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diff --git a/22727.txt b/22727.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1ce3ebf --- /dev/null +++ b/22727.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7804 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Land of the Long Night, by Paul du Chaillu + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Land of the Long Night + +Author: Paul du Chaillu + +Illustrator: M. J. Burns + +Release Date: September 22, 2007 [EBook #22727] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF THE LONG NIGHT *** + + + + +Produced by Peter Vachuska, Chuck Greif, Stephen Blundell +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + The + Land of the Long Night + + + + +[Illustration: Your Friend, Paul Du Chaillu] + + + + + The + + Land of the Long Night + + + By + + Paul Du Chaillu + + Author of "The Viking Age," "Ivar the Viking," "The + Land of the Midnight Sun," "Exploration + in Equatorial Africa," etc. + + + + _Illustrated by M. J. Burns_ + + + + New York + Charles Scribner's Sons + 1901 + + + + + _Copyright, 1899,_ + BY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. + + + + University Press: + JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. + + + + +_TO_ + +_EX-CHIEF JUSTICE CHARLES P. DALY_ + +_As I write this dedication, dear Judge Daly, a flood of recollections +comes over me of unbroken friendship and great kindness on your part and +that of your wife, whose memory I venerate and cherish. This friendship +has never faltered for a moment, but has grown stronger and stronger as +the years have rolled by. Fortunate is the man who wins for himself two +such friends! I have never ceased to remember the warm interest you and +your noble-hearted wife took from the first in my explorations in +Africa. I can only give you in return love and devotion for all the +kindness I have experienced at your hands._ + + _Your devoted friend,_ + + _PAUL DU CHAILLU._ + +_September 1, 1899._ + + + + +Introduction + + +MY DEAR YOUNG FOLKS: + +Friend Paul has led many of you into the great Equatorial Forest of +Africa. We met there many strange and wild tribes of men, and lived +among cannibals and dwarfs or pygmies. We hunted together, and killed +many elephants, fierce gorillas, leopards, huge crocodiles, hippopotami, +buffalos, antelopes, strange-looking monkeys, wonderful chimpanzees of +different varieties,--some of them white, others yellow or black,--and +many other kinds of animals. + +In this book I am going to take you to a very different part of the +world. I am going to lead you towards the far North, to "The Land of the +Long Night,"--a land where during a part of the year the sun is not +seen, for it does not rise above the horizon, and in some parts of the +country does not show itself for sixty-seven days, during which time the +moon, stars, and the aurora borealis take its place. + +"The Land of the Long Night" is a land of darkness, of snow, of wind, +and at times of intense cold; and we shall have a long journey before +us, and shall have to change horses and vehicles at many post stations, +and at those places we shall get meals and lodgings. + +When once in "The Land of the Long Night," we shall roam far and +wide--east, west, north--over a vast trackless region, covered with deep +snow, drawn by reindeer instead of horses, and sometimes we shall walk +or run with skees, which are the snowshoes of that country, and very +unlike those used by our Indians. + +We shall sleep on the snow in bags made of reindeer skins, follow the +nomadic Laplander and his reindeer, live with him and sleep in his +_kata_ or tent. We shall hunt wolves, bears, and different kinds of +foxes and other animals, and sail and fish on the stormy Arctic seas. + +We shall have plenty of fun, in spite of the snow, the terrific wind, +and the cold we shall encounter; and, thanks to the houses of refuge +which we shall find in our times of peril, we shall not perish in these +Arctic regions. But woe to the man who wanders in that far northern land +without a guide or without knowing where these houses or farms of refuge +are to be found, for he will surely succumb in some one of the storms +that are certain to overtake him. + +We shall cross the Swedish and Norwegian mountains of the far North, +which rise to a height of several thousand feet, and come to the +desolate shores of the Arctic Ocean, and there live among the people. + +In a sunny room at the Marlborough in Broadway I have written this book. +It is a dear little room, made bright at night with electric lights, and +full of delightful reminiscences of cheerful evenings with friends, all +kinds of knick-knacks, tin horns, "booby" prizes, mugs, etc.,--souvenirs +of frolics at which I have had fine times. My two windows look out on +the roof of a church; it is all I can see; the noise of a wheel never +reaches my ears. It is an ideal room to write books in. + +I am surrounded by pictures of boys and girls, and many older friends; +they look down upon me and cheer me, and when I write they all seem to +say, "Go on, Paul," and at other times, they cry, "Stop, Paul, you have +written enough to-day; go and take a walk, go and see people and life, +dine with friends; you will work much better to-morrow. 'All work and no +play makes Jack a dull boy.' We shall be here to welcome you when you +come back." + +How good it is to have friends, no matter how humble some of them are. I +love them all. No one ever has too many friends, and life without them +is not worth having. + +Now, as I am ready to lay down my pen, I draw a long breath--"The Land +of the Long Night" is ready for the printer. I am just thinking: all my +books have been published in New York, and all but two have been +written, in the dear old city. + + Your friend, + + PAUL DU CHAILLU. + + + + +Contents + + + Chapter Page + + I. On the Way to "The Land of the Long Night."--Homesick.--Tempted + to Return.--Girls and Boys Say "No; Go on, Go on, + Paul."--Decide to Continue my Journey.--Winter Coming + On.--Don Warmer Clothing.--From Stockholm North. 1 + + II. Snow Land.--A Great Snowstorm.--Fearful + Roads.--Snow-ploughs.--Losing the Way.--Intelligence of + the Horses.--Upset in the Snow.--Difficulty of Righting + Ourselves.--Perspiring at 23 Degrees below Zero.--Houses + Buried in the Snow. 9 + + III. Halt at a Farmhouse.--Made Welcome.--A Strange-looking + Interior.--Queer Beds.--Snowed In.--Exit through the + Chimney.--Clearing Paths.--I Resume my Journey.--Reach + Haparanda. 17 + + IV. Good Advice from the People of Haparanda.--Warned against + Still Colder Weather.--Different Costume Needed.--Dressed + as a Laplander.--Lapp Grass for Feet Protection. 29 + + V. What the Arctic Circle is.--Description of the Phenomenon of + the Long Night.--Reasons for its Existence.--The Ecliptic + and the Equinoxes.--Length of the Long Night at Different + Places. 36 + + VI. Fine Weather Leaving Haparanda.--Windstorms succeed.--A + Finlander's Farm.--Strange Fireplace.--Interior of a + Cow-House.--Queer Food for Cattle.--Passing the Arctic + Circle. 40 + + VII. Skees, or the Queer Snowshoes of the North.--How They Are + Made.--Learning to Use Them.--Joseff's Instructions.--Hard + Work at First.--Going Down Hill.--I Bid Joseff Good-bye. 48 + + VIII. A Primitive Steam Bath House.--How the Bath was + Prepared.--What are the Twigs for?--I Ascertain.--Rolling + in the Snow.--Fine Effect of the Bath. 56 + + IX. How the Laps and Finns Travel.--Strange-looking + Sleighs.--Different Varieties.--Lassoing + Reindeer.--Description of the Reindeer. 60 + + X. Harnessing Reindeer.--The First Lessons in Driving.--Constantly + Upset at First.--Going Down Hill with Reindeer.--Thrown + Out at the Bottom.--Queer Noise Made by Reindeer Hoofs. 66 + + XI. The Last Days of the Sun.--Beginning of the Long Night.--A + Mighty Wall of Ice.--The Long Night's Warning Voice--The + Aurora Borealis and its Magnificence. 73 + + XII. The Snow Getting Deeper.--Lapp Hospitality.--A Lapp + Repast.--Coffee and Tobacco Lapp Staples.--Babies + in Strange Cradles.--How the Tents are Made.--Going + to Sleep with the Mercury at 39 deg. Below. 77 + + XIII. Toilet with Snow.--A Lapp Breakfast.--Lapp Dogs. Talks + with my Lapp Friend about the Reindeer.--Their Habits + and Various Forms of Usefulness. 89 + + XIV. Moving Camp.--Another Great Blizzard.--A Remarkable + Sight--Deer Getting their Food by Digging the + Snow.--How Reindeer are Butchered. 99 + + XV. Watching for the Reappearance of the Sun.--The Upper Rim + First Visible.--The Whole Orb Seen from a Hill.--Days + of Sunshine Ahead. 109 + + XVI. Wolves the Great Foe of the Lapps.--How the Reindeer are + Protected against Them.--Watching for the Treacherous + Brutes.--Stories of their Sagacity. 112 + + XVII. In Search of Wolves.--A Large Pack.--They Hold a + Consultation.--Their Fierce Attack on the + Reindeer.--Pursuing Them on Skees.--Killing the + Chief of the Pack. 122 + + XVIII. Great Skill of the Lapps with Their Skees.--Leaping over + Wide Gullies and Rivers.--Prodigious Length of Their + Leaps.--Accuracy of Their Coasting.--I Start Them by + Waving the American Flag. 129 + + XIX. We Encounter More Wolves.--My Guide Kills Two with + his Bludgeon.--A Visiting Trip with a Lapp + Family.--Extraordinary Speed of Reindeer.--We + Strike a Boulder.--Lake Givijaervi.--Eastward Again. 136 + + XX. The Lapp Hamlet of Kautokeino.--A Bath in a Big Iron + Pot.--An Arctic Way of Washing Clothes.--Dress and + Ornaments of the Lapps.--Appearance and Height of + the Lapps.--Givijaervi.--Karasjok. 142 + + XXI. Leave Karasjok still Travelling Northward.--The River + Tana.--River Lapps.--Filthy Dwellings.--On the Way + to Nordkyn.--The Most Northern Land in Europe. 150 + + XXII. Leave Nordkyn.--Frantic Efforts of the Reindeer to Keep + their Footing on the Ice.--The Bear's Night.--Foxes + and Ermines.--Weird Cries of Foxes.--Building Snow + Houses.--Shooting-boxes.--Killing Foxes.--Traps for + Ermines.--A Snow Owl. 155 + + XXIII. Jakob Talks to Me about Bears.--The Bear's Night.--Watching + a Bear Seeking for Winter Quarters.--They Are Very + Suspicious.--I Tell a Bear Story in my Turn. 165 + + XXIV. Preparations for Crossing the Mountains to the Arctic + Ocean.--Decide to Take the Trail to the Ulf Fjord.--Houses + of Refuge.--A Series of Terrific Windstorms in the + Mountains.--Lost.--Gloomy Reflections.--A Happy Reunion. 170 + + XXV. A Dangerous Descent.--How to Descend the Mountains.--The + Most Perilous Portion of the Journey.--Exhaustion of the + Reindeer.--All Safe at the Bottom.--Arrival at the Shore + of the Arctic Sea. 183 + + XXVI. Sail on the Arctic Ocean.--The Brig _Ragnild_.--AEgir and + Ran, the God and Goddess of the Sea.--The Nine Daughters + of AEgir and Ran.--Great Storms.--Compelled to Heave To. 190 + + XXVII. A Dark Night at Sea.--Wake of the _Ragnild_.--Thousands + of Phosphorescent Lights.--A Light Ahead.--An Arctic + Fair.--A Fishing Settlement.--How the Cod are + Cured.--Fish and Fertilizer Fragrance. 199 + + XXVIII. Among the Fishermen.--Their Lodgings and How They + Look.--What They Have to Eat.--An Evening of Talk + about Cod, Salmon, and Herring.--The Immense Number + of Fish.--A Snoring Match. 205 + + XXIX. Departure for the Fishing Banks.--Great Number of + Boats.--More than Five Thousand Oars Fall into the + Water at the Same Time.--Quantities of Buoys and + Glass Balls.--A Notable Catch of Cod. 211 + + XXX. A Great Viking Sea Fight.--Svein King of Denmark, Olaf King + of Sweden, Erik Jarl of Norway, against King Olaf + Tryggvasson of Norway.--They Lie in Ambush.--Magnificent + Ships.--The _Long Serpent_.--Ready for the Fight.--The + Attack.--The _Jarn Bardi_.--Defeat of Olaf Tryggvasson. 219 + + XXXI. Sailing along the Coast of Finmarken.--Hammerfest, the + Most Northern Town in the World.--Schools.--Fruholmen, + the Most Northern Lighthouse in the World.--Among the + Sea Lapps.--Men and Women Sailors. 227 + + XXXII. A Sea Lapp Hamlet.--Strange Houses.--Their + Interiors.--Summer Dress of the Sea Lapps.--Primitive + Wooden Cart.--Animals Eat Raw Fish.--I Sleep in a Sea + Lapp's House.--They Tell Me to Hurry Southward. 232 + + XXXIII. Comparison of Finmarken with Alaska.--The Two + Lands Much Alike.--What Must be Done for + Alaska.--Colonization.--Importation of + Reindeer.--Protection of Fisheries.--Houses of Refuge. 241 + + XXXIV. Preparation to Leave the Arctic Coast.--Great Danger of + Encountering Melting Snow, or Rivers Made Dangerous by + the Ice Breaking.--Reindeer Come.--Farewell to the Sea + Lapps.--I Leave for More Southern Land. 244 + + XXXV. We Enter a Birch Forest.--The Reindeer are Soon + Fagged.--Sleep on the Snow.--The Rays of the Sun Melt + through the Snow.--Great difficulty in Travelling.--Meet + Herds of Reindeer.--Reindeer Bulls Fight Each Other. 249 + + XXXVI. Variable Weather.--Snowy Days.--An Uninhabited House of + Refuge.--Animals Changing the Color of their Fur.--Mikel + Tells Me about a Bear.--Killing the Bear.--Hurrying on + over Soft Snow and Frozen Rivers.--The Ice Begins to + Break.--Pass the Arctic Circle. 256 + + + + +List of Illustrations + + "Your friend, Paul Du Chaillu." _Frontispiece_ + + FACING PAGE + + "On the road were many snow-ploughs at work levelling the snow." 8 + + "The husband suddenly disappeared through the trap-door and soon + came back with potatoes and a big piece of bacon." 20 + + "The boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through." 24 + + "It was, indeed, a fearful wind storm." 40 + + "Paulus, try again!" 54 + + "The man had to use all his strength." 64 + + "I was shot out of the sleigh." 68 + + "At noon I saw the sun's lower rim touching the horizon." 72 + + "What a strange abode these nomadic Lapps have!" 80 + + "I went outside the tent with my host." 92 + + "They were really working hard for their living." 104 + + "The Lapp passed him like a flash and gave him a terrible blow." 124 + + "It was a fight for life!" 128 + + "Suddenly I saw them fly through the air." 132 + + "I advanced cautiously." 160 + + "The mist was so thick that I could not see ahead." 172 + + "We remained seated on the ground, back to back." 180 + + "Once in a while I gave a look towards the ugly precipice." 184 + + "I am clad in the garb of a fisherman." 190 + + "I saw a big towering wave rolling towards the stern of the + ship." 194 + + "It is hard work to haul in the nets." 212 + + "We sailed towards North Cape." 228 + + "He sat on his haunches and looked at us, uttering a tremendous + growl." 262 + + + + +The Land of the Long Night + + + + +CHAPTER I + + ON THE WAY TO "THE LAND OF THE LONG NIGHT."--HOMESICK.--TEMPTED TO + RETURN.--GIRLS AND BOYS SAY "NO; GO ON, GO ON, PAUL."--DECIDE TO + CONTINUE MY JOURNEY.--WINTER COMING ON.--DON WARMER CLOTHING.--FROM + STOCKHOLM NORTH. + + +At the time when this narrative begins I was travelling on the highroad +that skirts the southern coast of Sweden, then turns northward and +follows the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. I had +reached that part of the highway overlooking the narrow part of the +Sound which separates Sweden from Denmark, and had just left the pretty +little city of Helsingborg, and was looking at the hundreds of vessels +and steamers which were moving towards the Baltic or coming out of that +sea. It was a most beautiful sight. + +I intended to follow the road as far north as it went, and enter "The +Land of the Long Night" when the sun was below the horizon for many +weeks. I had plenty of time to spare, for it was the beginning of +October. + +On that day my horse was trotting at the usual gait of post-horses, +going at the rate of six or seven miles an hour. He knew every stone, +ditch, bridge, and house on the road, for many and many a time the dear +old animal had made this journey to and fro, often twice each way in a +day. He had been a post-horse for over twelve years. + +His master, my driver, was very kind to him. He always alighted when +there was a hill to ascend, and walked by his side, gently urging him to +go on. When the top of the hill was reached, he stopped to give the +animal time to take breath; then, before starting again, he would give +him a piece or two of black bread, sometimes a potato, which he had put +in his pocket before leaving. The people of Scandinavia are always kind +to their dumb animals. Believe me, dear young folks, there is something +mean and cowardly about a man who is not kind to dumb creatures. Do not +have him for a friend! + +As I looked at the ships sailing from the Baltic, a sudden yearning to +go home took hold of me, and I forgot all about "The Land of the Long +Night." I thought of all my dear friends, of all the school girls and +boys whom I knew, and I wanted to see them ever so much, even if it +might be only for a day. It would have made me so happy to look upon +their faces once more. Sometimes one feels very lonely when away from +home, and that day I could not help it. I thought of dear Jeannie, of +sweet Gertrude, and Hilda, of Marie, of Pauline, of Helen, of Laura, of +Blanche, of Julia, of Melissa, of Rowena, of Beatrice, of Alice, of +Maude, of Ethel, of Evelyn, of Louise, of Iphigenia, and others that +were also dear to me. Then I thought of Charles, of Arthur, of William, +of Louis, of John, of Robert, of Frank, of George, of Anson, of +Mortimer, of Eddy, of Fred, and of many others. + +Many of the girls and boys call me either "Paul," "Friend Paul," or +"Uncle Paul;" some of the girls call me "Cousin Paul." These are my +chums, and it is lovely to have chums! I thought of the fun and good +times I had had with all of them; and I felt on that day that I loved +them more than ever as the great ocean separated us. + +I thought of all the young folks whom I had talked to in the public or +private schools in many of the States,--for if there is a thing Friend +Paul likes, it is to talk to the young folks at school. As I thought of +this, it seemed as if I could see them listening to me. + +I suddenly became very homesick. I said to myself: "I will go to America +and see my dear friends, and then return to go to 'The Land of the Long +Night.'" I could cross the Sound, go to Copenhagen,--the city was almost +in sight, and a nice city it is,--and take one of the comfortable +steamers of the Thingvalla Line, now called Scandinavian-American Line, +for New York. + +As I was thinking of this, it suddenly seemed to me that I heard voices +coming across the Atlantic,--voices from friends, from school girls and +boys, calling: "Friend Paul, go on, go on to 'The Land of the Long +Night' first, and then come and tell us how it is there. Be of good +cheer; no harm will befall you; you will be all right." + +Friend Paul cheered up when in imagination he had heard the voices of +his young friends urging him to go on, and he answered back: "Girls and +boys, you are right. I am going to 'The Land of the Long Night' first, +and on my return I will tell you all that I have seen there." + +The dear old horse did not know what I was thinking, and was trotting +along--until suddenly he made a sharp turn and entered the post station, +the end of his journey. There I changed horse and vehicle, took some +refreshment, and started again. During the afternoon, I came to the town +of Landskrona. There, looking