It is a practice here with some persons who have the headache, from excessive drinking or any other cause, to hold their foreheads before the fire till they smart violently. Others apply to the temples young shoots of spruce fir bruised.
Half a mile from the church I gathered
the Cirsium minus (Serratula alpina), the Cacalia (Tussilago frigida), the latter not in flower, and one kind of Botsko of the Laplanders, called Biœrnstut in Westbothnia (Angelica sylvestris), which is the narrow-leaved species of Angelica, and resembles the larger kind. Its general umbel is destitute of an involucrum. My Lapland companion seized it immediately, and peeling the stalk, which had not yet flowered, ate it like a turnip, as a great delicacy. Indeed it tasted not unpleasantly, especially the upper part, which is the most tender. This dainty is in great request amongst the Laplanders.
We arrived at length at Purkijau, a small island, the northern side of which is planted with forests of spruce fir, and the others with woods of birch, by way of protection to the corn. The colonist who resides here informed me that the corn never suffered from cold, as, besides the shelter afforded by these plantations, the circumjacent water moderated the degree of frost. The
situation of this island is pleasant. I found in some bushy parts of it the Sceptrum Carolinum, and another species of Pedicularis, with narrow leaves and a tuft of purple flowers (this seems to have been P. sylvatica only).
The river Karax, where is a pearl fishery, runs not far from hence. On its banks I remarked the Sceptrum Carolinum, which became very common as I advanced further on my journey.
Another mile brought us to the lake of Randiau; on approaching which we saw nothing before us but lofty mountains of an oblong obtuse form, lifting their summits one above another, and on the most distant of these snow was to be seen, though half melted away like snow in the spring.
[55] I have known one instance of such bigotry, or rather hypocrisy, out of Lapland.
July 1.
Parkajaur, the first lake I reached after leaving the place where I slept, is a short mile in length. At its opposite shore rises the lofty peaked mountain of Achiekoivi,