In the year
J7Q2 The prefident Vefvrotti, with Mr. Outiverou, fecretary
o f legation to the Spanilh embafly.
Mr. Lifton, minifter from England at the court o f Sweden.
John Scheller, a German, who has publiihed his travels.
] 7Q6 L e Duc de Chartres (now Duke o f Orleans), with Mr.
Montjoye, incog, under the names o f Muller and Fro-
berg.
1 7 QQ Mr. Bernardo Bellotti, from Brefcia ; Jolèph Acerbi, from
Caftelgoffredo ; Colonel Skioldebrand, from Stockholm %
Mr. Julin o f Uleâborg,
Mr. Clark, with Mr. Cripps, two Englilhmen.
Mr. Swamberg, fecretary o f the academy o f fciençes at
Stockholm, fent to verify Maupertuis’s meafurement o f
a degree.
Linnaeus of courfe came to Torneâ in his travels through L ap land,
but I do not exaétly remember the year. See Iter Lappon.
Some o f thole perfons penetrated as far north as Jukasjervi,
and a few o f them went even beyond it. It has been the common
praétice for travellers to purfue the direâion o f north-weft,
as it has always been fuppofed, that to fteer due north is im-
poflible. In the church o f Jukasjervi there is a book, in which,
in imitation o f Regnard who firft came to this place, they have
had the ambition to write their names, and to ihew their talents
as men o f wit. As it is a collection which Ihews the genius o f
the men, and o f no great length, I thought I Ihould not dilpleale
the reader by laying it before him.
No. I.
“ Gallia nos genuit, vidit nos Africa, Gangem
“ Haulimus, Europamque oculis luftravimus omnem,
“ Cafibus et variis acti terraque marique
“ Siftimus hie tandem, nobis ubi defuit orbis.
“ Des Fefcourt, de Corberou, Regnard, at Jukasjervi,
18th Auguft, 1681.”
Every body knows Regnard and his dramatic performances.
He was the firft Frenchman who took it into his head to travel fo
far to the north; and he was fo enchanted with his fuccefs, that
he fancied he had reached the end o f the world, though he might
have continued his journey two hundred miles farther in the fame
direftion, without having a right to employ the laft line o f his
infcription. I f we could believe him, he met with a French
blackfmith in Lapland, who told him, that in his whole life he
had feen but one traveller in that country, and that was an Italian.
Upon his return to France he publiihed his travels through L ap land,
full o f untruths and exaggeration, written rather to amufe
than inftrua, though the book made much noife at the time.' He
fays, for example, “ Tha t he met blackfmiths in Lapland, who
I had the ikin o f their hands fo hardened and callous, that they
“ could hold melted lead for fome time in the hollow o f the
“ hand.” He alfo tells you, “ That the eagles carry up into the
“ air the young rein-deer, and that the petits gris and ermines hang
“ themfelves on a tree in autumn, to prevent their dying o f hun-
“ ger in winter, &c.