towards the Sound, I saw a steamer of the +Thingvalla Line gliding over the sea on its way to New York, and I said +aloud, "Steamer, you are not going to take me home this time. I am going +to 'The Land of the Long Night' first, to the land of snow and of gales, +the land of the bear, of the wolf, of the fox, and of the ermine. +Good-bye, good-bye, dear steamer! I hope you will have a successful +passage, and also that you have on board many Scandinavians going to our +shores to make their home with us." + +I thought I again heard the same voices as before cry in response, "Good +for you, Paul, good for you!" + +I felt now that I was a different man. It was as if I had actually heard +the voices of the dear young people encouraging me to go forward. I +suddenly became very restless and full of energy. I wanted my horse to +go faster. The young folks wished me to go to "The Land of the Long +Night." To that country I should go. + +From that day I was ready for any amount of hardships, of bumping and +knocking about in sleighs. I did not care if my ears and nose were +frozen. All I wanted was to go ahead as fast as I could until I reached +"The Land of the Long Night." + +I was in splendid condition for the journey. I had been roughing it all +summer in the mountain fastnesses of Norway. I had been living on cream, +butter, cheese, and milk, and had had bacon twice a week, on Sundays and +Wednesdays. + +There were about one hundred and forty or fifty post stations before I +reached Haparanda, the most northern town on the Gulf of Bothnia. + +Every day's travel brought me nearer to "The Land of the Long Night," +but it was still a very long way off. I had yet to sleep at many post +stations and to change horses and vehicles many times. + +I entered and left many towns--Malmoe, Skanoer, Falsterboe, +Trelleborg,--these last three were quaint, and the most southern towns +in Sweden. How charming, clean, and neat are those little Swedish towns! +I wished I could have tarried in some of them. Then I made a sweep +eastward, following the coast, and passed the town of Ystad, and then I +gradually drove northward, for now the road skirted the shores of the +Baltic. I passed Cimbrishamn, Soelvesberg, Carlshamn, and Carlskrona. + +From Carlskrona the country was very pretty, and on my way to Kalmar, +and further north, I could see the Island of Oeland with its numerous +windmills. + +The continuous driving, often in vehicles without springs, was rather +hard on my trousers, and I had not many pairs with me. In a word my +outfit was very modest. To travel comfortably, one must have as little +baggage as possible; for if you have too much baggage it is as if you +were dragging a heavy log behind you; you are not your own master, all +kinds of difficulties come in the way, and you have become the slave of +your own baggage. I bought clothing as I went along. I wished I could +have found some trousers lined with leather, like those used by cavalry +soldiers and by men who ride much on horseback; these would have lasted +a long time. + +The weather was getting colder every day, winter was coming, and we had +had a few falls of snow. I passed Oscarshamn and Westervik, and at last +about the middle of November I arrived in Stockholm. But I had yet to +travel more than nine hundred miles to the north before I came to the +southern border of "The Land of the Long Night." + +I had to give up my New York overcoat for warmer clothing and get a new +winter outfit. I bought a long, loose overcoat coming down to my feet. +It was lined throughout with thick, hairy wolf skin, which is said by +the people of the far North to be the warmest lining after the skin of +the reindeer. I also purchased big top-boots lined inside with furry +wolf skin, and a round beaver cap with a border which, when turned down, +protected my ears and came to my eyes. I had besides a big, heavy hood, +lined with fur, to be used when it was very cold. I had a pair of +leather mittens lined inside with fur (mittens keep one's hands much +warmer than gloves, because they are not so tight and they do not impede +the circulation of the blood). The collar of my coat rose above my head +and almost hid my face, and when I wore my hood only my eyes could be +seen. In this winter costume I could drive all day long without feeling +cold. + +From Stockholm I drove to Upsala by road--for I did not care for railway +travelling--changing horse and vehicle at every post station. When I +reached Gefle winter had come on in earnest. Now all the houses in the +hamlets and towns which I passed had double windows, and at the bottom, +between the two, a layer of cotton was spread to absorb the moisture. +Instead of sliding sashes, French windows opening like doors are used, +and one of the panes of each is free for ventilation. The rooms were +uncarpeted, just as in summer, but rugs were spread on the floors. + +As I drove along it was pleasant to see at the windows, behind the panes +of glass, pots filled with roses, carnations, geraniums, and other +plants, all bending in the direction of the sun. The sun gave scarcely +any heat, yet all the plants in a room liked to look towards the light. + +I was always so glad at the end of the day's travelling to rest at a +post station, to enter the "stuga," the every-day room, where the family +lives, and see the blazing open fireplace. How nice it was to jump into +a feather bed, and sink deep and be lost in it, and to cover myself with +a quilt filled with feathers or eider down! + +When I found a pleasant station I would remain there a day or two to +rest, for it was hard to drive day after day, for ten, twelve, or +fifteen, and sometimes eighteen hours. It was interesting to see the +whole family at their daily occupations; to see the women spin, weave, +or knit; to see the men make skees, wooden shoes, etc., and the girls +and boys go to school and have fun and play together, throwing snowballs +at each other; making snow forts and defending them against other girls +and boys that came to attack them. I wished sometimes to join in the +fray, for I love fun. + +The snow was deep, and the snow-ploughs, drawn by three horses, were +seen pretty often on the road. The streets in the little hamlets or +towns were often blocked. + +[Illustration: "On the road were many snow-ploughs at work levelling the +snow."] + + + + +CHAPTER II + + SNOW LAND.--A GREAT SNOWSTORM.--FEARFUL ROADS.--SNOW-PLOUGHS.--LOSING + THE WAY.--INTELLIGENCE OF THE HORSES.--UPSET IN THE SNOW.--DIFFICULTY + OF RIGHTING OURSELVES.--PERSPIRING AT 23 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.--HOUSES + BURIED IN SNOW. + + +After I left the town of Gefle the blue sky became obscured by clouds, a +few flakes of snow began to fall, then more and more came down, and soon +they covered the old snow, that was already of good depth. + +I had never before had a post-horse that went so fast, and I wondered +why. The horse knew, but I did not: a big snowstorm was coming! He was +afraid of being caught in it, and wanted to reach his stable in time. +After a while the snow fell so thick that I could see nothing ahead. To +make things worse it began to blow hard. Then I dropped the reins and +let the horse go as he pleased. As he knew that the snowstorm was +coming, so he would know how to get home. Suddenly he gave three or four +loud neighs; this announced his arrival. Then he turned to the right and +entered a yard. He had reached home! + +The next morning it was still snowing; nevertheless I started. On the +road were many snow-ploughs at work levelling the snow. These ploughs +were of triangular form, made of heavy timber braced with crossbeams. +They were generally from eight to ten feet in width at the back, which +was the broadest part, and above fifteen feet long. They were drawn by +four horses and attended by two men. + +The ploughs were followed by heavy rollers of wood to pack the snow. + +Erik, my driver, said that every farmer is obliged to furnish horses to +clear the road and level it after a snowstorm. The number of horses he +furnishes is regulated by the size of his farm. It is very important +that the road should be kept in good order, and the rules are strictly +enforced. + +As we travelled along the road, it was amusing to see horses and dogs +roll in the snow; they enjoyed it! The horses that we drove would often +take a nip of the snow, and the dogs that followed us did likewise. + +One day when I was looking at two horses rolling in the snow near a +farmhouse, I suddenly felt a great jerk and we were pitched out +headlong! Our horse wanted to have some fun! So he fell on his side and +was about to roll over and enjoy himself, taking the sleigh with him; +but we did not see the joke. We succeeded in putting him on his legs. +The driver gave the animal a good scolding: "Shame on you, shame on +you!" he said to him. The horse listened, and seemed to understand him. +I think he felt ashamed. + +As I journeyed further north the snow got deeper and deeper every hour. +Snow-ploughs were now drawn by five horses and generally attended by +three men. + +The snowstorm still continued. It had now lasted over four days, and +with no appearance of holding up. The wind at times blew very hard. + +In spite of the snowstorm I continued to travel, and had passed the +towns of Soederhamn, Hudicksvall, Sundsvall, and Hernoesand, with their +streets deep in snow. On the fifth day we had great difficulty in +getting along. In some places the ploughs had not passed over the road +since two days before, for we were now going through a very sparsely +inhabited country. Some parts of the road were honeycombed with holes +about fifteen inches deep, made in this way: each horse that had passed +stepped in the tracks of the one that had preceded him, and made the +holes deeper and deeper, which made walking very difficult for the poor +animals. + +The further north I went the deeper became the snow, and travelling +became tedious. Our sleigh tumbled on one side or the other, upsetting +before we could say "Boo!" At each effort the poor horse made to +extricate himself, we had either to get out of the sleigh or be thrown +out. The poor brute would often sink to his neck, and sometimes almost +to his head when he got out of the snow-plough's track! In order to make +some headway and to make up for the slowness of the horses and bad +roads, I travelled sixteen and eighteen hours a day, and when I came to +a post station I was pretty tired. + +The ploughs I now met were drawn by six horses and attended by four or +five men. The struggles of the poor animals as they sank continually in +the deep soft snow and tried to extricate themselves, were sometimes +painful to behold. + +We always had to be careful to drive in the middle of the road, where +the snow had been cleared and packed by the snow-ploughs and the +rollers. Sometimes we could not tell where it was, for the land around +was deeply buried and the track of the snow-ploughs was hidden by the +fresh-fallen snow. + +When my driver made a mistake and drove one way or the other outside of +the track, the first intimation we had was that of the horse sinking +suddenly, being ourselves upset or nearly so. Then we had a lot of +trouble putting him on the track again. + +After several of these mishaps, the driver would say to me: "Now I am +going to let the horse go by himself. He is accustomed every year to go +in deep snow on this road and he will know the way." "You are right," I +would reply. + +When let alone the horse would walk very slowly, and he would hesitate +each time he put either his right or his left foot on the snow, to make +sure he was on the right track. If he thought he was on the left of the +road, it was his left foot that came down first; if he thought he was to +the right of the road, he put his right foot down, but not until he had +made sure that he was right. If he saw that he had made a mistake, he +turned quickly to one side or the other. + +One day the horse suddenly dropped one leg in the soft snow, on the +right side of the track; this unbalanced him and--bang! he fell on his +side, taking the sleigh with him. We were pitched out, and as we got up +on our legs we found ourselves in snow up to our necks. Only after +frantic efforts did the horse succeed in regaining his footing. + +As I looked around and saw our situation, and that our three heads were +just above the snow, with the horse's head looking at us, his eyes +seeming to say, "Are you not going to help me out of this?" I gave a +great shout of laughter, for the sight was so funny that I forgot being +pitched out--and I said to the driver, "Don't we look funny, the horse +included, with only our heads and shoulders above the snow!" + +What a job we had to extricate ourselves, put the poor horse on the +track again, and afterwards right the sleigh. Then we found that the +harness was broken in several places, and we had to mend it the best way +we could with numb fingers. I had stopped laughing, for there was no fun +in that. + +"At this rate of travelling," I said to the driver, "it will take a +whole day to go three or four miles. I do not know whether our poor +horse will be able to stand it. Look at him! He looks as if he were a +smoke-stack, so much steam is rising from his body. He may become so +exhausted that he will not be able to go further, and we shall have to +abandon the sleigh." + +"It is so," coolly replied Lars the driver, and he remained silent +afterwards. + +I felt sorry for the poor horse, and reproached myself for not having +tarried at the last post station. + +Then I said to Lars, "If the horse gives out, we will try to build a +snow house for us three. You have some hay, and he will not starve. As +for ourselves, we will try to reach some farm and get some food and some +oats for our poor dear horse. I am very sorry we have no skees with us." + +There was so much snow over the land that I thought I had come to "Snow +Land." It was over twelve feet in depth; it had been snowing for six +consecutive days and nights, and it was snowing yet. I was now between +the sixty-third and sixty-fourth degrees of north latitude, and I had to +travel on the road nearly two hundred miles more before I came to the +southern part of "The Land of the Long Night." The little town of Umea +for which I was bound was still far away. I said to myself, "I have to +cross this 'Snow Land' before I reach 'The Land of the Long Night.' What +hard work it will be!" + +A little further on we came to the post station--and how glad I was to +spend the night there--to get into a feather bed. The following day the +snow-ploughs and the rollers were busy, and the centre of the highway +was made passable for some miles further north. So bidding good-bye to +the station master and to my driver of the day before, I started with a +fine young horse and a strong young fellow for a driver. + +As I looked around, I could see snow, snow, deep snow everywhere. The +fences, the stone walls of the scattered farms, and the huge boulders +with which that part of the country is covered were buried out of sight; +only the tops of the birches and of the fir and pine trees could be +seen. I had not met such deep snow before! I had never encountered such +a continuous snowstorm! "Surely," I said to myself again, as I looked +over the country, "this is 'Snow Land.'" I wondered how long it would +take to cross it. The snow was nearly fourteen feet deep on a level. + +I next came to a part of the country where thousands of branches of pine +and fir trees had been planted in two rows to show the line of the road. +I could not tell now when I was travelling over a river, a lake, on +land, or over the frozen Gulf of Bothnia! + +As we were passing over one of the barren districts, a swamp in summer, +full of stones and boulders, without a house in sight, I said to my +driver: "When are we coming to the next farm?" + +"At the rate we are going," he replied, "it will take us two hours at +least." + +"Then let us stop and give a little of the hay you have brought with you +to the horse. After he has rested a while, we will start again." + +After the horse had eaten his hay, we started. We had not gone long, +however, before we were upset. The horse had not kept to the road. We +had a hard time to right the sleigh and bring the horse back to firm +snow. It was such hard work that the perspiration was dripping from our +faces, though it was 23 degrees below zero. + +"I have had enough of this travelling," I said to the driver; "the snow +is too deep and soft to go on. The snow-ploughs have not done much good +here. They evidently could not go far." + +"I do not believe," he replied, "that horses will be given to you at the +next post station, even if we should reach there to-day. But I am sure +we cannot do it, and we shall have to stop at the first farm we meet and +ask the farmer for shelter until people can travel on the road again." + +Two hours afterwards I saw in the distance a little hamlet, or a number +of farms close together. What a sight! Many of the small houses were +buried in the snow, and only their roofs or chimneys could be seen. From +some of the chimneys smoke was curling upwards. I was delighted. + +Every one was busy digging and making trenches, so that the light and +air might reach the windows, or that communication could be had between +the buildings, especially those where the animals were housed. In some +cases the exit had first to be made through the chimney. + +It was a very strange sight indeed! and I said to myself, "Surely I am +in 'Snow Land.'" + + + + +CHAPTER III + + HALT AT A FARMHOUSE.--MADE WELCOME.--A STRANGE-LOOKING INTERIOR.--QUEER + BEDS.--SNOWED IN.--EXIT THROUGH THE CHIMNEY.--CLEARING PATHS.--I + RESUME MY JOURNEY.