The Land of the Long Night

VARIABLE WEATHER.--SNOWY DAYS.--AN UNINHABITED HOUSE OF REFUGE.--ANIMALS CHANGING THE COLOR OF THEIR FUR.--MIKEL TELLS ME ABOUT A BEAR.--KILLING THE BEAR.--HURRYING ON OVER SOFT...

PREPARATIONS FOR CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN.--DECIDE TO TAKE THE TRAIL TO THE ULF FJORD.--HOUSES OF REFUGE.--A SERIES OF TERRIFIC WINDSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS.--L...

Soon after we stopped at one of these farms. A trench about fifteen feet deep had been made, leading to the door of the dwelling-house. Here lived friends of my driver. I alight...

LEAVE NORDKYN.--FRANTIC EFFORTS OF THE REINDEER TO KEEP THEIR FOOTING ON THE ICE.--THE BEAR'S NIGHT.--FOXES AND ERMINES.--WEIRD CRIES OF FOXES.--BUILDING SNOW HOUSES.--SHOOTING-...

When we awoke in the morning it was 40 degrees below zero in the tent and 48 degrees below outside. I felt like washing my face and my hands, but melted snow was sure to turn in...

The next day after our conversation about reindeer Pehr Wasara said to me: "We are going to move away our camp and take our reindeer to a new pasture," an expression that struck...

After the reappearance of the sun I came to a region where the Lapps among whom I lived were in great fear of wolves, for three packs of them had made their appearance in the fo...

SAIL ON THE ARCTIC OCEAN.--THE BRIG _RAGNILD_.--ÆGIR AND RAN, THE GOD AND GODDESS OF THE SEA.--THE NINE DAUGHTERS OF ÆGIR AND RAN.--GREAT STORMS.--COMPELLED TO HEAVE TO.

A SEA LAPP HAMLET.--STRANGE HOUSES.--THEIR INTERIORS.--SUMMER DRESS OF THE SEA LAPPS.--PRIMITIVE WOODEN CART.--ANIMALS EAT RAW FISH.--I SLEEP IN A SEA LAPP'S HOUSE.--THEY TELL M...

SNOW LAND.--A GREAT SNOWSTORM.--FEARFUL ROADS.--SNOW-PLOUGHS.--LOSING THE WAY.--INTELLIGENCE OF THE HORSES.--UPSET IN THE SNOW.--DIFFICULTY OF RIGHTING OURSELVES.--PERSPIRING AT...

DEPARTURE FOR THE FISHING BANKS.--GREAT NUMBER OF BOATS.--MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND OARS FALL INTO THE WATER AT THE SAME TIME.--QUANTITIES OF BUOYS AND GLASS BALLS.--A NOTABLE CAT...

THE LAPP HAMLET OF KAUTOKEINO.--A BATH IN A BIG IRON POT.--AN ARCTIC WAY OF WASHING CLOTHES.--DRESS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE LAPPS.--APPEARANCE AND HEIGHT OF THE LAPPS.--GIVIJÄRVI.-...

ON THE WAY TO "THE LAND OF THE LONG NIGHT."--HOMESICK.--TEMPTED TO RETURN.--GIRLS AND BOYS SAY "NO; GO ON, GO ON, PAUL."--DECIDE TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY.--WINTER COMING ON.--DON...

In the morning Joseff, the owner of the farm, said to me: "Paulus, before you go further on your journey you must learn to go on skees; otherwise you will not be able to travel,...

On our return we tied our reindeer securely and went to a small house where the harness was kept. There I saw along the walls many collars, leather straps, and traces, but no bi...

I left Haparanda in the beginning of January, surrounded by the friends who had taken such an interest in me. The atmosphere was clear, and not a cloud was to be seen in the pal...

A GREAT VIKING SEA FIGHT.--SVEIN KING OF DENMARK, OLAF KING OF SWEDEN, ERIK JARL OF NORWAY, AGAINST KING OLAF TRYGGVASSON OF NORWAY.--THEY LIE IN AMBUSH.--MAGNIFICENT SHIPS.--TH...

A DANGEROUS DESCENT.--HOW TO DESCEND THE MOUNTAINS.--THE MOST PERILOUS PORTION OF THE JOURNEY.--EXHAUSTION OF THE REINDEER.--ALL SAFE AT THE BOTTOM.--ARRIVAL AT THE SHORE OF THE...

