CHAPTER II.
A fmall Colony of Finlanders between Kollare and Muonionifca—■
Charming Country around that Colony— Rules of Colonization 6b-
ferved in Lapland— The Village o f Muonionifca— The Parfon of
the Parifh— The Inhabitants of this DiftriSl: their Manners and
Mode of Life.
T T coil us two days and two nights to accomplilh thefe fixty-
-*■ fix miles ; and before recommencing our laborious travels, we
flopped at a fmall cottage, where we found a little colony of F inlanders
which feemed- extremely poor, and by their particular
fituation interefted us very much.
The colony confiiled of two families only, who lived altogether
in the fame cottage, and amounted to ieven perlons, including
two women and a young child. The fituation of this little community
made a powerful impreffion upon our minds. T h e fur-
rounding country is delightful; a number of fmall wooded iflands
ferve to embellifh the courfe of the river, which here occupies a
broader channel, and glides on with a more placid cu rren t: the
oppofite banks are adorned with trees and verdure. Nature feem-
ed to fmile all around this folitary manfion, while peace and good
humour reigned within its humble walls. This little community,
nity, cut off and infulated from all fociety for five months in the
year, have neither priefl nor temple. They are feparated from
Muonionifca by the many obflruclions which we have defcribed
in the former chapter, and from Kengis by a journey of three or
four days, going and returning, the whole of the way of which is
rendered difficult by cataracts of a moil painful and laborious
afcent. Thefe people, accuflomed to live in the moil per feci foli-
tude, having feldom an opportunity of feeing thofe who refide
nearefl to them, were aflonifhed when we made our appearance.
The natives of Kollare diilike to encounter the cataradls, and con-
fequently fubmit to the fatigue of afcending the current of the
river, only when they have fome fpecial reafon, which occurs but
feldom. T h e colonifls fubfifl by the labour- of their hands, and
the fcanty produce of their fields. Their property in land extends
fix miles around their dwelling; and lakes, rivers, fifhery, woods,
and meadows are exclufively their own, within a circle whole radius
is fix miles. Such extenfive property in land formed a lin k ing
contrail with the indigence o f the poffeffors. They had
only four cows ; they lowed but one barrel of barley, which in
good years produced them ieven barrels, but fometimes did not
return them even the feed. One year their harvefl was fo very
bad, that they mull have died of famine, but for a merchant of
Tornea who paffed this way, and gave them a fupply. This happened
at the beginning of their colonial exiflence, when they had
firfl come to fettle in this place. They were a couple of Fin-
landifii families who had refided at Muonionifca; but having nothing