money, nor exempt from a paffion for being poffeffed of it. Their
fair feems to have given them an idea of taking advantage of cir-
cumflances whenever they may occur. Of this we had a proof
when we began to make preparations for pUrfuing our journey ;
they demanded nearly half a-crown a day for each man that was
to attend us, which was an enormous fum for that country, and
bore peculiarly hard upon us, lince we had occafion for five, and
afterwards for feven men, befides the interpreter and our own ier-
vant. Our interpreter attempted to demonilrate, that what they
aiked was extravagant and unreafonable; but they would not be
moved by his arguments, but replied, that the prefent was the
feafon for fifhing, by which they ihould gain more than in our
fervice; which perhaps might be true. They feemed alio to be
aware that, as travellers are not frequent in their country, if any
one journeyed there in a feafon when there was neither a fair, nor
any other particular bufinefs to attend, he muft either have plenty
of money himfelf, or be commiffioned by government to eAmine
and report the ftate of the country, and confequently be paid by
the king. Such I conceive was their realbning, and there was
no remedy againft i t ; we had no other people but thefe that we
could apply to, and thence we were compelled to fubmit to their
terms. I confoled myielf with the confideration, th a t I would
rather pay double their demand than return to Uleaborg, and give
up the intended journey. W e now gave orders for our boats to be
got ready, and all our baggage to be flowed into them. W e let
out from Kautokeino on the ninth of July, in the fairelt weather
imaginable,
imaginable, and under a temperature of cliinate approaching to
th a t of Italy. T h e thermometer of Celfius indicated the 2 5 th degree
of heat at mid-day in the ihade ; expofed tft the fun it role
to fo rty ; on the water it fubfided to nineteen. The women of
the village accompanied their hufhands to the fide of the river, and
bade us farewell in the moll affectionate manner, T h e voyage we
were about to undertake was, long and painful, and which none of
the people had ever performed in fummer. Our departure deprived
the village of two-thirds of its population, and rendered for a time
five-eighths of the married 'women widows. W e were followed
by their looks till the winding of the river intercepted their
v»ew ; nor was the fchool-mafler’s wife> Ip little and fb ugly, the
leaft conftant or ardent in demonflrations, of fenfihility and regret
at parting w ith fuch dear vifitors and friends. Our boats
were ju fl o f a fize fufficient to contain the whole of our company,
with our luggage and tent. W e were in all nine, diftributed in
two boats, which could not have carried one perfon more without
the danger of being overfet, or of finking to the bottom of the
water.
T h e river of Alten we found one o f the moil beautiful we had
yet viewed in the courfe of our travels. I t is at its commencement
a continued fucceffion of lakes o f different fize and ihapes,
and interfperfed with iilets that are covered with the birch-tree.
Thefe prefented a fcenery of landfcape, which far from having a
wild and harfh appearance, was fuch as might befeem a gentler
climate. Thofe lakes infpired us with an inclination for bathing :
V o l . II. M their