--REACH HAPARANDA. + + +Soon after we stopped at one of these farms. A trench about fifteen feet +deep had been made, leading to the door of the dwelling-house. Here +lived friends of my driver. I alighted and walked through the narrow +trench and opened the storm door. In the little hall hung long coats +lined with woolly sheepskin; on the floor were wooden shoes, shovels, +axes, etc. A ladder stood upright against the wall. + +I opened the other door. As I entered I found myself in a large room. I +saluted the farmer and family. They all looked at me with astonishment, +for I was not one of the neighbors, and who could I be! + +The farmer said: "What are you doing, stranger, on the highroad with +snow so deep, and when travelling is suspended, snow-ploughs abandoned, +horses belonging to them gone to the nearest farms? You cannot go +further until the snow packs itself with its own weight, and the +snow-ploughs and rollers are able to work on the road. Did you come here +on skees?" + +"No, I drove," I replied. + +"Where is your horse?" + +"At the gate," I answered. + +"Where are you going?" he asked. + +"I am going north as far as the extremity of Northern Europe. I want to +be in that land during the time of 'The Long Night,' when no sun is to +be seen for weeks; but I am afraid I cannot travel further for a few +days on account of the deep snow, and I shall have to wait; and as we +cannot go further and reach the post station, I come to ask you if you +can give shelter to a stranger far from his country." + +"You are welcome," he replied; and his wife added, "We are poor people, +we have a humble home, for our farm is small, but you will have the best +we have." + +"I thank you ever so much," I replied. + +The farmer put more wood on the fire, the sticks being placed upright, +in which manner they throw out much more heat, and a sudden blaze filled +the room with a bright glow. + +I like these farmers' fireplaces. They are always built of masonry in +one of the corners of the room. The platform is about one foot above the +floor and generally four or five feet square, with a crane to hang +kettles or cooking pots on; and when only the embers remain a trap in +the chimney is closed, to prevent the heat from getting out. + +The wife put the coffee kettle over the fire, and one of the daughters +kept herself busy with the coffee mill. + +In the mean time my driver came in and was welcomed, and they asked him +about me. When they heard I was from America they shouted, "From +America!" and when they had recovered from their astonishment, the +husband said, "I have a brother in America." The wife said, "I have a +sister and two nieces in America," and tears came into her eyes. They +did also into mine; there was at once a bond of union between us. To +them the United States was so far away, and I was so far from home. They +often thought of their folks and friends who had emigrated to our land. + +The family was composed of three daughters and two sons. The girls had +fair hair and large blue eyes, and were strong enough to be victorious +in a wrestling contest with big boys. + +The sons helped their father on the farm. The names of the girls were: +Engla Matilda, Serlotta Maria, and Kajsa Maria; the mother Lovisa +Kristina; the father Carl; the sons were Nils and Erik. + +The big room was strange-looking. In one corner was the large open +fireplace. A large hand loom, with an unfinished piece of thick coarse +woollen stuff or cloth which was being woven, was in another corner. +Near by were three spinning-wheels; upon one was flax and on the two +others wool. On the walls were shelves for plates, saucers, glasses, +mugs, dishes, etc. + +The ceiling was about eight or nine feet in height. There was an opening +in it which was accessible by a ladder. I wanted very much to know what +there was above. Along the walls were several wooden benches like +sofas, upon which the people sat. A large wooden table with wooden +benches and two or three wooden chairs completed the furniture. There +was a trap-door in the middle of the floor, leading into the cellar; and +as this never froze, the potatoes and other vegetables, the butter and +cheese, and ale were kept there. + +By the side of the living-room were two doors leading to two small +rooms. One had shelves for pails containing milk and the churn to make +butter with. In the other room were a number of painted chests, with the +initials of the owners upon them, and lots of dresses hanging along the +walls, and a bed. + +The husband suddenly disappeared through the trap-door and soon came +back with potatoes and a big piece of bacon. The sight roused my +appetite. The potatoes were washed and boiled, and the pan was put over +the fire and the bacon cut into slices and fried. + +The meal was put on a very clean table without tablecloth, and then the +driver and I were bidden to sit down and eat. Our coffee cups were +filled to the brim, and every two or three minutes we were urged to eat +more, to drink more coffee. How good were the potatoes! How good were +the bacon and the cheese and the butter! I thought that that meal tasted +better than any I had eaten in my life. + +[Illustration: "The husband suddenly disappeared through the trap-door +and soon came back with potatoes and a big piece of bacon."] + +When we stopped, for we had eaten to our hearts' content, with one voice +husband and wife said: "Eat more, eat more;" and before I knew it, our +two cups were filled for the third time, and more potatoes and bacon +were put on our plates. They all seemed so happy to see us eat with such +an appetite. + +The dear farmers of Norway and Sweden were always so hospitable and kind +to me. Do not wonder that I love them. No one in these countries has +ever tried to do me harm or ever robbed me of a penny. + +After our meal we stretched our legs before the open fireplace. I was +more happy than if I had been in a splendid palace. I forgot the snow +and storm. How nice it was to be in front of a fireplace when the storm +was raging! + +The farmer put more sticks on the fire. The room was in a perfect blaze +of light. Gradually the fire died out, and when there were only embers +left he stirred them with the poker until not a particle of flame +appeared, and when there was no danger of fumes he shut the trap so that +no heat would escape through the chimney. The time of going to bed had +come. + +I was wondering all the time where we were all going to sleep, for there +were no beds in sight. "Perhaps," said I to myself, "we are all going up +the ladder to sleep upstairs. Perhaps we are going to sleep on the +floor." But I did not see any mattress, sheepskins, or home-made woollen +blankets anywhere--and these when together would have made a big pile. + +Suddenly I saw the daughters come to the bench-like sofas and pull out +a drawer out of each sofa. These were to be the beds. They were filled +with hay, with two sheepskins on the top to be used as sheets and +blankets. + +These sliding boxes could be made of different widths, according to the +number of occupants that were to sleep in the same bed. + +I said to myself, "Strange-looking beds these," when one of the girls +said, "Sometimes we can squeeze five or six into one of these beds." I +was glad I was not going to be the fifth or sixth, for we should have +been packed like sardines or herring. + +When everything was ready the boys ascended the ladder and went to sleep +upstairs. A bed was given me, and the rest of the family slept in their +own, two girls sleeping in one bed. Then we bade each other good-night. +How warm and comfortable were my sheepskins! + +In the middle of the night I heard the howling of the wind; a terrific +gale was blowing. How thankful I felt to be under shelter! Early in the +morning, while still in bed, I was startled by the shouts of one of the +boys: "Father, we are snowed in! We cannot get out of the house!" + +"Are we snowed in?" I exclaimed. + +"Yes," shouted the two boys at the same time. I jumped out of bed to +find out if it was a joke. It was true! + +The boys were delighted, and said with great glee: "The wind has filled +all the trenches with snow. We shall have to get out through the +chimney. What fun that will be!" + +I thought also that it would be fun. I had never got out of a house +through the chimney, and I was anxious now to do it, for I might never +get another chance. + +Everybody was now out of bed. "It is good that the cellar is full of +potatoes and that a sack of the Russian flour has not been touched, so +we have plenty of food," said the father. "Besides, there is bacon, +cheese, and butter," said one of the girls. Another added, "We have +inside firewood for three days without being obliged to go to the +woodshed." + +The farmer said, "There has never been so much snow during living man's +memory. Old Pehr, my neighbor, whom I went to see yesterday, and who is +eighty-four years old, said that he never remembered such a snowstorm." + +I thought of the poor horse that had worked so hard to bring us here. +"Boys, we must make the way clear to the stable and feed your horse and +mine," I said. "Let us hurry and go out through the chimney." + +"They are all right," said the father; "I left so much fodder before +them that they will not starve even if we could not reach them to-day." + +"Dear horses, how useful to us," I said. "I often wonder that there are +some men so cruel and so hard-hearted as to beat the poor animals when +they have not strength enough to carry the heavy load put upon them, or +to make them work when they are ill. It is a good thing that there are +societies in many countries for the prevention of cruelty to horses and +other animals." + +"It is so," said they all with one voice; "we do not know of any one +among our neighbors who is unkind to his horse. We do not know what we +should do if our poor horse were ill." + +"Yes," said one of the girls, "when he was a colt our horse used to put +his head through the door to get pieces of potatoes and apples. We love +him!" + +The ladder was fetched and put into the chimney. There was no trouble +about that, for the chimney was so wide. The shovels were brought in. +There were three of them. Then Nils ascended the ladder, and afterwards +crept to the top. This was a hard job. Erik followed, and succeeded also +in reaching the roof. Then we heard voices coming down the chimney. + +"Father," called the boys, "tie the shovels to the cord we drop." They +had taken the precaution of carrying a cord with them. The shovels were +hauled up. + +[Illustration: "The boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through."] + +Then my turn came to go through. I got into the chimney first, and saw +the faces of Nils and Erik peeping down. "It is all right. Come on, Herr +Paul." I ascended the ladder, then crept up the rest of the chimney. The +boys got hold of my hands and pulled me through. What a sight! I was +black with soot. Nils and Erik were likewise. We gave three great +hurrahs. We shouted through the chimney to the folks with great glee, +"Be patient, you will get out by and by." + +We worked with a will, and succeeded in clearing the trench leading to +the door, and there was a great shout of joy when it opened. Then the +girls came out and joined us in making the way clear to the barn, to the +two horses, five cows, and twelve sheep. When we opened the door of the +barn the horses neighed, the cows lowed, and the sheep baaed. It was a +fine concert of voices. They were glad to see us. It was their way of +bidding us welcome. + +Returning to the house we cleared the windows, then the well, of snow. +The well was surrounded by a mass of ice. We drew water and gave a good +drink to the horses and the other animals. The girls milked the cows, +and gave fresh fodder to all. + +When our work was done we were all as hungry as the wolves are in +winter, when they have had no food for days. + +In the mean time the mother had prepared a big meal for us, and we +entered the house. We were ready to do justice to the food. The potatoes +and the bacon quickly disappeared. After the meal we cleared the other +windows of snow, and made passages to them, so that light might come +through. It was a hard day's work all round! + +When supper time came we seated ourselves before a big wooden bowl of +porridge called "groed," made from barley meal. On each side were two +wooden bowls filled with sour milk. We ate with wooden spoons from the +same dish. There were no plates for supper, and once in a while we took +a spoonful of sour milk to help the groed go down. I always enjoy eating +with wooden or horn spoons. + +I went to sleep in the loft this time. I wanted to be near Nils and +Erik. They were fine boys, and we were friends. Did we not sleep well +that night! We did not awake until their father came to shake us. + +"There is nothing like shovelling snow to make one sleep," we all said, +after we awoke. + +The next day the women were very busy a great part of the day. Engla +spun flax on her spinning-wheel, Serlotta carded wool, and Maria wove a +thick woollen cloth to be turned into garments for three new suits for +her father and two brothers, while the mother knitted woollen stockings. + +I remained three days on this farm. During that time the snow had packed +and the snow-ploughs followed by the rollers had made their reappearance +on the highroad. It was time for me to leave, for I was in a hurry, and +I had to travel nearly nine hundred miles before I could reach Nordkyn. + +When I left I put some money into the hands of the wife, and when she +felt it in her hand she said, "No, no; to be paid for giving food and +shelter to a person who is overtaken by a storm, is a shame. What would +God think of me for doing that? No, no;" she said again, with more +earnestness. + +I succeeded at last, after much insistence, in overcoming her scruples +and making her take it; and once more I was on the road leading +northward. + +Travelling was still very difficult. I came late to a post station where +I intended to spend the night, for I was very tired. The place was +filled with travellers and all the beds were taken. Men slept on +benches, on the top of the table, and on the floor. These were +travellers who had been detained on the road and were once more on their +way southward. + +I saw a space on the floor between two men--just enough for me to get +in--and I quietly stepped over three fellows who were fast asleep and +made for the empty place, and went to sleep in my fur coat. + +The next morning I was once more on the long and tedious road leading +north, towards "The Land of the Long Night." That afternoon I reached +the little town of Umea. + +The days had become shorter and shorter. The sun was very low at noon +and was not above the horizon more than one hour. As I travelled further +north I was surprised to notice that the snow diminished rapidly. I had +left the great "Snow Land," or snow belt, which seemed to be between 62 +and 64 degrees north, behind me. + +After changing horses at several post stations I came to the little +towns of Skelleftea, Pitea, and Lulea, and at last I reached Haparanda, +situated at the extreme northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, at the +mouth of the Torne river, the most northern town in Sweden. + +At Haparanda I had driven about seven hundred and forty miles from +Stockholm, and over twenty-five hundred miles since I had left the +mountains of Norway. I was only forty-one miles south of the Arctic +Circle, which is the most southerly part of "The Land of the Long +Night." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + + GOOD ADVICE FROM THE PEOPLE OF HAPARANDA.--WARNED AGAINST STILL COLDER + WEATHER.--DIFFERENT COSTUME NEEDED.--DRESSED AS A LAPLANDER.--LAPP + GRASS FOR FEET PROTECTION. + + +I had hardly arrived in Haparanda, when the leading people of the place +came to welcome me. I was not unknown to several of them, on account of +some of my books which have been translated into Swedish; and they were +my friends at once. + +They heard with astonishment that I intended to go further north. They +looked serious and remained silent for a while. "We will give you +letters of introduction to our friends," they said; "but after a time +you will be too far north, where we do not know anybody. You will find +only Finlanders and Laplanders until you come to the Arctic shores of +Norway." + +After saying this they began to fill their big meerschaum pipes with +tobacco and lighted them, and smoke came out as if from a small funnel. +They gave puff after puff and were again silent; the wrinkles over their +foreheads showed that they were thoughtful and anxious. + +One friend said: "The country which lies between the head of the Gulf +of Bothnia and Nordkyn, the most northern part of the mainland in +Europe, is very stormy in winter, the winds blow with terrific force, +and midway between the shores of the Baltic and the extremity of the +land snow is also very deep. It is a roadless land." + +When I heard this, I said to myself: "Is 'The Land of the Long Night' +'Snow Land' as well?" Then I thought of the great "Snow Land" I had left +behind me, and how hard travelling had been, and I wondered if it would +be worse in this second "Snow Land." If it was, then I had a hard task +ahead of me. + +Another friend said, "This big overcoat of yours will never do in the +country you are going to. These long boots you wear will not be +serviceable." + +"Yes," they all said together. "This costume of yours will be +unmanageable on account of the wind. You cannot travel in 'The Land of +the Long Night' dressed as you are. You must dress like a Laplander. +Theirs is the only costume that can stand the weather you are to +encounter, the only one in which you will be able to get into their +small sleighs, and face the fierce wind and the intense cold." + +"Remember," said another of my new friends, "that you are going to +travel over a roadless country covered with snow, the reindeer will be +your horse, and you will not be able to go about without going on skees, +for at every step one sinks deep into the snow." + +Then another added, to reassure me: "Our country is a country of laws; +we have order, and hate lawlessness. You will feel safe among the +people. You will find where the country is uninhabited, or where the +farms are very wide apart, houses or farms of refuge where you can get +food and reindeer to take you further on. These are post stations where +you can remain until the weather is good. There you are as safe as among +us." + +I thanked them for all the advice and information they gave me and said +that I would follow their admonition in regard to my dress. They then +bade me good-night. The next day I remembered what my friends had said +to me the day before, and with one of them I went to get the garments +worn by the Lapps. + +I bought two "kaptor."