The following day a great snowstorm swept over the land, and during that time the Lapps were much in fear that prowling wolves would get into the midst of their herds and that w...

GREAT SKILL OF THE LAPPS WITH THEIR SKEES.--LEAPING OVER WIDE GULLIES AND RIVERS.--PRODIGIOUS LENGTH OF THEIR LEAPS.--ACCURACY OF THEIR COASTING.--I START THEM BY WAVING THE AME...

WE ENTER A BIRCH FOREST.--THE REINDEER ARE SOON FAGGED.--SLEEP ON THE SNOW.--THE RAYS OF THE SUN MELT THROUGH THE SNOW.--GREAT DIFFICULTY IN TRAVELLING.--MEET HERDS OF REINDEER....

I had hardly arrived in Haparanda, when the leading people of the place came to welcome me. I was not unknown to several of them, on account of some of my books which have been...

A DARK NIGHT AT SEA.--WAKE OF THE _RAGNILD_.--THOUSANDS OF PHOSPHORESCENT LIGHTS.--A LIGHT AHEAD.--AN ARCTIC FAIR.--A FISHING SETTLEMENT.--HOW THE COD ARE CURED.--FISH AND FERTI...

for quite a while, the woman watching it, taking off the pot when it was about to boil over, and then putting it over the fire again. The third woman was attending to the cups a...

WE ENCOUNTER MORE WOLVES.--MY GUIDE KILLS TWO WITH HIS BLUDGEON.--A VISITING TRIP WITH A LAPP FAMILY.--EXTRAORDINARY SPEED OF REINDEER.--WE STRIKE A BOULDER.--LAKE GIVIJÄRVI.--E...

After leaving this hamlet where I had such an odd bath, I came to a farm where I saw sleighs the like of which I had never seen before. To many of these were harnessed reindeer...

THE SNOW GETTING DEEPER.--LAPP HOSPITALITY.--A LAPP REPAST.--COFFEE AND TOBACCO LAPP STAPLES.--BABIES IN STRANGE CRADLES.--HOW THE TENTS ARE MADE.--GOING TO SLEEP WITH THE MERCU...

AMONG THE FISHERMEN.--THEIR LODGINGS AND HOW THEY LOOK.--WHAT THEY HAVE TO EAT.--AN EVENING OF TALK ABOUT COD, SALMON, AND HERRING.--THE IMMENSE NUMBER OF FISH.--A SNORING MATCH.

Since I had heard of the Bear's Night, I wanted to know more about these animals and their habits. After our supper, I said to Jakob, "Talk about bears to me--tell me about them...

PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE THE ARCTIC COAST.--GREAT DANGER OF ENCOUNTERING MELTING SNOW, OR RIVERS MADE DANGEROUS BY THE ICE BREAKING.--REINDEER COME.--FAREWELL TO THE SEA LAPPS.--I...

On leaving Karasjok I travelled northward, over the frozen Karasjoki, until I came to a broad stream called the Tana. As we drove on the river I saw here and there solitary farm...

SAILING ALONG THE COAST OF FINMARKEN.--HAMMERFEST, THE MOST NORTHERN TOWN IN THE WORLD.--SCHOOLS.--FRUHOLMEN, THE MOST NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE IN THE WORLD.--AMONG THE SEA LAPPS.--M...

A few miles further on I came to a little hamlet composed of a few farms. The inhabitants were all Finlanders. Travelling was so bad, on account of the big drifts of snow, that...

The day I left Pajala I saw the sun at noon; it was hardly above the horizon; it had barely risen and shown itself when it was sunset and it disappeared under the horizon.

WHAT THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IS.--DESCRIPTION OF THE PHENOMENON OF THE LONG NIGHT.--REASONS FOR ITS EXISTENCE.--THE ECLIPTIC AND THE EQUINOXES.--LENGTH OF THE LONG NIGHT AT DIFFERENT...

That same evening (it has to be called so for the sake of distinction) I stood out on the brow of the hill, looking at the fjord and Arctic Ocean. Suddenly Alaska came to my min...

I watched the horizon every day towards noon, hoping to see the sun, for the light was getting brighter and brighter. The glow of the hidden sun was so great at noon that it loo...