List of Illustrations
| "Your friend, Paul Du Chaillu." | [Frontispiece] |
| FACING PAGE | |
| "On the road were many snow-ploughs at work levelling the snow." | [8] |
| "The husband suddenly disappeared through the trap-door and soon came back with potatoes and a big piece of bacon." | [20] |
| "The boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through." | [24] |
| "It was, indeed, a fearful wind storm." | [40] |
| "Paulus, try again!" | [54] |
| "The man had to use all his strength." | [64] |
| "I was shot out of the sleigh." | [68] |
| "At noon I saw the sun's lower rim touching the horizon." | [72] |
| "What a strange abode these nomadic Lapps have!" | [80] |
| "I went outside the tent with my host." | [92] |
| "They were really working hard for their living." | [104] |
| "The Lapp passed him like a flash and gave him a terrible blow." | [124] |
| "It was a fight for life!" | [128] |
| "Suddenly I saw them fly through the air." | [132] |
| "I advanced cautiously." | [160] |
| "The mist was so thick that I could not see ahead." | [172] |
| "We remained seated on the ground, back to back." | [180] |
| "Once in a while I gave a look towards the ugly precipice." | [184] |
| "I am clad in the garb of a fisherman." | [190] |
| "I saw a big towering wave rolling towards the stern of the ship." | [194] |
| "It is hard work to haul in the nets." | [212] |
| "We sailed towards North Cape." | [228] |
| "He sat on his haunches and looked at us, uttering a tremendous growl." | [262] |
The
Land of the Long Night
CHAPTER I
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 Warmer Clothing.—From Stockholm North.
AT the time when this narrative begins I was travelling on the highroad that skirts the southern coast of Sweden, then turns northward and follows the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. I had reached that part of the highway overlooking the narrow part of the Sound which separates Sweden from Denmark, and had just left the pretty little city of Helsingborg, and was looking at the hundreds of vessels and steamers which were moving towards the Baltic or coming out of that sea. It was a most beautiful sight.
I intended to follow the road as far north as it went, and enter "The Land of the Long Night" when the sun was below the horizon for many weeks. I had plenty of time to spare, for it was the beginning of October.
On that day my horse was trotting at the usual gait of post-horses, going at the rate of six or seven miles an hour. He knew every stone, ditch, bridge, and house on the road, for many and many a time the dear old animal had made this journey to and fro, often twice each way in a day. He had been a post-horse for over twelve years.