[1] These are also called "pesh." They are long +blouses reaching down to the knee or below, made of reindeer skins, with +fur attached; with a narrow aperture for the head to pass through, and +fitting closely round the neck. + +[1] Plural form. Singular, "kapta." + +One of the kaptor was much larger than the other, for in case of intense +cold one is worn beneath the other with the fur inside, and the outside +one with the fur outside. + +I got a pair of trousers made of skin from the legs of the reindeer, of +which the fur though short is considered the warmest part of the animal, +as it protects his legs, which are always in the snow. The provisions of +nature are wonderful! + +There are no openings to the Lapp trousers, so that no cold air can +reach the body. They are fastened round the waist by a string and are +tied above the ankle. There the fur is removed and the leather is made +very soft so that it may go round the shoe. + +I got two pairs of shoes made of the skin of the reindeer near the hoof, +with the fur outside. This part is said to be the warmest part of the +whole skin. All the Lapp shoes are sharp pointed, the point turning +upward. They are bound at the seams with red flannel. The upper part +fits above the ankle. They were large enough for me to wear two pairs of +thick, home-knitted stockings and Lapp grass to surround the foot +everywhere without pinching it. Long narrow bands of bright color are +attached to them. These bands are wound around the legs above the +ankles, thus preventing snow and wind from penetrating. These shoes can +only be used in cold weather when the snow is crisp, and are especially +adapted for skees, as they are pointed and have no heels. + +I procured also four pairs of mittens, one made of the skin of the +reindeer near the hoof, another of wool with a sort of down, the third +of cow's hair, and the fourth of goat's hair; the two latter are the +warmest, but they are very perishable. + +I also got two pairs of very thick home-knitted stockings. These were of +wool. I succeeded in getting two other pairs made of cow's hair, and +another pair made of goat's hair, and I was especially cautioned to +handle them gently when I put them on or took them off--likewise with +the mittens of goat's and cow's hair. + +I also got a vest made of soft reindeer skin to put on over my +underwear, and two sets of thick underwear of homespun, for these are +much warmer than those that are made by machinery. + +I added to my outfit one pair of long and another shorter pair of boots +for wet weather in the spring, when the snow is damp and watery. These +boots were made of the skin of the lower part of the hind legs of +reindeer, the fur being scraped off. The leather is black and it is +prepared in such a way as to exclude water or moisture. They were rubbed +with a composition of reindeer fat and tar. + +Then I bought a square Lapp cap, the top filled with eider down. The rim +could be turned down to protect the ears and the forehead. + +After procuring my Lapp outfit, I thought I would try to dress myself in +my new garments. The friend who accompanied me said: "I will show you +how to prepare your feet before you put your shoes on. One can never be +too careful, otherwise the feet are sure to be cold on a journey." + +I put on my two new pairs of hand-knitted stockings. He surrounded my +feet over the stockings with Lapp grass; then he put my shoe on most +carefully, with the lower part of the trousers inside, and then wound +the bands not too tight round my ankle, saying, "Now your feet will be +warm all day even if you spend all your time on skees. You see how +careful I have been in putting on your shoes. Dressed as you are you +can defy the cold. If you follow the advice I have given you, you will +never have cold feet no matter how long you drive or walk in the snow. +But take great care that neither shoes, nor stockings, nor grass be +damp. I think it will be well for you to let a Lapp or a Finn put your +shoes on before you start on a long journey--until you can do it +yourself quite well." + +The "shoe grass" of which I have spoken grows in the Arctic regions in +pools in the summer. It is gathered in great quantity by the Laplanders +and Finlanders, who dry it and keep it carefully, for it is +indispensable in winter in their land of snow and cold. It has the +peculiarity of retaining heat and keeping the feet warm and absorbing +the moisture. I always travelled with a good stock of that grass, +twisted and knotted together in small bundles. + +Then I looked at myself in the looking-glass, and for the first time saw +how I appeared in my new outfit, my Lapp costume. The frontispiece will +show you exactly how I was dressed (without a hood), for it is from a +photograph. Unfortunately, being a bachelor, I don't know how to take +care of things, and my costume, gloves, stockings, and mittens have been +eaten up by moths, and I have had to throw them away. But I appeared +before the American Geographical Society in New York dressed in this +suit, seated in my Lapp sleigh, with a stuffed reindeer harnessed to it, +and my bearskin over me. + +To complete my outfit I added two large reindeer-skin bags, one larger, +so that the smaller one could be put inside it without much difficulty. +I was to sleep in these bags when obliged to rest out doors on the snow. +One bag was sufficient in ordinary cold weather--say 15 or 20 degrees +below zero; the other I would use when the thermometer ranged from 25 to +40 or 50 degrees below zero. + + + + +CHAPTER V + + WHAT THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IS.--DESCRIPTION OF THE PHENOMENON OF THE LONG + NIGHT.--REASONS FOR ITS EXISTENCE.--THE ECLIPTIC AND THE + EQUINOXES.--LENGTH OF THE LONG NIGHT AT DIFFERENT PLACES. + + +Now I was ready to go further northward beyond the Arctic Circle, and +roam in "The Land of the Long Night." + +The Arctic Circle is an imaginary line, just as are the Equator and the +two Tropics, going round the earth, and begins at 66 deg. 32' north latitude +and is 1623 miles from the North Pole. It is the southernmost limit of +the region where the sun disappears in winter, under the horizon, for +one day. + +At the North Pole on the 22nd of September the sun descends to the +horizon and then disappears till the 20th of March, when it reappears +and remains in sight above the horizon until the 22nd of September. So +at the pole the year is made of one day and one night. On the 22nd day +of December it disappears at the Arctic Circle for one day only. The +space between the Arctic Circle and the pole is therefore called the +Arctic region, or the Frigid Zone. Consequently, the further one +advances to the north, the longer the duration of the night. + +I will tell you the causes of this phenomenon of the Long Night. The +earth revolves about the sun once every year, and rotates on its axis +once in twenty-four hours, which makes what we call a day. + +Rotate means to move round a centre; thus the daily turning of the earth +on its axis is a rotation. Its annual course round the sun is called a +revolution. + +The axis about which the daily rotation takes place is an imaginary +straight line passing through the centre of the earth, and its +extremities are called poles, hence the names of the North and the South +pole. The diurnal movement is from West to East and takes place in +twenty-four hours. + +The earth's orbit, or the path described by it in its annual revolution +about the sun, is, so to speak, a flattened circle, somewhat elongated, +called an ellipse. The axis of the earth is not perpendicular to the +plane of the orbit, which is an imaginary flat surface enclosed by the +line of the earth's revolution, but is inclined to it at an angle of 23 deg. +28', which angle is called the obliquity of the ecliptic. The ecliptic +is the path or way among the fixed stars which the earth in its orbit +appears to describe to an eye placed in the sun, for the sun is the +fixed centre and not the earth. The earth, therefore, in moving about +the sun, is not upright, but inclined, so that in different parts of its +course it always presents a half, but always a different half, of its +surface to the sun. + +Twice in the year, 21st of March and 21st of September, the exact half +of the earth along its axis is illuminated. On these dates, therefore, +any point on the earth's surface is, during the rotation of the earth on +its axis, half the time in light and half the time in darkness,--that +is, day and night are twelve hours each all over the globe. + +These two dates are called equinoxes, March 21st being the vernal, and +September 21st being the autumnal, equinox. + +As the earth moves in its orbit after March 21st, the North Pole +inclines more and more towards the sun, till June 21st, after which it +turns away from it. On September 21st day and night are again equal all +over the earth, and after this the North Pole is turned away from the +sun, and does not receive its light again till the following March. + +It will thus be seen that from the autumnal to the vernal equinox the +North Pole is in darkness and has a night of six months' duration, +during which time the sun is not seen. Therefore, any point near the +pole is, during any given twenty-four hours, longer in darkness than in +light. + +The number of days of constant darkness depends on the latitude of the +observer. At the pole the sun is not seen for six months, at the Arctic +Circle it is invisible, as I have said, for only one day in December. At +North Cape and Nordkyn the sun disappears November 18th, and is not seen +again till January 24th. That is the reason I have called the land +between North Cape and the Arctic Circle "The Land of the Long Night." + +This "Land of the Long Night" commences at Nordkyn, or the most northern +point of the continent of Europe,--or at North Cape, but five miles +distant--on the 16th of November. The whole sun appears on that day, its +lower rim just touching above the horizon at noon. The next day, 17th of +November, the lower half of the sun has disappeared, and the following +day, the 18th, it sinks below the horizon and does not show itself again +until the 24th of January--hence the night there lasts sixty-seven days +of twenty-four hours each. And at the Arctic Circle the sun is only +completely hidden on the 22nd of December. + +The following table shows you the dates of the disappearance of the sun, +and of its reappearance at the principal places to which we are going. + + THE CONTINUOUS NIGHT + + _Where the sun is last seen, begins at:_ + + Karasjok November 26th + Vardoe 22nd + Hammerfest 21st + North Cape or Nordkyn 18th + + _Where the sun is first seen again, begins at:_ + + Karasjok January 16th + Vardoe 20th + Hammerfest 21st + North Cape or Nordkyn 24th + +I hope that I have been successful in giving you an idea of day and +night in the Frigid Zone. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + + FINE WEATHER LEAVING HAPARANDA.--WINDSTORMS SUCCEED.--A FINLANDER'S + FARM.--STRANGE FIREPLACE.--INTERIOR OF A COW-HOUSE.--QUEER FOOD + FOR CATTLE.--PASSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. + + +I left Haparanda in the beginning of January, surrounded by the friends +who had taken such an interest in me. The atmosphere was clear, and not +a cloud was to be seen in the pale blue sky, turning into greenish as it +approached the horizon. There was not a breath of wind. Once the +thermometer marked 30 degrees below zero. + +"Be careful," said my friends. "This is treacherous weather for ears and +noses, there is danger of their getting frozen; rub them, and also your +face, now and then with snow. Keep your ears covered, and protect them +with your hood. If it becomes colder put on your mask." + +I thanked them for their kind advice, but replied: "No mask for me just +now, I want to breathe this pure invigorating air as much as I can. I +want it to reach my lungs." + +[Illustration: "It was indeed, a fearful wind storm."] + +"Be careful in such weather," they repeated. "This is beautiful weather +indeed, but sometimes it does not last long and is followed by furious +gales, or great snowstorms; but we hope this fine weather will follow +you for many days. Often it lasts quite a while." + +Then we bade good-bye to each other. They tucked the sheepskin round me, +and bade the driver to take good care of Paulus. + +Soon after this we were out of Haparanda and on the highroad leading to +Pajala, which was about one hundred and ten miles further north, there +being ten or twelve post stations between the two places. + +Sleighing was fine, the road had been used much, so we went on at a very +fast pace. It was just the weather people, horses, dogs, and reindeer +liked. I liked it also very much, for it was so exhilarating, and I felt +so well and so strong. I was ready, nevertheless, for all kinds of +weather, and I was fully prepared to meet great storms, for I wanted to +encounter the blizzards of the Arctic regions just to find out how +strongly the wind could blow. I found out later! + +I changed horses at several post stations during the day, among them the +stations of Korpikyla, Niemis, Ruskola, and Matarengi. I found that the +Finnish language was now prevalent, Swedish being only spoken by +comparatively few people. + +That day was the end of the fine weather. Towards evening the wind was +blowing very hard, and it increased in strength every minute until it +blew a perfect hurricane. Then what my friends had said to me came to +mind. It was indeed a fearful windstorm! + +The gale had become such that the horse at times did not seem to have +strength enough to pull our sleigh. The snow flew in thick cloudy masses +to a great height, curling and recurling upon itself and blinding us. +Fortunately our robes were fastened very securely. I wore my hood, and +it was so arranged that my eyes were the only part of my face that was +not covered. The wind was so powerful that our sleigh was in continual +danger of upsetting, and was only saved because it was so low. + +I was glad indeed when I reached the hamlet of Matarengi with its +red-painted log church, two hundred years old, and separate belfry of +the same color. + +The windstorm lasted three days. During that time I found that the +temperature varied from 8 to 22 degrees below zero. + +Then it became calm, the sky was perfectly clear, and the mercury marked +40 degrees below zero. There was not a breath of wind. It was fine, and +I made ready to continue my journey. + +Wherever I changed horse and sleigh, before starting I shook hands with +the station master and his family, and after this bade good-bye to the +driver who had brought me to the place. One must not forget that little +politeness in these northern lands, otherwise the people would think you +ill-bred or proud and would dislike you. No man has ever made friends by +being proud or conceited. It is, after all, very silly, and often very +ill-bred. I have found that one gets along much better in the world by +being polite and obliging. It is so much easier to be pleasant than +sour and gruff. In the former case you are happy; in the latter +discontented and wretched. I always feel sorry when I meet people who +are proud or conceited. Often I laugh at them in my sleeve, and when +that pride or conceit becomes overbearing I have great contempt for +them, and do not wish to have anything to do with them. + +I approached very fast the regions of "The Land of the Long Night." The +road was filled with freshly made, huge snowdrifts, which greatly +impeded our progress. Towards noon the wind increased again, and soon I +was in a worse gale than before. I said to myself, "Now I am indeed in +'The Land of the Wind.'" + +Suddenly I saw dimly through the clouds of snow the dwellings of a farm. +"Let us go there," I said to my driver, "for we cannot reach the post +station to-day." Our horse evidently thought as we did; he had made up +his mind to go no further, and preferred to be in a stable. He suddenly +turned to the right, entered the yard, and stopped before the +dwelling-house of the farm. I alighted. I was so dizzy from the effects +of the wind that I could not walk straight, and tottered about for a +minute or more. My driver was in the same condition. + +I entered the house and found myself in a large room, in the midst of a +family of Finlanders, whose language is very unlike the Swedish or +Norwegian. I was welcomed at once by all. + +I looked around, and saw a queer-looking structure, built of slabs of +stone plastered over. It was about seven feet square, the inside +oven-like in shape. They were just lighting a fire; then the door was +closed. In one section of the structure was an open fireplace used for +cooking. + +Poles were secured to the ceiling near the fireplace, upon which hung +garments,--stockings, shoes, boots, and other articles. In the middle of +the room was the usual trap-door leading into the cellar. There were two +large hand looms upon which two girls were weaving. These two looms were +very old and had been several generations in the family. Three other +girls were occupied with wheels, spinning wool and flax. + +Along the walls of this large room, which was about twenty feet square, +were a number of bench-like sofas, used for beds. Two or three wooden +chairs, and a large wooden table surrounded by wooden benches, made up +the rest of the furniture. + +The stove began to heat the room fearfully, for after the firewood had +been reduced to charcoal, and the fumes from it were gone, the sliding +trap-door in the chimney had been closed, thus preventing the heat from +escaping. The thick walls of the oven-like stove had been heated, and +threw out a great deal of heat, which to me soon became unbearable. + +The farmer said to me that the walls would remain warm for two or three +days. The windows were all tight; none could be opened, and the only +ventilation came through the door when some one came in or went out. + +I went out and looked at the farm buildings while my sleigh was being +made ready. I was surprised to see the buildings of the farm and the big +timber of the log house, for I was so far north. The yard was enclosed +by houses on three sides. The dwelling-house, the barn, and the +cow-houses were the largest buildings. There were besides a blacksmith +shop, a storehouse, and a shed for carts. All these buildings were +painted red. + +In the middle of the yard was an old-fashioned well, with its sweep, +having at one end a bucket and at the other a heavy stone, and +surrounded by a thick mass of ice. From the well there was a trough +going into the cow-house, which I entered. The cattle were small and +well-shaped and in good order. The building was very low, the windows +very small and giving but little light. The floor was entirely planked +over, and there were pens on each side. + +Looking towards the end of the building I saw a girl standing by a huge +iron pot, about four feet in diameter and three feet deep, encased in +masonry. She was putting coarse marsh grass into the pot, which was +filled with water made warm by a fire underneath. "Much of the grass we +gather," said the farmer, "is coarse, and it is so tough that the cattle +cannot eat it; so we have to prepare it in this way before we give it to +them." + +A number of sheep were penned in a corner. "Our three horses," said the +farmer, "have a stable for themselves." This farm was one of the good +farms, and there were a number quite as good. In some the dwellings are +of two stories, but these were the great exception. + +In the mean time supper had been prepared. Dry mutton as tough as +leather but cut very thin, smoked reindeer meat, hard bread, butter, +cheese, two wooden bowls of buttermilk, and fish were put on the table. +This was a great repast, in my honor. There was no tablecloth, no +napkin, no fork, the flat bread was used instead of plates, we had +wooden spoons for the sour milk, and helped ourselves to it from the +common dish. + +A little after supper came bedtime. The girls, looking at the clock, +which marked nine, suddenly got up to make the beds ready. They pulled +out the sliding boxes, in one of which three of them were to sleep. The +boxes were filled with straw and hay, and had homespun blankets or +sheepskins, and eider down or feather pillows. The sofa-like beds were +all along the walls, for there was a large family. + +It was well that I was at the farm. A more terrific windstorm than all +those I had seen before, arose during the night. In the morning the snow +swirled to an immense height, hiding everything from sight; the whole +country was enveloped in a thick cloud; the huge snowdrifts were carried +hither and thither. The storm lasted two days, and after it was over the +weather became calm, the temperature was 40 deg. below zero, and when the +atmosphere was very clear we had about three or four hours of twilight. + +Then I bade farewell to the good farmer and his wife, and once more I +was on my way to "The Land of the Long Night," which was now very near. + +The next day I came to a little lake the natives called Kunsijarvi, and +further on I came to still another lake called Rukojarvi; and between +these two I had crossed the Arctic Circle. But it was January, the sun +showed itself above the horizon at noon. Near the shore of Lake +Rukojarvi was a solitary farm, where I stopped. