h
];
4i
to protect their cattle, and not to go far from home
without fire-arms. In the winter this piece of information
would have been somewhat alarming to
a person who was on the point of penetrating the
mountains, but during the summer, when the wolves
are rarely pressed with hunger, and as rarely show
themselves, there ivas little cause for alarm. I
was not sorry, however, to have escaped an interview
with them under any circumstances.
Having, as I have said, passed one or two
pleasant hours of sleep at the cottage of my hostess,
to Avhich [ returned from my interview with these'
Laplanders, I arose soon after two o’clock the
following morning, and mounted my horse, accompanied
by my servant and the guide. The weather
still continued provokingly unfavourable for such
an e.xpedition, and it rained almost without ceasing
the whole day.
Our route was up the ascent of a mountain,
through an almost interminable forest of birch-trees,
healthy and vigorous enough near the foot, but
which, as Ave approached the summit, presented a
scene of destruction which I was little prepared to
expect. Many of the trees Avere torn up by the
roots, others were stripped of their branches, and
many were completely rent through the stems as
if split by lightning; these were evidently the
effects of a destructive and desolating hurricane.
In proceeding through this forest, we found the
ground so saturated with rain, that the horses were
repeatedly above their knees in the bogs, through
which Ave had to wade, and it Avas Avith some difficulty
that we could prevail on them to proceed.
Besides the bogs, the poor animals had also to
wade through several streams that crossed the path
frequently up to their bellies in water. In many
places snoAV was lying to a great depth, but by
passing along the outside edges of each patch, and
thus making circuits, w'e aA'oided the risk of
crossing it, and of falling, probably, into some concealed
chasm ; but as the outer edges of the snoAV
Avere invariably a complete swamp, we gained little
more than safety by making the détour.
In the early part of our ride Ave passed three or
four of the sæters, or pasture-grounds, in the mountains,
where the cows are taken to graze for tAvo or
three months during the summer, and placed under
the charge of the young girls of the family, who
are employed in making butter and cheese during
that period. None of these sseters were occupied
at present, but the guide told me they AA'Ould all
be so in the course of a fortnight. The grass at
these places was exceedingly luxuriant. Our guide
pointed out one of the sheds where a poor felloAV
w'as found frozen to death during the last winter.
I t Avas supposed that he had gone in there to rest
himself and, being over-fatigued, had fallen asleep,
and thus lost his life. Nothing, indeed, can be more
miserable than these temporary abodes are, both
as to their construction of loose stones, and their
lit..