large drops, and with fuch violence, that we began to fear it would
fill the boat. I had not feen fo copious a lhower fince I left Italy,
nor did I think it ufual in this high latitude. The rain was fo
round, and the drops fo large,, that we loft fight of the furround-
ing objeds, infomuch that our view was confined to the diftance
of eight or ten feet all around us. This was the firft and only
time we heard any thunder in our travels towards the Nprth.
Our tent hitherto had only been an encumbrance to us, but the
period was approaching when we ihould find its ufe. In the pro-
o-refs of our navigation as far as Kollare, we £> O encountered many cataraéts,
but we became io accuftomed to them, that what at firft
was a caufe of terror, became at length an objed of amufement.
Once it happened that we got aground upon a rock in the middle
of the river. Our Finlandèrs puihed the boat on a large round
ftone, fo that it hung on its furface, while we remained lufpended
by our own equilibrium. Inftead of trembling at this lingular
fituation, in which we could not continue a m oment without imminent
danger of falling into the water, it excited in us an immoderate
fit of laughter ; a circumftance which feemed greatly
to furprife and divert our boatmen.
The village of Kollare is inhabited by Finlandiih peafants, who
feem to be very much at their eafe. The young woman we met
at Kengis was come home, and had prepared for us beds, excellent
milk, butter, and meat of the rein-deer in abundance. She
was in the houfe with her mother and a girl of the neighbourhood ;
the male part of the family were gone a filhing. This young perfon
fon had a gaiety and natural vivacity very uncommon in a country
like this. Her figure was fine, though very tall, being near
fix feet in height. She fpoke with eafe, and replied to our dumb
ihew by fmart repartees, a t which we laughed upon truft, but
which our interpreter found excellent, and full of wit and humour.
The tillage is fituated upon a fmall ifland, which is the property of
the inhabitants. The ifland is formed by the river Muonio, which
here divides itfelf into two branches. The people cultivate barley,
and have fome meadow grounds with excellent hay. -
The firft favour the women conferred upon us was to fill our
room fo full of fmoke, that it brought tears in our eyes. Their
intention was good, they wiihed to deliver us from the molefta-
tion of the gnats; and as a mean of very effedual prevention, they
made a fecond fire near the entrance of the apartment to ftop the
freih myriads of thofe infeds which were ready to ruih in upon
us from without. A thick fmoke is an objed of great luxury in this
part of the world. Thofe infeds, which are the fcourge of that
country, became indeed very troublefome to u s ; and our gauze
veils and gloves could give us no protedion againft their finging in
our ears, and interrupting our fieep. Here our own refolution, as
that o f our fervants formerly, for the firft time, began to be ihaken.
The landfcape at this place is pleafing: all along the banks you
have the birch and other trees, which form a contrail with the
uniformity of the pines and the firs. T h e face of the country is
rather flat, and it is only at a certain diftance th a t you difcover
hills of iome fize.
W e