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + + SKEES, OR THE QUEER SNOWSHOES OF THE NORTH.--HOW THEY ARE MADE.--LEARNING + TO USE THEM.--JOSEFF'S INSTRUCTIONS.--HARD WORK AT FIRST.--GOING DOWN + HILL.--I BID JOSEFF GOOD-BYE. + + +In the morning Joseff, the owner of the farm, said to me: "Paulus, +before you go further on your journey you must learn to go on skees; +otherwise you will not be able to travel, for the snow is very deep +further north. I will teach you how to use skees, but in order to learn +you must remain with us for some time." + +Then pointing to the lake near by, he said, "This is the place where you +are to learn. It will be easy for you to walk with them, for the surface +of the lake is smooth and flat." + +After saying this, he went into one of the outer buildings of the farm +and came out with several beautiful pairs of skees, and handed one of +them to me with these words: "I give them to you; when you wander +further north and walk with them, think of me." I thanked Joseff for his +gift and said: "I will always remember you, also your wife and your +children, without these skees." Then looking at them, I added, "How +beautiful they are! How proud I shall be when I walk with them." + +These skees, or snowshoes of northern Europe, are made of wood from the +fir tree; at their thickest part, in the centre, they are between four +and five inches in width. Here, where the foot rests, there is a piece +of birch bark fastened, over which there is a loop, and through this +loop the foot passes. That part of the skee under the foot is concave, +and here it is thickest, so that where it supports the weight of the +person it cannot bend downward. The under part of the skee is grooved +and polished, and soon becomes by use as smooth as glass. The forward +end turns slightly upward, as you see by the pictures, so as to pass +over the snow easily. + +Joseff left me, and soon came back with a good many more skees; some +were not more than six feet long; one pair was much longer than mine. + +After I had looked at them, he said, "The short ones are used in the +forest, especially among the Lapps, where pine, fir, or birch trees are +close together, for there long skees cannot be used; but a heavily built +man must have longer ones." Then pointing to the long pair, which were +about fourteen feet long, he said, "These long skees are used chiefly in +the province of Jemtland, which you passed on the shores of the Baltic +on your way here. The snow is generally very deep there, and after a +great snow fall, when it is very soft, long skees are needed so that +they can bear up the weight of a man and not sink too deeply. Here we +use skees of about the size of the pair I gave you, sometimes a little +longer; but you are not a heavy man, so longer ones are not necessary +for you. They will be able to support your weight without going deeply +into the snow, even when it is soft." + +Then showing another pair, he said, "These have sealskin under them. +They are used in the spring when the snow is soft and becomes watery; +the skin prevents the snow from sticking to the skee." + +The following morning we started with our skees for the lake, I carrying +mine on my shoulders. When we reached the lake Joseff said, "Put your +feet under the loops, and you must manage to keep them there, just as +you would do if you had an old pair of slippers much too large for you. +You would have all the time to push your feet forward to keep them on. +Do likewise with the skees. Your sharp-pointed Lapp shoes will help you +to do this, as they somewhat prevent the slipping of the skee. It will +be a little difficult at first, but it will not take long for you to +learn to do this. Constant practice will be the best teacher, and you +will soon be able to walk with them." + +Then Joseff gave me two staves to propel myself with. At the end of each +was an iron spike, and above it a guard of wicker-work, about ten inches +in diameter, to prevent the stick from sinking deeper. "These staves," +he added, "are very useful when the snow is soft and the skees do not +glide easily. Then propelling oneself with them makes one go faster. +Though the snow is packed they will help you, as you are a beginner. The +most important point to learn is to keep the skees always parallel with +each other; this is somewhat difficult at first. Never raise your feet +or skees above the ground; make them glide on the snow; push one foot +forward, then the other, just as when you walk." + +Then he got on his skees, and said: "Now, look at me and see how I go." +I saw him gliding on the snow, pushing first one foot then the other, +the two skees running parallel with each other; and when one had a +tendency to go inside or outside, he corrected the deviation at once by +a slight movement of his leg and foot. I noticed afterward that with +many persons the ankle was very flexible, owing to their going so much +on skees. + +After going some distance he returned to me, and we started slowly +together. I pushed first one foot then the other forward, and tried to +do exactly what he had told me to do; but before I knew it the end of +one skee overlapped the other and stopped my advance at once. +Fortunately I was going slowly, otherwise I should have landed on the +snow. "The overlapping of one skee over the other is quite common with a +beginner," said my teacher to me. + +Putting my skees in position again, we started. This time one of my +skees left me. Several times the two left me, and I found myself seated +on the snow every time. I made slow progress that day. At the end of the +lesson Joseff said, "Do not be discouraged, Paulus, you will soon learn +the knack. I will now show you how fast a man can go on skees. Look at +me." Then he started; he seemed simply to fly over the snow, and before +many minutes he was far away, almost out of sight. He was going at the +rate of at least twenty miles an hour. + +I said to myself: "O Paul, when will you go as fast as Joseff!" I was +filled with ambition. I wanted to learn as fast as I could, and I +thought I would take lessons every day. + +When he returned the perspiration was dripping from his face, though the +cold was 39 degrees below zero. + +I spent several hours every day on the lake, learning and practising, +and when Joseff had time he would come with me; and after three days I +was able to manage the skees tolerably well. I kept them in line and +they did not slip out from my feet any more. I could go several thousand +yards without stopping and with no mishaps. + +After I could do this, Joseff said to me: "Paulus, you know now how to +go well on skees upon level land; now you must learn how to go down hill +with them. This is difficult, and I do not know whether in one winter +you can learn how to do it--at least so as to go down the slopes of +mountains; one has to have learned that in boyhood--but I will teach you +anyhow to go down hill safely." + +We left the farm and went on with our skees until we came to the foot of +a pretty steep hill. Then Joseff said: "We will stop here, and I will +teach you to go down hill." + +I noticed that he said this with a roguish eye, which was full of fun, +and I began to suspect that things were not to go as smoothly as when I +was taught on the lake. "We cannot ascend this steep hill straight +forward, for the skees would slip backward. We must ascend in zigzag," +said Joseff; and then with his staff he showed me how we were to go. +"Follow my furrow, then it will be easier for you," said he. I found it +hard enough, and slow work. When we reached the top of the hill we were +very warm, though that day it was 32 degrees below zero. I was wet with +perspiration. + +After a rest, Joseff said: "Paulus, look at me." Straightening his skees +and armed with his staff he leaned his body forward, and down he went, +faster than boys coasting down a very steep hill at home. It was fine, +and I wished I could learn quickly and go down hill as fast as he did. + +When he had ascended the hill again, Joseff said to me: "Now, Paulus, +get ready." He saw that my skees were in position, and saying, "Bend +your body far forward as you go down," he shouted "Go!" At this word I +bent my body forward as he had told me, and down I went; but I got +scared, as I was going very fast, and forgot to follow his advice; +straightened myself and bent backward, and before I knew it my skees +slipped from my feet. I was unskeed just like a man who is unhorsed, and +was seated on the snow looking at my skees, which were going forward +down the steep hill and only stopped at its base, to the great +amusement of Joseff, who evidently expected something of the kind. "The +tendency of a beginner," he explained, "is to bend backward, thinking +that by doing so he will be able not to go so fast; this invariably +brings about the same result, and he falls." + +After a good laugh from both of us, Joseff said: "Paulus, try again; but +this time I will teach you to go down hill in another way." He gave me +his big stick, and said, "Ride this, and rest upon it as heavily as you +can, so that a great part of your weight shall be on the end that sinks +into the snow, and before you start let the stick be in the snow about +three inches deep. Thus you will be prevented from going down too fast. +Don't forget to start with your skees running straight along side of +each other." I went down riding the stick, and reached the bottom of the +hill in safety. I felt very proud of my success, but thought that if I +could ever do this like Joseff how happy I should be. + +Then Joseff gave me another warning. "Paulus," said he, "people must +look out carefully not to run into boulders as they go down hill, and a +hill full of boulders only those who can guide their skees well can +venture to go down. Avoid such hills when you are further north, for +otherwise you might even be killed." + +[Illustration: "Paulus, try again!"] + +Shortly after our return to the farm the wind began again to rise, and +another terrific windstorm blew over the land. The hillocks of snow were +swept from where they stood and new hillocks were made in other +places. When I went out the wind almost took me off my feet. + +I found that my friends in Haparanda were right. The Lapp costume is +well adapted for cold weather. Nothing is warmer than reindeer skin, and +it is convenient either when the wearer is driving in his Lapp sleigh, +walking or travelling on skees, or when breasting violent windstorms. + +I finally bade good-bye to Joseff, and thanked him for having taught me +to go on skees. And I continued my journey northward, with a guide to +show me the way. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + A PRIMITIVE STEAM BATH HOUSE.--HOW THE BATH WAS PREPARED.--WHAT ARE THE + TWIGS FOR?--I ASCERTAIN.--ROLLING IN THE SNOW.--FINE EFFECT OF THE + BATH. + + +A few miles further on I came to a little hamlet composed of a few +farms. The inhabitants were all Finlanders. Travelling was so bad, on +account of the big drifts of snow, that I decided to stay a few days in +the place. The following day was Saturday and the afternoon was the +beginning of Sunday, and the boys and the young men of the place said to +me: "Paulus, to-day is bathing day. Every Saturday we have a bath." + +"All right, boys," I replied, "I will have a bath with you." Of course +they did not mean a water bath, but a steam bath. + +Pointing to a little log building, they said, "Paulus, this is the bath +house. Come, and we will show you how we work out a steam bath in our +country. You see the bath house stands away from other buildings, to +prevent the fire from spreading in case it should start anywhere." + +So I went with them to the bath house and got in. It was dark, and no +light or air could come in except through the door. The room was about +fifteen to eighteen feet long and about ten or twelve feet wide. In the +centre there was an oven-like structure, made of boulders piled upon +each other without any cement whatever. Along the walls were three rows +of seats, made simply from the branches of trees and rising one above +the other, just like seats at a circus, the first one being near the +ground. The people had brought wood beforehand. This they put into the +oven and set fire to it. They said to me, "We are going to keep the fire +burning all the time, to heat the stones, and when they are burning hot +this afternoon we will stop the fire, the place will be cleaned, and +then we will take our bath." + +We were soon obliged to go out, on account of the smoke. And the fire +was kept up all day, boys coming now and then with more firewood to add +to it. + +Late in the afternoon I went with two women who cleaned the place +thoroughly and took away the ashes, and a big vessel put next the oven +was filled with water. Slender boughs of birch trees were brought in, +and I wondered why. I found out later! Finally word was sent round that +everything was ready. + +Then my new friends said to me, "Paulus, you will undress in your room +and come to the bath room with nothing on, for there is no place there +to dress or to hang your clothes. We all go there naked." + +"But," said I, "it is 30 degrees below zero." + +"That is nothing," they answered, laughing. "The bath house is close +by--just a stone's throw from your place, and you will find it warm +enough there," upon which they left me to get ready themselves. + +When I was undressed I looked through the windows and saw men and boys +without clothes on running towards the bath house, which they entered +quickly and shut the door. + +It did not take me much time to reach the bath house. I ran double quick +to it. Oh! wasn't it cold on the way! But as soon as I was in I could +feel the great heat from the oven. It was so warm, and felt so good +after coming from the icy air. + +Then water was taken from the large vessel and thrown over the stones +with a big dipper. Steam rose at once; then more water was thrown, until +the place was full of steam. I could not stand it. It was too hot for +me. "Don't stand up, Paulus," they said; "sit on the lower seat." Even +that was too high for me. I sat on the floor until I got accustomed to +breathing the hot air. The perspiration was fairly running down my body. +More water was poured and more steam was raised. + +Then one of the fellows said, "Paulus, let me give you a switching with +the birch twigs. It is fine; it brings the blood into circulation." One +of the boys began to switch my back, and soon I cried, "Enough, enough, +enough!" Soon all were switching one another, and the one who had +switched me said, "Paulus, give me a good switching--harder than the one +I gave you." I thought mine had been strong enough; my back must have +been as red as a boiled lobster. I followed his injunctions until he +said it was enough. + +Then more steam was raised after a while, and after this was done all +shouted, "Let us have another switching before we go." At last I went +out with a few of the men, when, lo! they rolled over two or three times +in the snow, calling out to me to do likewise; that it felt so good. I +did what they bade me to do. How nice it was! It was a delightful +sensation. Then we got up and ran as fast as we could for our houses. + +As we ran, they called to me, "Paulus, do not dress at once, and not +before you have stopped perspiring." So I walked up and down in my room +for more than an hour before I dressed. After this I felt like a new +man. + +The Finlanders do not dress like the Laplanders when they are at home; +it is only when they travel that they wear the kapta or pesh. The men +wear long overcoats, lined with woolly sheepskin. The women's dress is +composed of a body of black cloth, with skirt of thick homespun wool. +Their long and heavy jackets are also lined with sheepskin inside, and +they wear hoods. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + HOW THE LAPPS AND FINNS TRAVEL.--STRANGE-LOOKING SLEIGHS.--DIFFERENT + VARIETIES.--LASSOING REINDEER.