convinced that I owe to this plant the uninterrupted good health
which I enjoyed during all the time I was in thofe parts ; where
w?e had nothing elfe for our fubfiflence than dried or falted fifh,
the dried flefh of the rein-deer, hard cheefe, bifcuit, and brandy;
all o f them heating and infalubrious aliments. The angelica was
the only thing that was freih, and the only vegetable that we had
at our table. My companion, who had no relifh for this plant,
was often troubled with pains in his flomach, and with irtdi-
geftion.
Though it was now drawing towards midnight, the torment
we fuffered from the mufquetoes, inflead o f being abated was
increafed. T h e night was perfectly calm, and the infeils attracted
by the effluvia of our Laplanders, purfued us in our
courfe, furrounded us, and involved us as in a cloud. After travelling
three miles over the rein-deer mofs, and through ftunted
ihrubs, we arrived greatly fatigued at the banks of the river Pe-
pojovaivi, where we found a fire with fome Lapland fifher-
men fitting by it, and two children about five or fix years of age.
W e began to make preparations for paffing the night here, and
the Laplanders fet about cooking their fupper. The mufquetoes
this night annoyed us fo terribly, that it was not without the ut-
moil difficulty we were able to fwallow a moriel of vidluals.
There was not fo much as a breath of wind: the column o f
fmoke that iffued from the fire mounted flraight upward in the
atmofphere, fo that we were deprived o f the benefit of fumigation,
and of taking what food we had, under the protection of a
cloud
cloud of fmoke. W e were obliged to eat with gloves o n ; and
a t every rnorfel we put into our mouths we were under the
neceffity of drawing afide the veils that covered our faces, very
gently and with great circumfpe&ion,. for fear of the infects entering
along with our refrefhment. In fpite of all our prec autions
the mufquetoes were iometimes fwallowed together with our
viands. In order to be quit of fo difgufling a fauce, we were
compelled at each morfel we put into our mouths, to draw near
the fire, and thrufl our heads into the rifing column of fmoke.
W e chofe rather to encounter all the bad effects of the fmoke,
and to be half fuffocated, than to fwallow thofe pefliferous animals.
In order to remedy the inconveniency occafioned by the defect
of a breeze, which might waft the fmoke horizontally, and thus
make us partakers of its kind influence, we bethought us of the
following contrivance : we kindled three fires around us, in the
midfl of which we were glad to remain, notwithflanding the ex-
ceffive heat. I cannot at this moment account to myfelf why
we did not think o f fetting up our tent, under which we certainly
jfhould have enjoyed greater comfort, and have been lefs tormented
by the infects. Perhaps it was, th a t we did not expect to
remain long in this place, and becaufe the erection o f our tent
always took up fome time ; or it might be too carefully packed up,
o r perhaps we had not the means at hand of erecting it. It often
happens that a perfon does things for which he afterwards can
affign no direct reafon, though at the time he may . have had fatis-
factory grounds for his proceedings.