trary, and the boat-men were, after a while, exhausted with rowing. Meantime I amused myself in examining various petrifactions, zoophytes, and submarine plants of the Fucus tribe, which occupied every part of the coast. In the evening I arrived at the house of Mr. Rask, the pastor of Torfjorden, who gave me a kind reception.
Next day we proceeded further on our voyage; but the contrary wind exhausted our patience, and we veered about, soon reaching the place from whence we had first set out, the wind being directly in our favour for that purpose.
On the following morning I climbed one of the neighbouring mountains, with the intention of measuring its height. While I was reposing in perfect tranquillity on the side of the hill, busied only in loosening a stone which I wanted to examine, I heard the report of a gun at a small distance below. I was however too far off to receive any hurt, so, thanks to
Providence, I escaped, but my alarm may be easily imagined. Perceiving the man who had fired the gun, I pursued him to a considerable distance, in order to prevent his charging his piece a second time, and I determined never to go there again without some protection. I inquired who it could be that had made this unprovoked attack, but I found it impossible to gain any information on the subject.
On the 15th of July[16] we set out on our return, and that whole day was employed in climbing the mountains again, to our no small fatigue and exhaustion, the ground we had to pass over being so extremely steep as well as lofty. When we reached the cold snowy mountains, indeed, we had sufficient opportunity to cool ourselves.
From hence we turned our course towards the alps of Tornea, which were de
scribed to me as about forty miles distant. What I endured in the course of this journey is hardly to be described. How many weary steps was I obliged to set to climb the precipices that came in my way, and how excessive were my perspiration and fatigue! Nor were these the worst evils we had to encounter before we reached Caituma. Sometimes we were enveloped with clouds, so that we could not see before us; sometimes rivers impeded our progress, and obliged us either to choose a very circuitous path, or to wade naked through the cold snow water. This fresh snow water however proved a most welcome and salutary refreshment, for without it we should never have been able to encounter the excessive heat of the weather. Water was our only drink during this journey, but it never proved so refreshing as when we sucked it out of the melting snow. Having nearly reached the Lapland village of Caituma, the inhabitants of which
seemed perfectly wild, running away from their huts as soon as they perceived us approaching, from a considerable distance, I began to be tired of advancing further up into this inhospitable country. We had not at this time tasted bread for several days, the stock we had brought with us being entirely exhausted. The rich milk of the reindeer was too luscious to be eaten without bread, and the ordinary or second-rate cheese occasioned such a degree of costiveness as I could no longer endure. I determined therefore to return towards Quickjock, which was forty miles from this spot. In the course of my journey thither, walking rather carelessly over the snow, without noticing a hole which the water had made, I fell through the icy crust into the deep snow. The interpreter and guide were totally unable to assist me, the cavity in which I lay being very steep, and so hollowed out by the water that it surrounded me like a wall. It was not in
their power to reach me without a rope, which they luckily were able to procure to drag me out of the hole. I had received a blow on my thigh in the fall, the effects of which I felt for a month afterwards. One of my guides had met with a similar accident but a week before.
At length we arrived at Quickjock, after having been four weeks without tasting bread. Those who have not experienced the want of this essential support of life, can scarcely imagine how hard it is to be deprived of it so long, even with a superfluity of all other kinds of food. I remained four days at Quickjock to recruit my strength, and afterwards descended the river again to Lulea. There being no boat to be had north of Purkijaur, we were obliged to construct a raft for ourselves. Our voyage was very perilous, for the wind and current both combined to overset us, so that it was not without the greatest exertion we saved ourselves, and it being night, nobody heard our cries for assistance.