--DESCRIPTION OF THE REINDEER. + + +After leaving this hamlet where I had such an odd bath, I came to a farm +where I saw sleighs the like of which I had never seen before. To many +of these were harnessed reindeer with superb horns, while others were +without animals. + +These sleighs looked exactly like little tiny boats, just big enough to +carry one person and a very small amount of luggage, but not big enough +for trunks. They were all made of narrow fir-tree planks, strongly +ribbed inside just like boats, about seven feet long and two and +one-half feet in width at the end, which was the broadest part. The +forward part of some was decked. They all had a strong leather ring to +which the traces were fastened. They had holes pierced in their sides +for strings to pass through from one side to the other to keep +everything fast. They had keels like sailing boats; these were very +strong and about four inches wide, and varied some in thickness or +height; many of the keels were much worn from constant use. + +As I was looking at these sleighs, strange-looking people of very small +stature came out of the farmhouses. These were Lapps, and they were +dressed as I was. We saluted each other and began to speak together in +Swedish, and they wondered where I came from. + +One of them said to me, "You are looking at our sleighs as if you had +never seen such ones before." + +"You are right," I replied, "I have never seen such sleighs before, and +if these had been on the shores of a river or lake, I should have taken +them to be boats." + +Then the Lapp explained: "The higher the keel is the quicker the sleigh +can go and the faster we can travel. The keel acts like a runner, and +when the snow is well packed and crisp, the sides of the sleigh hardly +touch it; but this makes it the more difficult for a beginner to remain +inside, for the sleigh rocks to and fro." + +Then pointing to a sleigh, he said, "This kind is called 'Kerres.' They +are used to carry merchandise or people." Then pointing to another, +"This kind is called a 'Lakkek.'" These were somewhat larger than the +other, and had decks like a vessel, with a sort of hatchway. These were +used as trunks; two had their decks covered with sealskin to make them +more surely water-tight. + +"In these," said the Lapp, "we carry our woollen clothing, our fine +handkerchiefs, our jewelry, our silver spoons, our prayer-book and +psalm-book--everything that is precious. In them we also carry our +provisions, our coffee, our sugar, salt, and everything that has to be +protected against snow or dampness." + +Another kind was called "Akja," especially built for fast travelling, +and had keels about two and a half to three inches thick. The forward +part of these was over-decked to about a third of the length, and +covered with sealskin. The decked part was a sort of box or trunk to +keep provisions or other things necessary for a journey which required +to be protected. The backs of most of these were leather-cushioned. + +After I had looked carefully at all the sleighs, I went to the farmhouse +with the Lapps and was welcomed by the Finlander who owned the place. +His name was Jon. We were soon friends. + +The people asked me whither I was bound, and I told them that I was +going as far north as the Arctic Ocean, as far as Nordkyn. Then they +said to me, "You cannot go further without learning how to drive +reindeer, for you must give up horses. The snow is too deep and we do +not use dogs in our country. We will teach you how to drive reindeer and +use our sleighs; then, when you know, some of us will take you where you +want to go, either north, east, or west." + +I bought a very pretty sleigh with the forward part decked over, where +some of my things could be stored. The back was cushioned and covered +with sealskin made fast with broad rounded-top copper nails. This was a +really "swell" sleigh. + +The next day Jon said to me, "Let us go together where my herd of +reindeer is, and lasso those I want to use, for I am going to teach you +myself how to drive," adding: "I own over one thousand reindeer." + +He called two other Lapps, and we put on our skees and started, and soon +after we were out of sight of the house. After an hour's travel we +reached the reindeer. I noticed that the snow was not very deep. + +"In this herd I have over sixty reindeer that have been broken to +harness," said Jon. + +"How can you find them out of such a great number?" I asked. "To me so +many of them look alike, in fact they would all look alike if it were +not that with some the horns are not as big as those of the others." + +"I know them all," he replied. "I could even tell the ones that are +missing." + +Then I remembered that I had heard that a shepherd knew every sheep of +his flock. + +"Stay where you are," said Jon. "Many of the reindeer are shy, and do +not come to us when we are trying to lasso them." + +Jon and the other two Lapps let their skees slip off their feet, so that +they could have a stronger footing, looked round so as to recognize the +deer they wanted, and then with their lassos in their hands, ready to be +flung, walked very carefully towards two reindeer somewhat apart from +the others. When they were near enough, some ten or fifteen yards from +them, which is about the distance one can lasso with a chance of +success, they stopped and threw their lassos over the horns of the +animals. One made no effort to escape, for he had been used to this for +more than five years; but the other cut up any amount of pranks, though +in his efforts to get away the rope got tighter and tighter at the base +of his horns. + +The man had to use all his strength before the animal was subdued. Once +or twice he was pulled by the reindeer and almost fell. In his efforts +to get away the reindeer entangled his legs in the lasso and fell +powerless. In the mean time Jon had come gently towards his reindeer and +knotted the cord of the lasso round his muzzle. + +"We always do this," said he to me, "as a measure of precaution. When +thus corded the reindeer move with far more difficulty if they wish to +run away." + +The other reindeer, which fought so desperately for freedom, had only +been used twice during the winter and was not accustomed to being +lassoed. + +These two animals were tied to trees, and then Jon and the Lapps went to +capture two others. Jon missed the second reindeer, a splendid bull, on +the first throw, the lasso falling on his back; but the next throw +caught him. At the same time the other man had succeeded in lassoing the +fourth one. + +[Illustration: "The man had to use all his strength."] + +Then Jon, pointing to the second reindeer he had lassoed, said: "Paulus, +I wanted this one especially for you. He is thirteen years old. He is +one of my favorites and has been often under harness. He does not go +quite as fast as he did formerly, but he is just the reindeer for +you, for he is more easily managed than any others I own." + +I looked at the reindeer. I noticed that the animal had much stouter +legs than the common deer, or even than the elk, and the hoofs were +particularly large. They are smaller than our own big elks, and looked +very much like our caribou. The hair of the majority of the reindeer was +gray, very coarse and thick, and almost white under the belly. Some of +the animals in the herd were white. + +Then we went homeward. Two or three times one of the reindeer made a +light show of resistance and had to be pulled for a minute or so, and +the wilder one was even less easy to manage; he struggled hard several +times, and twice the Lapp who held him was almost thrown down. + + + + +CHAPTER X + + HARNESSING REINDEER.--THE FIRST LESSONS IN DRIVING.--CONSTANTLY UPSET + AT FIRST.--GOING DOWN HILL WITH REINDEER.--THROWN OUT AT THE + BOTTOM.--QUEER NOISE MADE BY REINDEER HOOFS. + + +On our return we tied our reindeer securely and went to a small house +where the harness was kept. There I saw along the walls many collars, +leather straps, and traces, but no bits. I thought this was singular, +and I wondered how the reindeer could be driven, but I said nothing. But +when harnesses for the reindeer were brought out I found that harnessing +a reindeer was very unlike harnessing a horse, and far more simple. A +collar was put on, and at the lower part of the collar a strong plaited +leather trace was fastened. This passed between the reindeer's legs and +was made fast to the forward part of the sleigh. No bits are used. The +rein (there was only one) was also of plaited leather and fastened at +the base of the horns. + +During this process the reindeer seemed very restless and several times +were on the point of running away. + +"The harnessing, as you see," said Jon to me, "though simple, has to be +done with great care, for no matter how well trained a reindeer is, as +soon as he is harnessed he wants to go; besides, he is easily scared +when in harness." So while things were being made ready for the start +the reindeer were tightly held. + +"I will now show you how to take your place in the sleigh," said Jon. +Then he sat upright at the bottom, with his legs stretched before him +and his back resting against the end of the sleigh. Then he got out and +said, "Now you get in." I found the position a very uncomfortable one; +but this is the only way one can sit in these little sleighs. And it +took me some time to get accustomed to it without getting tired, though +afterwards I could sit for hours without getting out. + +Jon handed me the rein and twisted it round my wrist, and said with a +rather roguish smile: "Now, if you upset, the reindeer cannot run away +without you! After a while he will stop when he knows you are tipped +over. You will roll over several times in the snow before he stops." + +"All right," I replied, "there is plenty of snow, no harm can come to +me. My head is safe." + +"Be careful, Paulus," he added; "see that your rein never touches the +snow, for if it should get under the sleigh your arm might become +entangled and your wrist or shoulder be dislocated. If you upset, let +the rein go. If you want the reindeer to stop, throw the rein to the +left. If you want him to go fast, keep it on the right. Keep your rein +always loose, almost touching the snow. Have a sharp lookout about +this. + +"I myself will ride with my legs outside, my toes touching the snow to +guide my sleigh; but you are a beginner, and you cannot do so. Never +ride with your legs out, for it is dangerous for a man who is not +accustomed to it to ride that way. Sometimes accidents happen even among +the most expert, and some Lapps get seriously injured. Here is a stick +to guide your sleigh, and to prevent your reindeer from going too fast +push the stick deep into the snow. It will not be as good as feet, but +it is much better than nothing. + +"I will take the lead, you will follow, and two Lapps will come behind +to watch over you. Do not mind if you upset often; do not be +discouraged; a beginner has to upset many times before he knows how to +drive a reindeer and keep in his sleigh." + +In the mean time our reindeers had become very restive and they were +held with difficulty. Suddenly Jon gave the order to start. + +We started at a furious speed, and my sleigh rocked to and fro. It was +awful. I swayed first one way, then another. I knew that I could not +keep my equilibrium long without being thrown out, and I was right. Each +reindeer wanted to go faster than the others; they kept on at a terrible +gait. I was shot out of the sleigh, heels over head, and rolled over and +over in the snow. Finally the animal stopped. + +[Illustration: "I was shot out of the sleigh."] + +The Lapps behind me came to the rescue. After brushing the snow from my +face I got in again, and my reindeer started off at a fearful speed, and +in less than thirty seconds I was once more shot out of my sleigh. +This time the rein slipped from my wrist, as I had not secured it well +enough, and the animal sped away, leaving me on my back, blinded by the +snow. The Lapps went on their skees after my reindeer, which in the mean +time had stopped, and brought it back to me. + +Then they said to me with a laugh: "Often reindeer start that way when +they feel frisky. To-day is the right sort of weather for them. The +mercury marks 40 degrees below zero. The starting is the most difficult +part." + +I thought so! I got into my sleigh, and the animal started at a furious +speed, and once more I was shot out of the sleigh. I got up half +stunned, covered with snow. Fortunately I had twisted the rein so well +round my wrist this time that the reindeer could not run away without +me, and he stopped after I had been dragged a few seconds. + +I was not disheartened--so I kept on driving and being thrown out. It +happened so often that I began to tire of counting the number of times I +upset. It must have been nearly one hundred times that day. It had been +a very hard day's work for me. + +The second day I took more lessons, and began to learn how to balance +myself. It is a knack, and I began to improve and had fewer upsettings. +The third day I did better. I gradually learned pretty well how to +balance myself on level ground, and did not upset any more. + +After a few days I knew how to drive reindeer on level ground, and I +could guide my sleigh with a stick as well as a sailor steers his boat +with the rudder. + +When I had reached this stage of expertness Jon said to me: "Paulus, now +you can drive in a level country, but soon you will come where there are +many steep hills, and mountains. So you must learn how to drive down +steep hills. This is often very exciting. The weather is beautiful, and +this afternoon I want you to take your first lesson going down hill. I +have sent men for a fresh set of reindeer; they will soon be back." + +In the course of the afternoon the reindeer came out harnessed, and as +we were ready to start, "I will lead," said Jon, "you will follow, and +another Lapp will come third. It is far more difficult to go down hill +than to drive on a level surface. You must put your stick deep into the +snow to slacken the speed and guide your sleigh. Don't be frightened at +the speed, which is very great, and be careful not to be thrown out when +you reach the bottom of the hill; this is the most difficult part of +driving, for the reindeer turn sharply so as not to have the sleigh +strike their legs." At this remark I thought of my going down hill on +skees. That was hard enough, and I wondered what would happen to me with +the sleigh. + +The surface of the country was slightly undulating, and our reindeer +followed each other in good order and at a short distance from one +another. + +Suddenly Jon slackened the pace of his reindeer so that I should +overtake him. Then, when within hearing distance, he called out: "We +will soon go down a steep hill," and he started again. + +He had hardly said these words when he was out of sight. I reached the +crest of the hill, then down went my reindeer at a terrible pace, +railway speed in fact, and as the animal reached the bottom of the hill +he made a sudden sharp curve. For a few seconds my body swayed from one +side to the other, and before I knew it I was flung headlong out of the +sleigh. + +This took place in a great deal less time than I can tell it in. I had +been thrown out with great force against the snow, face forward, and as +the snow was granulated it hurt. + +I had learned to be quick. I was in my sleigh in the twinkling of an eye +and followed the track made by Jon, and we rode quietly on the plain. +Soon Jon stopped and a moment after I joined him. + +"Paulus," said he, when I had caught up with him, "we must try another +descent." We ascended the bank in a zigzag way (I following his track) +until we reached the summit. It was hard work. This hill was very long +and steep. When ready Jon shouted: "Paulus, look out; we are going to +have another descent." The pace of my reindeer was tremendous as he went +down. The animal seemed to know that if he did not go fast enough the +sleigh would strike against his legs as he descended the hill. Down we +went; we simply seemed to fly, and as the reindeer got to the bottom he +made the same sharp turn again, the sleigh whirled round with a great +jerk, and I was thrown out head over heels as before. + +During the descent, as my animal ran his hind feet threw particles of +granulated snow in my face--they were like small stones striking it with +great force. It hurt awfully. After this I was obliged to put on my mask +for protection that day. + +Ever since I had begun driving reindeer I had heard a noise, a sharp +sound, as if sticks of wood were striking against each other, when the +animals were trotting at full speed. It occurred to me to ask what was +the cause of this curious noise. My Lapp replied, "Every time the hoof +of the reindeer touches the snow it spreads wide apart, broadening in +this way and keeping the animal from sinking too deep in the snow; and +when the foot is lifted, the two sides of the hoof are brought together +again, striking against each other and making the noise you hear." + +I continued to improve every day in going down hill, and succeeded at +last in keeping in by throwing my body in the opposite direction when +the reindeer made his sharp turn. This difficulty conquered, I bade Jon +a hearty good-bye, thanking him for his patience in teaching me, and +continued my journey. + +[Illustration: "At noon I saw the sun's lower rim touching the +horizon."] + +From Rukojarvi I had followed the highroad, passed the post stations of +Korpilombolo with its church, Sattajarvi, and came to the hamlet of +Pajala, in latitude 67 deg. 10'. The hamlet is situated near the junction of +the Torne river with the Muonio, and had a church. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + THE LAST DAYS OF THE SUN.--BEGINNING OF THE LONG NIGHT.--A MIGHTY WALL + OF ICE.--THE LONG NIGHT'S WARNING VOICE.--THE AURORA BOREALIS AND + ITS MAGNIFICENCE. + + +The day I left Pajala I saw the sun at noon; it was hardly above the +horizon; it had barely risen and shown itself when it was sunset and it +disappeared under the horizon. + +Then came a long snowstorm, and for a wonder one without a gale. After +the snowstorm the sky suddenly cleared, and at noon I saw the sun's +lower rim touching the horizon. It was of a fiery red. Then after a +while it disappeared. + +The next day only the upper half of the sun was above the horizon at +noon, and just as the rim was ready to sink I fancied I heard the sun +say to me: "To-morrow you will not see me; then you will have entered +'The Land of the Long Night,' and when you go further and further north +you will be in that land. Good-bye, good-bye." + +Then I thought I heard the "Long Night" say to me: "For one night of six +months I rule at the North Pole. Then I am most powerful. In the course +of countless years I have frozen the sea and I have built a wall of ice +so thick, and so broad, and so hard, that no vessel will ever be strong +enough to break through, and no man will ever reach the pole. I guard +the approach to the pole and watch carefully the wall of ice I have +built around it. When the sun drives me away and rules in his turn one +day of six months at the pole (for the whole year is equally divided +between us), he tries with his steady heat to destroy the wall I have +built. On my return I repair the damage the sun has done and make the +wall as strong as it was before. I send terrific gales and mighty +snowstorms over oceans and lands, and even far to the south of my +dominion, for my power is so great that it is felt beyond my realm." + +There was a pause; then I thought I heard the sardonic laugh of the +"Long Night." I shuddered when I remembered the words the "Long Night" +had just spoken, and the laugh had in it something sinister. I fancied I +saw the dim figure of a woman with long flowing hair standing at the +pole, looking towards me. She was the "Long Night." I remembered the +names of the valiant and daring commanders who had led expeditions +towards the North Pole, and had perished in their endeavors with the +gallant men who had trusted and followed them. + +Then I thought of the brave explorers who had followed in their wake +with better fortune, for their lives had been spared, though they failed +to reach the pole. The wall the "Long Night" had built could not be +passed. + +As these thoughts came over me, I exclaimed: "'Long Night,' great and +terrible indeed has been the loss of life among those who have tried to +reach the pole, but the ingenuity of man is great, and in spite of the +ice barrier thou hast built around it we have not lost hope that man by +some device of his own may yet be able to reach the pole." + +After uttering these words I imagined I heard, again coming from the far +north, another laugh of the "Long Night." It seemed like a laugh of +defiance in response to what I had said. + +Near me was a forest of tall fir trees; looking up I saw the great blue +of heaven studded all over with brilliant stars shining down upon the +snow-covered land where I was. + +The next day the sun did not appear. I was now in "The Land of the Long +Night." It was strange now to see stars all the time, and the moon in +the place of the sun. The great pines and fir trees of the forest +contrasted strongly with the snow of the land. + +The sun had disappeared below the horizon, but in clear days its glow +could be seen. I could not tell the hour of the day, for the stars set +and rose in continuous succession in this kingdom of the "Long Night." I +did not know when it was morning or when it was evening, but in fine +weather the glow over the horizon told me when it was about noon. It was +indeed a strange land; but the Lapps could tell from the stars whether +it was night or day, for they were accustomed to gauge time by them +according to their height above the horizon, just as we do at home with +the sun. I had my watch, but could not look at it often, for it was +under my garments. + +For many days the land was illuminated for a while every night by the +aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. Sometimes the aurora seemed to +imitate the waves of the sea and moved like big heavy swells, changing +colors, bluish, white, violet, green, orange. These colors seemed to +blend together. Then the heaving mass would become gradually intensely +red. This red mass broke into fragments which scattered themselves all +over the blue sky. It gave its reflection to the snow. It was the end of +the aurora or electric storm. They were never twice alike; they varied +in forms and colors. The auroras are like everything in creation: on our +earth there not two men or women exactly alike, there are not two leaves +alike, two blades of grass, two trees, two stones alike, neither two +waves, for the sea is ever changing in its ripples. