were the moil filthy and difagreeable that it is poflible to conceive.
They held the fiili they were eating in their hands, and
the oil that diililled from it ran down their arms, and into the
fleeves of their coats, which might he fcented at the diilance of
fome yards. The girl had rather more cleanlinefs in her perfon,
and fome portion of that decency which is io peculiar to her lex.
T h is was apparent in her refuting the drink that was offered to
her, arid especially brandy, of which fhe was in reality as fond as
the men. This affectation of modeily and reluftance in women
to poffefs what they wife for, but which at the fame time they
apprehend would be unbecoming, appear to be qualities inherent
in the fex, fince this prudery is obfervable even among women
in Lapland.
We now fet about landing our baggage, and fettling accounts
with our honeft Finlanders, who had faithfully and duly attended
Us from Muonionifca, and brought us fafely fo far on our journey;
W e had conceived a great regard for thefe worthy m e n ; and we
perceived, on parting with th em, a tear of affeclion Healing down
their cheeks, which demanded a fimilar acknowledgment. They
took leave of us, returning their thanks, and taking us by the
h a n d ; and fo flrongly did we feel in our own hearts the like
cordiality of fentiment, that we could not refufe them fuch a
token of familiarity and regard. The Laplanders, notwithfland-
ing the natural phlegm of their temper, did not remain inattentive
obfervers of the fcene that was palling before them, and could
not but derive from it a favourable opinion of us, and even find
their
their zeal excited to fome exertion for our fervice, if it be poflible
to. excite the leall fentiment in minds fo torpid as theirs. We
were not, however, difpleafed that they were witneffes of the fatis-
failion we had given our Finlanders, and the regret they expreffed
on parting with u s ; and we hoped this example would infpire
them with refpecl for us, and a deli re to ufe all the aCiivity necef-
iary to accomplife the object for which we had engaged them.
After our Finlanders had taken their leave, and were departed,
we found ourfelves as i t were cut off from all communication
with the rell of the w orld; the completion of our enterprize, nay,
our very exillence, were at once in the hands of thefe Laplanders.
I f the continuation of our journey appeared to be impracticable,
and they foould forfake us, there was. no means of return left to
the little ifland, and the fifoermen of Kantafari.; for we had no
longer a boat toi convey us acrofs the lake to th a t charming retreat,
which we had fo lately quitted, and with fo much regret. But
to quiet our apprehenfions, we conlidered that thefe Laplanders
were not a cruel people; and although they were feven in number,
with the girl, we conlidered ourfelves as a match for them,
notwithflanding we only muttered four altogether, th a t is to fay
the interpreter, a fervant, Colonel Skioldebrand, and mylelf. The
reafon why they came fo many in number as feven, was in order
to tranlport our baggage; becaule, as they informed us, the reindeer
were at this fealbn particularly untraClable and dangerous,
on account of the prodigious fwarms of mufquetoes, which torment
them to a degree of madnefs : . f o that perhaps they might
run from us and be loll altogether with our provifions and bag