by land to A-bo: there they take {hip, and, fleering through
-the numerous iflands which rife in that part o f the Gulf of
Bothnia to the eaftern ihore o f Aland, they crofs that ifland
to its weftern coaft, where they again embark, and proceed
diredtly through a more open Tea to Sweden. In winter the
paflage acrofs the Gulf is not always practicable; for the
channels between the numberlefs iflands are moftly frozen,
ib as not to- admit veffels, yet feldom fufficiently ftrong to.
fupport carriages; and, when that happens, the remaining, part
o f the open g u lf, from Aland to the coaft of Sweden, which
is not fprinkled with iflands, is generally foembarraffed with
floating mafles o f ice, as to render the navigation extremely
dangerous. The ufual way therefore, in winter, and which
we intended to have purfuedj lies round.the Gulf o f Bothnia,
through Torneo in. Swediih Lapland. We had anticipated
the fat is faction we flrould receive from paflxng a few days at
Torneo,. a place rendered remarkable for the meafurement
o f a degree by the celebrated Maupertuis; from making an
excurfion into Lapland beyond the Ardtick Circle ; from ob-
ferving the manners, and cuftoms o f the natives ; and from
riding in fledges drawn by rein-deer. But, alas-! our curi-
oftty was deftined not to -be gratified. Upon confuting the
governor o f Louifa, h e informed us, that the feafon was too far
advanced to proceed int&Lapland; fo r if ageneralthawfhouldi
take place, which feemed.very likely to happen, we ihould not
be able to continue our route in fledges ; and "as we could not.
procure any carriages with wheels to convey us to Stockholm,,
we ihould be obliged to proceed by Tea, which in the
fpring o f the year is a very dangerous- and uncertain navigation.
He added alfo,. that the paflage acrofs the Gulf of'
Bothnia was at this time fortunately practicable, as the channels
between, the fmall iflands were fufficiently frozen to
7 1 bear
Shear fledges, and the other part o f the g u lf was not obftru&ed CRAP*
with floating mafles of ice. And when the governor per- ■ *' ■
-ceived that, notwithftanding the favourable opportunity o f
croffing the Gulf o f Bothnia, and the dangers which would
neceffarily attend our journey by land, we feemed eager to
purfue our expedition to Lapland, he prefled his advice with
the moft forcible reafons; and would not defift until he had
even extorted a promife that we would proceed diredtly to
Abo. The gentleman to whom we were indebted for this
4'riendly remonftrance, was a fenfible well-informed old man,
of Scotch extraction, and had ferved during feveral years in
France in the Royal Swediih regiment. During a long con-
verfation which we held with him, “ You have probably,”
he faid, “ conceived a bad opinion o f Finland, from the re-
“ gions which you have already traverfed, which are the
“ moft defolate parts of the province; but I allure you, that
“ a few miles from the fea-coaft it is a very agreeable coun-
“ try, fertile in pafture, rye, oats, and barley. From the
“ abundance o f rivers and lakes, fome o f which are ofcon-
“ fiderable length, an inland navigation might eafily be
“ formed at little expence, and facilitate a communication
“ between the different diftridts.”
Feb. 9. in purfuance o f his advice, inftead o f continuing
our route towards Lapland, we made our way to Abo. We
fat off at eight in the evening, and were lighted during the
whole night by a beautiful Aurora Borealis: the thermometer
was fcarcely below freezing point. Our road lay near
the ihore o f the Gulf o f Bothnia, through a hilly, rocky, and
woody country. I obferved the ground thickly ftrewed with
detached mafles o f granite, as i f broken by fome violent con-
vuhion. We frequently faw large flights o f groufe,
mack cocks, and ptarmigans. In thefe parts the large fpe-
S s 3 cies