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + + THE SNOW GETTING DEEPER.--LAPP HOSPITALITY.--A LAPP REPAST.--COFFEE + AND TOBACCO LAPP STAPLES.--BABIES IN STRANGE CRADLES.--HOW THE + TENTS ARE MADE.--GOING TO SLEEP WITH THE MERCURY AT 39 deg. BELOW. + + +When I had left Pajala I travelled on the frozen Muonio, passed the +stations of Kaunisvaara, Killangi, and Parkajoki, and came to +Muonioniska. All the hamlets or farms had comfortable log buildings. +Some of the dwelling-houses were quite large. Wood was not lacking and +the houses were quite warm. Forests of the fir were abundant. + +The sun was now hidden below the horizon. The snow was getting deeper +every hour--and was about seven or eight feet deep on a level after +being packed. I was coming to another great "Snow Land." From +Muonioniska I travelled on between the Muonio and Ouanasjoki rivers. +(Joki means river in Finnish.) I became acquainted with many nomadic +Lapps who wandered with their reindeer over that great snow land--among +them were two very pleasant men of the name of Pinta and Wasara, who +agreed to travel with me for a while. + +Wasara, the younger, was the son of a very rich Lapp who owned nearly +ten thousand reindeer, and possessed besides a good bank account. + +Pinta was poor, the possessor of only about one hundred reindeer, which +pastured with those of his elder brother. Pinta was about thirty years +old; Wasara about twenty-five. Both were men of splendid physique; broad +shouldered with very muscular legs and arms, which were apparently as +hard as wood. They had blue eyes and fair hair. One was four feet eight +inches and a half in height, the other was four feet ten inches. They +were very skilful on skees; in summer they could make tremendous leaps +over rivers and ditches with the long poles they carried with them, and +could drive the most intractable reindeer, which are even worse than our +broncos. + +While travelling, I drove next to the leader, for reindeer follow each +other mechanically in the same furrow. The leader is the one that has +the most work; but if he follows a furrow, his reindeer gives him little +trouble. + +Pinta generally took the lead, I came next, and Wasara third. Pinta and +Wasara had their faithful dogs with them. + +Travelling was fine; the snow was well packed, and so crisp that the +sleighs glided over it lightly. Often we travelled at the rate of +fifteen miles an hour, for our animals were strong and had not been used +for several days. + +How I shouted, for I had such an exuberance of spirits. I felt so +strong and healthy. I wanted to go, to go onward, to go all the time. +Sometimes I felt like running, like jumping. One could not help it, for +it was the atmosphere that made one feel so. I could not get tired. + +The fine weather, however, lasted but a few days. Then the sky became +gray, there was not a star to be seen, the wind began to rise, and snow +fell. We could see nothing. Wasara thought we were near the tent of his +father, but we could not see any landmark to guide us. + +The two dogs ran in every direction, to try to scent people. They seemed +to know that we were looking after the tent of Wasara's father; but each +time they would return looking in the face of their masters silently, as +if to say "We find nothing." + +We were somewhat afraid of wolves, but trusted in the dogs to warn us of +their approach. We at last concluded to stop; we kept the reindeer +harnessed and stood near them. We fixed our hoods carefully over our +faces, put on our masks, and seated ourselves on the snow. Soon I heard +heavy snoring--Pinta and Wasara were fast asleep, with their heads +downward and arms crossed on their breasts. The Lapps sleep often in +that way when travelling. But the weather cleared after three or four +hours and we continued our journey. My two friends then knew where they +were. + +After an hour's drive we saw in the midst of the snow, near a large +forest of fir trees, a tent. "Here is the tent of my father," said +Wasara, pointing out the tent to me. + +We hurried our reindeer, and as we approached the place more than a +dozen Lapp dogs, wolf-like in appearance, announced our arrival by their +fierce barking. + +Wasara's father came outside of the tent, drove the dogs away, and told +them to be quiet. He recognized his son and bade us come in. + +"What a strange abode these nomadic Lapps have," I said to myself, as I +looked around inside of the tent. According to Lapp etiquette the left +side of the tent was given to us, soft reindeer skins being first laid +on the top of branches of young birch trees that were spread on the +floor of earth, the snow having been removed where they had pitched +their tent. + +The father took his snuffbox from a small bag and offered me a pinch of +snuff. This ceremony meant that I was welcome, and I passed the snuffbox +to his son who, in turn, offered a pinch of snuff to Pinta. + +I looked with astonishment at the people that were in the tent, and +everything that surrounded me. These Lapps had blue eyes; their faces, +owing to exposure to the blustering winds, were very red, but the +protected part of the skin was as white as that of the whitest people. +There were a number of women and men, several young girls and two lads. +I was told that there were two men with the reindeer. + +[Illustration: "What a strange abode these nomadic Lapps have!"] + +The women were all busy; one was weaving shoe-bands of bright colors, +red predominating; another was just finishing a "kapta," and a third one +was putting a lining of red flannel over the seams upon a tiny pair of +reindeer-skin shoes for a child; the girls were sewing some +undergarments. + +Wasara's father's first name was Pehr,--he was a fine-looking Lapp, +about seventy years old. His father was living, and was about ninety +years old. The outdoor life agrees with the Lapp. Give me the plateaus +of the Arctic regions for health. There are plenty of mosquitoes in +summer, but no malaria at any time. Nor is there any sore throat there. +I do not remember, indeed, ever to have heard a person cough in that +country. + +The material of the tent was of very coarse woollen stuff, called +"vadmal." The tent was about thirteen feet in diameter at the ground. +Its frame was composed of poles fitting each other; the wood had become +black from being smoked for years. These poles are so well knitted +together that they can resist the terrific winds which blow over the +land. A cross pole high up sustained an iron chain, at the end of which +is a hook to hold the kettle and cooking pot. The coarse woollen stuff +which covered the frame was composed of two pieces that were made fast +by strings. The nature of the vadmal permits the wind to go gently +through. The entrance is by a small sliding door made of the same +material. + +Inside, along the lower part of the tent, were boxes of different shapes +and sizes, packages lying on the top of skins to prevent the wind from +blowing in from the bottom; the outside was protected by snow. + +As I glanced around I saw two queer-looking things, resembling in shape +the sabots or wooden shoes of the peasantry of Europe, only very much +larger, hanging near the sides. I looked in, and to my great +astonishment saw a Lapp baby in each. They were Lapp cradles, called +"katkem" or "komse." They were made of a single piece of wood and were +about two and a half feet long by fifteen or eighteen inches wide. In +one was such a sweet Lapp baby, a dear little girl, with her eyes wide +open. As I looked at her she smiled. In the other was a big fat boy, +fast asleep. + +Two women went out and collected a lot of snow, which they put on to +melt in a big iron pot hanging over the fire. This is the way the Lapps +have to do to procure water. When the snow had melted she put the water +in a coffee kettle that had a spout. One of the women ground coffee in a +mill. Then the ground coffee was put into the kettle and left to boil +for quite a while, the woman watching it, taking off the pot when it was +about to boil over, and then putting it over the fire again. The third +woman was attending to the cups and saucers. When the coffee was ready +they put in a little bit of salt to give it flavor, then set the coffee +kettle on the ground and put into it a small piece of dried fishskin to +clarify it and precipitate the grounds at the bottom of the kettle. + +When the coffee was ready to be poured, one of the women went out and +came back with reindeer milk which had remained frozen for over three +months. Then the coffee was served. The wife bit several pieces of rock +candy from a big lump, to sweeten each cup of coffee, and after putting +in frozen reindeer milk with a spoon, licked it with her tongue--"What +is the use of being particular when one travels," I said to myself. If +one were, he would starve. We had silver spoons, round in shape, with +twisted handles. "These," said the father, "have been in the possession +of our family for nearly two hundred years." I saw different initials +and different dates from the year 1700 down. + +After coffee men, women, and the young girls filled their pipes and had +a good smoke. They were very much astonished when I told them I had +never smoked in my life. + +"There are two things we Lapps have always with us--coffee and tobacco. +After a hard day's work or a long journey there is nothing so refreshing +as coffee," said Pehr Wasara, smacking his lips at the very thought. + +While we were chatting, Pehr was busy cutting reindeer meat and putting +the pieces in a pot hanging over the fire which had been filled with +snow that had melted. When he had finished, he said: "By and by you will +have something to eat." I was prodigiously hungry; travelling over the +snow in a temperature between 35 and 45 degrees below zero, as I had +done for several days, gives one such a good appetite! While waiting for +the meal to be ready, I went outside the tent with my host. + +The sight outside was quite as strange as the inside of the tent. +Numerous Lapp sleighs were scattered here and there, skees were lying on +the ground in different directions. Quarters and other large pieces of +reindeer meat, out of the reach of wolves, foxes, and dogs, were +suspended to the branches of trees. On two racks about eight feet high +above the ground were pieces of reindeer meat piled upon each other. +Collars, traces, reins, everything for the harnessing of reindeer, were +seen all round the tent; buckets full of frozen reindeer milk, filled +late in the autumn, were on the ground. Hanging on trees were bladders +filled with congealed milk or blood. + +The sleighs were of different kinds; several were decked over and used +as trunks. Others were empty. Four were filled with hoofs of the +reindeer they had killed to subsist upon during the winter. + +Skins of wolves, of white foxes, of reindeer, were stretched on frames, +so that they could not shrink. Reindeer pack-saddles, empty pails, +wooden vessels, lay here and there. Fur garments and underwear were +hanging to the branches of trees. It was a strange sight indeed! But a +sight I met thereafter at almost every camp. + +When the meal was ready we were called in. The host served the meat, +which had been put in a large platter, in portions, guessing what would +satisfy the hunger of each person. The fattest parts, which are +considered the most dainty, were given to me, being the guest of honor, +and the meat was served to us in wooden plates. We had nothing but +reindeer meat. I was getting accustomed to eat meat without bread or +potatoes. + +During the meal small pieces of roots of fir trees, which are full of +resin, were thrown into the fire for light. After the meal I thanked all +for it, according to the custom. Then the Lapps lighted their pipes +again. + +Pehr Wasara employed a man and a woman servant. From their clothing you +could not tell them apart from the other people. They were treated like +members of the family. The girl was paid three reindeer a year, the man +six. + +"How much can you buy a tent for?" I inquired of Pehr Wasara. "Thirty or +forty dollars," he replied. "This is a great deal of money for us poor +Lapps." Pehr had plenty of money in the bank, but pretended poverty. I +learned also that a trained reindeer costs eight dollars. + +I asked many questions. How long a tent lasted? He replied: "The vadmal +is very durable, and a tent lasts about twenty years, but it has to be +patched very often during that time." I looked round and saw a good many +patches, and I thought of the story of the knife and handle,--first the +blade broke, then a new blade was put in; after this the handle broke, +and a new handle was put on. I remembered that once a dear old aunt of +mine said to me: "Paul, this black silk dress has lasted me twenty +years." I exclaimed, "Twenty years, aunty! Are you sure of this?" Then +in the course of a few days, by indirect questions I found out that she +had had three new bodices put on at different times, and three different +skirts. I thought the tent of the Lapp might be twenty years old in the +same way. + +After the meal had been finished the babies were taken from their +cradles, and their little beds were made afresh. The cradle bottoms were +covered with fine, soft, well-dried lichen or reindeer moss, over which +a little cotton sheet was spread. The babies were stark naked, and were +wrapped in little sheepskins while their beds were being made. Then they +were laid in, the sheet turned down, with a coarse piece of vadmal and +sheepskin over it; the whole was made fast by a cord fastened through +holes on each side of the cradle and laced across. + +One of the mothers said to me: "When a child is born it is the custom +among Lapps to give him or her a reindeer. When baptized the sponsor, +too, often gives a reindeer to the babe, and these animals, and the +increase thereof, become the child's own property." + +This woman, pointing out her sister to me, observed: "When my baby had +his first teeth, my sister here presented him with a reindeer. This is a +custom among us Lapps." + +Then two of the men and two of the women with their dogs and their +skees went to relieve the people who were watching the reindeer herd, +and Pehr Wasara remarked, "My reindeer are divided in a number of +herds--for they could not all pasture together. We are afraid of wolves. +These people are to remain on the watch all night." + +The family was very pious; they were, like all the Lapps, Lutherans. +Before going to sleep they sang psalms and hymns, praising God for the +blessings of the day. + +Then they dressed themselves for the night, putting on over the garments +they wore during the day a long reindeer kapta, a sort of nightshirt +reaching below the feet. More reindeer skins were put over the skins on +which we were seated. Then a big bearskin was given to me as a blanket, +Pehr saying, "I killed this bear myself." + +Before retiring I took off my shoes, the Lapp grass, and my stockings, +and hung them on the cross poles to dry. All did likewise. I carefully +arranged my precious Lapp grass so every vestige of dampness would be +absorbed when I should put it on again in the morning. One of the women +lent me a pair of her own stockings, which she took from one of the +little chests by her side. + +The fire had gradually died out. "We seldom keep fires burning at +night," said the head of the family, "for it would be dangerous." The +dogs were driven out and the door made secure, comparatively speaking. +We were all huddled close together. Then we bade each other good-night. +I looked at my thermometer, it marked 39 degrees below zero inside the +tent; it was 46 degrees outside and everything was perfectly still, +there was not a breath of air stirring. Through the opening in the tent +for the smoke to pass, I could see the stars twinkling in the blue sky +as I lay on my back. Then putting my head under my bearskin I soon fell +asleep, though some dogs succeeded in smuggling themselves in, and two +or three times they awoke me by trying to get under my bearskin and lie +by me. They did likewise with the other people. Once I was awakened by a +big booming sound. It was the cracking of the ice over a lake not far +off from us. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + + TOILET WITH SNOW.--A LAPP BREAKFAST.--LAPP DOGS.--TALKS WITH MY LAPP + FRIEND ABOUT THE REINDEER.