then take the bath together, that I might become mote familiar
with the manners and cuftoms o f the natives. T he ftones in the
fmall apartments o f the bath were accordingly heated, and a young
girl o f eighteen years o f age, who had the office o f attending, informed
us when every thing was ready. After we entered the
bath, the girl firft ftripped us naked, and then began to throw
water as ufual upon the ftones. She prefented us with a baibn
o f cold water, and birch rods, with which we were to Twitch our-
felves. Feeling as a ftranger, I was quite out1 o f countenance at
my prefcnt fituation, but ftrove to keep up my fpirits by con-
ftantly turning- my eyes towards my companion, and endeavouring
to imitate, as much as poffible, his moft exemplary indifference.
T he heat o f the vapour role to fifty degrees o f Celfius:
at firft I felt a violent oppreflion, and had it quickly augmented,
I believe, naked as I w7as, I ihould have made my efcape from the
bath ; but fencing m y fe lf to petievere, I became gradually accuf-
tomed to it, and after fome time was able to fupport a heat o f
05 degrees. Under this heat it was an extreme pleafure to throw
water upon the head, and to fedl it running1 all over the body.
The birchen rods were garnilhed with leaves, and by dipping them
in the baibn o f cold water, and aftcrwards'daftiing the body, one
enjoys nearly the famfe fe’nfation. HiViflgbeeri abdCft'half-’aWhOUr
in the bath, my friend Caftrein,'as I declined being thefirfttofUb-
mit to all the ufual difeiplirie o f the place", entered upon the prdcefs
without delay, in order that I might fee how I ought to conduct
myfelf in my turn. The girl gave him a little ftool to fit upon,
threw
threw cold water upon his head, fqueezed his hair, and with foap and
water wafhed his whole body, and rubbed him down to the girdle.
She then went to his feet, and rubbed his legs completely, particularly
his ankles, and the tendon achillis. Meanwhile I was extremely
attentive, and almoft ftupified at the whole operation:
but what aftonifhed me moft: was the perfeft apathy with which
the minifter, endured this long and ftimulating procefs. W h en it
came to be my turn toTubmit, I found myfelf in a ftate o f extreme
embarraffment— and at laft I was . very glad to get on my clothes,
and walk out:of the ¡bath. A t quitting it,; we, made a; pr,efent of
fome halfpence; to ¡the g ir l: this,is a very ancient cuftom, to which
every individual invariably conforms, and is-.obferved-.eyemby a
mafter towards- ,hisr;ferva«nt, as,, in the prefent jnftance. .. This
prefent has.a particular appellation in the language; of, Finland,
namely fauna raha.
Before we take our leave o f Kemi, it is proper I ihould give
fome account o f our botanical excurfions. t VIr. Caftiein is an excellent
botanift,)¡though he follows this purfuit more as an aniuic-
ment than a branch o f ftudyy I t is to him that theTcienee is indebted
for the difcpver-y o f a famous plant, viz. cypripedium bul-
kofum, which was firft. feen by Rudbeck, in the. year f 685, but
had, neyer, been found, fincc by any botanift, not, even by the great
Linnaeus, who; pafled this way in July,-and confequently a month
after it had been in flower. This, plant ikulks among the underwood
and fir-trees, which furround the.church o f Kemi. It mo-
deftly eludes the prying eyes; o f the paflenger, and loves the tem-
X x 2 perate