As no rain had fallen in this country for fome time, the water was
fo ihallow, that the boat ran aground, and it became neceffary to
land in order to lighten it. The windings of the river were ib
frequent and fo contrary, that our progrefs was very tedious. Our
boatmen were obliged to undergo great labour in moving the boat
forward : fometimes they were compelled to get out and tow i t ;
at other times to lift it up and cqfry it on their ihoulders to a con-
fiderable diftance, where the bed o f the river was nearly dry. In
addition to the great exertion and fatigue which thefe good people
had to bear, they were kept conftantly w e t; and though their
toils were exceffive, they advanced but little in their journey, fince
the curvature of the river would often bring them back to a fmall
diftance from the place from which they had with fo much trouble
proceeded. This was mortifying and difcouraging in the extreme.
W e ourfelves, who went on foot along the banks, had no better
reafon to be fatisfied with our condition. W e had every where
to force our way through bulhes and briars, and it was with much
difficulty that we could go on at all, being frequently flopped by
branches of trees, and having the veils torn away which covered
our faces, and fecured us from the attacks of the mufquetoes.
However, the iudden change of fcene, and the view ot the country,
together with the novelty of manners and appearance in the
inhabitants, made us in fome meafure amends for thefe hardihips
and inconveniencies.
Before we arrived at Lappajervi, we halted for lome time on a
rock of confiderable fize, which was feparated by the river from
the
the adjoining land. Here we made a large fire, in order to drive
away the infedts, that we might take our dinner with comfort.
The country around offered a fcene very uncommon, and to us
quite new. T h e mofs on which the rein-deer feeds covers the
whole ground, which is flat, and only fkirted by hills at fome diftance
; but thefe hills -alio are clothed with this mois. The colour
of the mois is>a pale yellow, which, when dry, changes to
w h ite : the regularity of its iliape, and the uniform manner in
which the furface of the ground is decked with it, appears very
Angular and ftriking: it has the femblance of a beautiful carpet.
Thefe plants grow in a lhape nearly octagonal, and approaching
to a circle; and as they clofely join each other, they form a kind
of mofaic work, or embroidery. The white appearance of the
country, which thence arifes, may for a moment make you imagine
that the ground is covered'with fnow ; but the idea of a winter
fcene is done away by the view of little thickets in full green,
which you perceive feattered here and there, and ftill more by the
prefence.of the fun and the warmth of his rays. As this mois is
very dry, nothing can poffibly be more pleafant to walk upon, nor
can there be any thing fofter to ferve as a bed. Its cleanneis and
whiteheis is tempting to the fight, and when we had put up our
tent, we found ourfelves in every refpect very comfortably lodged.
I had many times before met with this mofs, but in no place had
I found it fo rich. It was the only produce here, which nature
feemed to favour and fupport: no other herb was growing near it,
nor any other vegetable on the fpot, except a few birch-trees,
VoLi II. F with