autumnalis_, _Fl. Brit._ 826. _Engl. Bot. t._ 830.)

On leaving Sangis, I left my mother-tongue behind me. At Saris I met with native Finlanders only, whose language was unintelligible to me.

Here grew the _Masarooth_ (_Selinum palustre_) with a proliferous umbel.

The mouse-traps used here are made like those for catching squirrels; which I have already described.

Between Zeivis (perhaps Saris) and Tornea are three ferries to pass. In my way I noticed a new species of _Stellaria_ (_Callitriche_), of a small size, not leafy at the top, erect, not creeping like the _S. minor_; (see _Fl. Lapp. n._ 2. _var._ [gamma].) It had the appearance of _Potamogeton graminifolium_ (_gramineum_). (What particular state or appearance of the _Callitriche_ this might be, does not appear, nor is it mentioned in _Fl. Lapp._)

I reached Tornea by three o'clock.

TORNEA.

_August 4._

A reindeer may be driven in a carriage twelve (Swedish) miles in a day, or, at the utmost, fifteen; but the animal is generally killed immediately afterwards with the Laplanders' spears, and eaten.

The Laplanders are perhaps so called from the (Swedish) word _lappa_, to sew or patch together, because their garments usually answer to that description.

The degree of cold is certainly greater on the alps than in less elevated regions; for instance, it is colder in Jamtland than at Tornea, though the former lies about one hundred miles further south. Thus it appears that the cause of the severity of the cold does not depend so much on the approach towards the pole, as on the elevation of the ground, which ought to be carefully observed. Hence the plants of the north of Lapland are such only as are capable of resisting the most severe and long-continued cold, and hence snow lies on the alps of Italy.

Alpine plants are, for the most part, perennial, except the Little Blue Centaury (_Gentiana nivalis_), and perhaps the Single-flowered _Lychnis_ (_apetala_). I wish botanists would endeavour to discover and make known any new kinds of pulse or grain, especially such as are of a hardy constitution, and not likely to suffer from the severity of winter. Some are perhaps to be found among the grasses. It is necessary to ascertain what degree of northern latitude they would bear, and whether they are capable of growing within the frigid zone. It is worthy of inquiry in what respects the Alps, properly so called (of Switzerland,) agree with ours of Lapland, as well as how far, and by what means, they are susceptible of culture. The descriptions that have been given of them may be consulted. The Greenland alps would also be worth examining, to see how far these different countries agree in their native plants, in varieties of situation, and in plenty of soil, compared with the proportion of rocks or large stones. Do they all agree in the diminutive stature of their plants?

The tranquil existence of the Laplanders answers to Ovid's description of the golden age, and to the pastoral state as depicted by Virgil. It recalls the remembrance of the patriarchal life, and the poetical descriptions of the Elysian fields.

So many Finlanders crowded about me, that I scarcely knew what to do. They were all blear-eyed to such a degree as to be nearly blind. Many of them were perfectly deprived of sight, and ninety-nine out of a hundred that were so had their eyes shut. It seems in vain to prescribe any remedy for this evil, so long as its cause is every where so prevalent. This consists in their smoky dwellings. If I had the management of these Finlanders, I would tie them up to the wall and give them fifteen pair of lashes apiece till they made chimneys to their huts, especially as they have such plenty of fire-wood. This improvement in the comfort of their dwellings might surely be accomplished by the authority of the chief magistrate, for I have not been able to learn any sufficient reason for their adherence to their old way of building. If people thirty or forty years of age are thus afflicted, what must become of them by the time they are seventy?

The Finlander's scythe is represented in the annexed figure.

The handle is rather above two feet in length, straight for about the space of a foot from the part where the blade is bound on. Afterwards it is slightly curved outwards, and then again, towards the apex, in some degree inwards so as to make a straight line with the base. The top is thicker than any other part. The blade of the scythe is, like that used in our country, about a foot and a half long, and an inch and half broad, very slightly curved. Its back is, like that of our scythes, thickened on one side. The mower takes hold of the top with his left hand, so that the back of the scythe is uppermost, but grasps with his right the part where the above-described curvature ends, so as to be able to give the edge a turn upwards. As he moves forward, he mows first on the right, and then on the left, only turning his hands, and not lifting the scythe, but merely presenting each side of its blade alternately to the ground.

On the south-west side of the town, across a small bay, lies a mineral spring. The water is not ill-tasted. Indeed this is one of the best mineral waters I have met with in the north; but it lies very low, appearing to derive its origin from a stream that runs above, so that its water comes out soiled, as it were, from the earth, and is covered with scum.

_August 5._