This day, which was Sunday, paffed in mirth and feiHvity.
The infpedor, to ihew the great amiability o f his charade'r, gave
us a Swedilh fong and a toaft to each glafs o f punch, and it was
in vain to decline filling a bumper. A t midnight we quitted this
tent to obferve, on a more elevated ground, the height o f the fun
as ufual; but on this occafion the company was by no means
unanimous; not as to the fun s elevation alone, one perion maintaining
he faw two, and others, equally confident and inebriated,
that they faw no fewer than four. Inltead, however, o f difcuf-
fing the merits o f the queilion with intemperate warmth, though
held to be a matter, o f ferious importance, we conduded our-
lelves with more prudence than the learned perhaps might have
done on a lubjed o f leis magnitude; for we reiolved to go to
ileep, and adjourn the fubverjion o f the planetary fyltem till the
next morning. In ihort, on the night following, at the fame hour,
we were pcrfcdly agreed both as to the height and number o f Jims.
I f Sunday had paffed in all the pleafures o f convivial enjoyment,
Monday, the period fixed for our departure, was fo much
the more fad and melancholy. Three o f our friends took leave
o f u s : Mr. Bellotti, Mr. Juhn, and Dr. Deutich would not, and
indeed, for particular reafons, could not, expofe themfelves to the
dangers o f our expedition, and chofe to return to Tornea and
Uleaborg. Our plan o f travels received fuch a fevere ihock by
their departure, as nothing but the moil determined refalution
could refill. Friendihip and the infeffion o f example made us
hefitate for fome time as to the propriety o f perilling in our enterprife;
terprife; but our pride could not digeil the humiliating idea o f
returning to Uleaborg, to the great diverfion o f our friends, who
would never have done rallying us on the lubjeil, or of boalling
o f their lage counfels, and the truth o f their predictions. Colonel
Skibldebrand, with his fervant, remained alone with me : his pur-
pofe continued unlhaken, for his ardour was not inferior to my
own. He would not be difcouraged by any difficulties in pur-
filing the objedl he had propofed to himfelf; and I was no leis
decided as to the execution o f my projedl.' I mull confefs that
the idea o f being the firil Italian that had ever reached the moll
northern point o f Europe, was a very powerful incentive to my
exertions.
Before quitting Kengis, I ihall make a few geographical remarks
on the river Tornea, and endeavour to give, in ibme degree, a
clear idea o f the nature and courfe o f that river, concerning which
there is much confufion and error in all the maps, and even in
the Swedilh accounts themfelves.
The river Tornea proceeds from a lake called Tornea Tra lk, as
its fource. This lake is fituated among the mountains which fe-
parate Norwegian from Swedilh Lapland. From that lake the
river alfo takes its name. It paffes in its courfe near Kengis,
w’here it forms two cataradls, nearly forty feet high. It then approaches
the town o f Upper Tornea, twills round the little illand
o f Swenfar, on which the town o f Tornea is fituated, and laff o f
all it makes the illand o f Bjorkon, on which Hands the church o f
Lower Tornea. About a mile below Kengis, the waters o f the ;