--THEIR HABITS AND VARIOUS FORMS OF + USEFULNESS. + + +When we awoke in the morning it was 40 degrees below zero in the tent +and 48 degrees below outside. I felt like washing my face and my hands, +but melted snow was sure to turn into ice as soon as it was on my face. +I did not want to wash in warm water, for it would have made my skin too +tender. So I rubbed my face and hands with snow and dried them +thoroughly. This was my usual morning wash when I slept out of doors. + +A big fire was lighted and the maidservant went to work kneading +dough--yeast was not used. The loaves were baked on charcoal, as is +often done among the Lapps, and at the same time coffee was made. + +The breakfast was composed of the dry powdered blood of reindeer, mixed +with flour, diluted in warm water and made into pancake. We had a +porridge of dried reindeer's milk that had been stirred in warm water +with a wooden spoon. The milk of the reindeer is very rich and thick. +When it was served to me, the wife remarked: "This food is very +nutritious." We also had some reindeer meat and finished up with +reindeer cheese and a cup of coffee. It was a fine breakfast. I ate +heartily of everything. When it is so cold one is always hungry. After +the breakfast, all the household with the exception of the host and +hostess started on their skees for the reindeer herd, which was to be +removed to some other quarters, for the moss had been more or less eaten +and they were to take them to a place where the snow was not so deep. +The mothers had slung their cradles with their babies on their +shoulders. Each Lapp was followed by his dog. + +About one hour after breakfast the night watch returned with their dogs. +Immediately the wife gave to each a cup of coffee; then they took their +breakfast. They gave their dogs some of the powdered blood mixed with +flour and warm water. The dogs relished this greatly. Then they were +given the bones, which they had been watching with glaring eyes. They +went out with them and gnawed them until there was nothing left of them. +Such is generally the meal given to the dogs every day. Once in a while +they get a small piece of meat, which they swallow voraciously in a +single mouthful. + +When the night watch had done eating they went to sleep; so did their +dogs. These Lapp dogs are thickset. They resemble the Pomeranian breed, +but are larger; their hair is long, very thick, and bushy. Their ears +stand upright; they seem to have some wolf blood in them. The tail is +curly. Pehr Wasara said to me: "Lapps could not do without their dogs. +They are faithful animals; they are our helpmates; they keep our +reindeer together when we are on the march, watch them when they are +pasturing; they look out constantly for wolves, and warn us when they +are in the neighborhood, and of their approach beforehand, and attack +them without fear. Neither are they afraid of bears. They are very +brave. + +"Every man, woman, manservant or maidservant and grown-up child, has his +or her dog which obeys and listens to his master alone. They are never +allowed to stay behind; wherever their master goes they go, and watch +with him night and day if necessary. Occasionally, for some reason +unknown to us, or because the deer scent the wolves afar off, a panic +seizes the herd of reindeer, and instinctively they move away. That is +the time when our dogs prove most useful and of the greatest service to +us. They go around in every direction and bring the reindeer together. +They seem to know that there is some unseen danger. When the wolves come +into the herd, the dogs attack them fiercely and act with great cunning, +taking care not to be bitten by them and waiting for the opportunity to +spring on the wolves." + +While Pehr was talking I wished I could see a pack of wolves attacking +reindeer, to see how the dogs fight them. + +"Do not think," added Pehr, "that it is our inclination to be harsh +towards our dogs. We never overfeed them; it is the only way to keep +them hardy, strong, and healthy. They are not allowed to rest until +their master or mistress has returned to the tent. Then we want them to +stay out doors." + +"I should like very much," I said to Pehr, "to see how you break in +reindeer and accustom them to harness." + +"Well," he replied, "you will see how we train our reindeer to draw +sledges. You came just in time, for we are now training some, as we have +several that are getting too old. The males are used as draught animals, +as they are stronger than the females. When the snow is in good +condition they can draw as much as four hundred pounds, or two or three +logs of pine or fir." + +So he sent two men after the reindeer. They took their lassos with them, +and in less than an hour they returned with two reindeer. + +"The process of teaching a reindeer to draw a sleigh or carry a pack on +his back," observed Pehr, "is very tedious and very hard work. Some of +the reindeer are more difficult to teach than others, and in spite of +the best training the wild nature and restlessness of the animal shows +itself not infrequently." + +I thought so. I remembered my first lessons. + +[Illustration: "I went outside the tent with my host."] + +"We begin to train the reindeer," he continued, "when he is about three +years old, and he does not become a well trained animal before he is +five. When they are under training a daily lesson is given them to let +them know their masters, and also a lesson to accustom them to be +lassoed, of which they are very much afraid at first. We give them salt +and angelica, of which they are very fond, every day, to make them +come when they are needed, and in that case the lasso is not necessary. +They are never subjected to ill-treatment at any time; if they were we +could do nothing with them." + +The work of teaching the reindeer to draw a sleigh began. Salt was first +given to one of the deer, which he seemed to enjoy very much. Then +without trouble a very strong leather cord with a loop was put carefully +over his horns, and the loop was drawn tight at the base. The collar was +carefully put on his neck and more salt given to him. The trace attached +to the sleigh was much longer than those used when driving; it was +several yards in length, so that the sleigh could not be touched when +the animal kicked; then it was tied to the collar of the reindeer. As +soon as the animal was urged to move, and felt the weight of the sleigh, +he plunged wildly forward and kicked, then plunged first in one +direction and then in another. It was a great sight. I thought they +would never be able to break the animal in. It required all the strength +of the Lapp not to be dragged by the animal. The other man, with a cord, +held the sleigh. After a few trials both man and beast were exhausted. + +A short rest was then taken and another trial was made. With repeated +rests for the trainer and the animal, the day's lesson proceeded. The +trainer was in profuse perspiration, though it was 38 degrees below +zero. My host said to me: "This exercise is repeated day after day until +the animal submits to it. They are in their prime at seven or eight +years and can work till the age of fifteen or seventeen years. The +reason we have to wander so much with our reindeer is that we have to go +where the snow is not so deep as in other parts, for the reindeer has to +dig into the snow to find his food, the lichen, and he cannot go deeper +than three or four feet. We generally know where these places are, for +the wind, which blows every year more or less in the same direction, +blows away a part of the snow. When we come to such a place we pitch our +tent." + +"When the reindeer is left to himself can he find such a place?" I +inquired. "How can the animals know that the snow is only three or four +feet deep?" + +"I do not know," he replied, "but the wild reindeer can find it, +otherwise they would starve." + +"How can they dig through the snow?" I asked with a smile. "They have no +shovels." + +Pehr laughed at my remark. "Their fore feet are their shovels," he +replied. "You will see for yourself how they dig the snow." + +I asked Pehr also about the speed of the reindeer. + +"The speed of the reindeer," he replied, "varies very much according to +the time of the year and the state of the snow, October, November and +December being the months when they are the fleetest, as they are fresh +from the summer pastures. January and February are also very good months +for them. The cold weather strengthens them, and they are not yet +exhausted from digging through the snow, as they are at the end of the +season. The rapidity of their gait depends very much also on the state +of the surface of the snow. If it is well packed and crisp, they go very +fast. Much depends, too, upon the distance and whether the country is +hilly or not, or with a long range of slopes. On the rivers, over well +packed snow, and a good track that has been furrowed by previous +reindeer, they can average twelve or fifteen miles an hour when in good +condition, sometimes twenty for the first hour; down a mountain slope +twenty and twenty-five. They can travel five or six hours without +stopping; the first hour very rapidly, the second more slowly, and +towards the fifth and sixth hours still more slowly, perhaps not more +than eight or ten miles an hour, for by that time they require rest and +food, and we unharness them in places where the snow is not deep, and +let them get their food. Early in the winter, when they are in good +condition, one can travel with a swift bull reindeer one hundred and +fifty miles in a day, and even two hundred miles if the condition of the +snow is favorable and the cold is 30 or 40 degrees below zero. The +colder the weather is the greater is the speed. Seventy or eighty miles +a day is a good average for a reindeer." + +When this talk was ended, Pehr Wasara said to me, "Let us take our skees +and go to one of my herds near by." After a run of about two miles we +came into the midst of a herd of about three thousand reindeer. "There +are more," he said with pride. "Are they not fine animals?" + +"Yes, indeed, they are," I replied. + +While I was looking at the magnificent horns of some of the beasts, Pehr +remarked: "The horns of the males, which often weigh forty pounds, +attain the full size at the age of six or seven years, those of the cow +at about four years. The time the reindeer drops his horns is from March +until May. In the adult animals they attain their full size in September +or at the beginning of October. After the age of eight years the +branches gradually drop off. They are the easiest animals that man can +keep. They require no barns. They are never housed. They like cold +weather and snow. Food has not to be stored for them. They will not +touch the moss that has been gathered unless brought up to do so by +farmers. They get their food themselves. We do not give them water. When +thirsty they eat the snow. When our people go among them they will often +not even raise their heads, and remain quiet when we pitch our tents. +Once in a while there is so much snow in some districts that it is +impossible for reindeer to get at the moss; then the only way is to go +to the lowlands, or into the forest, where the reindeer can feed on the +moss hanging from the firs or pines. + +"Some of the reindeer," he went on, "though trained to eat kept moss, +hay, and even bread, thrive only when they are free to roam about; they +cannot be kept all the time in their stables. They must wander over the +snow and eat it. Otherwise they are sure to degenerate and become +useless as draught animals." + +"How many reindeer," I asked, "does a family require for its support?" + +He replied, "A thousand at least. A herd of two thousand to two thousand +five hundred gives from two hundred to two hundred and seventy-five, +perhaps three hundred, calves a year. Sometimes we have bad years with +our reindeer. Some years prove unfavorable to their increase. Some years +the snow is very deep, which prevents them from digging for food; the +herd then become emaciated from their exertions and want of sufficient +food, and many die. + +"Some Lapps," he added, "own five or six thousand reindeer, one or two +among us, eight or ten thousand. The spring is a bad time for them; the +snow melts during the day from the sun's heat, and a thick crust forms +at night from the frost, so that their feet break through, causing +lameness and disease. At that time we move them as much as we can only +during the day, but it is hard work for them to go through the soft +snow. + +"Without the reindeer we could not exist in this northern land of snow. +The reindeer is our horse, our beast of burden. On him we feed. He gives +us our clothing, our shoes, our gloves; his skin is our blanket and our +bed; his sinews our thread. On the march a herd of reindeer is easily +managed. We keep them together without much trouble, and in winter they +remain where we leave them to get the moss; but if the wolves are after +them, then they flee in every direction, and many herds then become +mixed together." + +"When your reindeer get mixed with those of other herds, how can you +tell which are yours?" I inquired. + +Pehr answered, "Every owner has his own mark branded on the ears of all +his reindeer, and no other person has the right to use the same, as this +is legal proof of ownership; otherwise, when several herds were mingled +together the separation would be impossible. The name of the owner of a +herd, and each mark, have to be recorded in court like those of any +owner of property." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + + MOVING CAMP.--ANOTHER GREAT BLIZZARD.--A REMARKABLE SIGHT.--DEER + GETTING THEIR FOOD BY DIGGING THE SNOW.--HOW REINDEER ARE + BUTCHERED. + + +The next day after our conversation about reindeer Pehr Wasara said to +me: "We are going to move away our camp and take our reindeer to a new +pasture," an expression that struck me as somewhat singular, as the +country lay under snow to the depth of five or six feet. "Some of us are +going to fetch the draught animals, and I will be back in a short time." +With these words he left with some of his people. + +They returned with a fine lot of trained reindeer. + +In the mean time there had been a great commotion in the camp; everybody +was busy; the tent had been packed in two bundles; its frame made three +packages; the frozen reindeer milk, all the provisions, meat, garments, +robes, skins,--in a word, everything they had was loaded on different +sleighs and secured. + +The babies were carefully fixed in their queer-looking cradles, and made +quite safe against blustering winds. + +Everything being ready, the reindeer were harnessed and we started. Soon +after, we came to the herd which had been bunched by the Lapps, the +dogs keeping them together. Then we began our march. + +The herd moved in advance, in a body. Men, women and children on their +skees moved after them with great rapidity, with their dogs to help them +in the work of keeping the herd together. They all shouted and urged the +dogs to look out, but this required, I thought, no urging, for the dogs +were on the alert and knew what to do. In the rear were three Lapps with +their dogs driving the reindeer forward; the dogs barked behind the +heels of the animals, and once in a while would bite the legs of those +that did not move fast enough. + +The women worked just as hard as the men, and those who had babies +carried them in their cradles, slung on their backs, and went as fast on +their skees as if they had been free from burdens. The babies were +evidently very comfortable, for they were very quiet. + +It was a fine sight to see the herd of over three thousand reindeer on +the move over the vast plain of snow. After two hours we arrived at the +place of our encampment. + +The Lapps hurried the putting up of the tent. The snow had been +shovelled from the place where it was to stand. They were laying the +birch twigs for a floor, and skins were put on the top of these; +alongside of the tent inside boxes and firewood were placed, and outside +snow was piled along the sides, also. This was to prevent the wind +coming in. In the mean time the reindeer had been unharnessed and some +of the sleighs unloaded. + +Just then Pehr Wasara exclaimed: "Paulus, we are going to have a great +windstorm very soon. That is the reason we are in so much of a hurry." + +He was right. Soon after the wind began to rise and blew stronger and +stronger, hissing and striking against the tent. In another moment we +were in the midst of a hurricane. I thought every instant that our tent +would be blown away and the woollen canvas torn to pieces. + +The snow was flying thickly in the air. I said to myself: "If our tent +is blown away I will get into my reindeer bags." I was astonished to see +that the tent could withstand the storm, but the frame was well knit +together, and the woollen vadmal being porous allowed the wind to pass +through and did not give the resistance that canvas would have done. If +the tent had been made of canvas I am sure the frame could not have +withstood the pressure and fury of the blast. The door was protected +from the violence of the wind, which struck against the tent on the +other side. + +The reindeer had huddled close together and stood still, except that now +and then those which were outside wanted to go inside and let some of +the other animals bear the brunt of the storm. I noticed that many of +the bulls formed the outer ring, thus protecting the female reindeer. +The poor fellows on the outside had a hard time of it. All the herd +faced the wind. + +Inside the tent, when everybody was in, we were packed close together, +including the dogs. In spite of all the drawbacks the tent was +comfortable compared with the weather outside. A blazing fire, over +which hung a kettle full of reindeer meat, sent the smoke into our +faces; but we were thinking of the warm broth and of the good meal we +were going to have, and we laughed merrily and did not care for the +storm. The Lapps knew that the tent would stand the hurricane. The dogs +were in the way of everybody; the Lapps continually drove them out, but +soon after they were in again. + +How nice the broth was when we drank it! How good the meat tasted! This +was a splendid meal. + +When it was time to go to sleep I took off my shoes and stockings, and +carefully put the Lapp grass with the stockings on my breast to dry the +moisture, for the fine snow came through the smoke hole. Then I got into +my two bags and said good-night to the family. + +I was bothered by the dogs during the night. They were no sooner driven +out than they would come in to huddle with the people. One tried to come +into my bag and awoke me. I did not blame the poor dogs, for it was far +more comfortable inside than outside. When I awoke in the morning the +weather was fine, there was no wind, and some of the Lapps took the +reindeer to their new pasture. + +After breakfast, my host and I drove to see some of his friends who had +pitched their tent some forty or fifty miles from us. On our way we +entered a large forest of fir trees, and soon after found ourselves in +the midst of a number of deep holes dug by reindeer in order to reach +the moss. We also saw furrows made by Lapp sleighs and tracks of skees. +The holes increased in number as we got deeper into the forest, and +driving instead of being a pleasure became a hard task. There was no +mistake about that. Our little sleighs pitched forward, then side-wise, +and rolled on one side or the other. I had the hardest work to keep +inside. At last I was pitched into one of the holes with my sleigh +almost on top of me. This was no joke. Fortunately I had undone the +twist of my rein round my wrist, for I did not wish to be dragged +against a tree in case I did upset. I was soon in my sleigh again, +however, and before long Pehr Wasara said: "We shall come to the tent of +my friend very soon." He had hardly uttered these words when we heard +the fierce barking of dogs announcing our arrival. Soon after we found +ourselves before a tent. + +These dogs were strange looking, a breed I had never seen; they had the +dark color of the brown bear, and were without tails. A man came out to +silence them. He was the owner of the tent, the friend of Pehr Wasara. +He bade us in, we were made welcome, and the snuffbox was passed around. +Coffee was made and served to us with true Lapp hospitality, but to my +taste it was seasoned with a little too much salt. + +We had a grand time. A big kettle filled with reindeer meat was cooked, +and Pehr Wasara told his friend all the news, and how his son had come +with me to see him. The place of honor was given to us in the tent; we +slept well, under a lot of skins, and the next morning after breakfast +we bade our host and his family good-bye. + +We had not been gone long when I saw something very strange ahead. An +exclamation escaped from me. I stopped. I thought I saw the ground +covered with hares. I could see them moving. "What are such great +numbers of hares doing here?" I said to myself. They moved in such a +strange manner; they seemed to jump, or rather leap. Suddenly I saw my +mistake. "These are not hares," I exclaimed; "but the tails of reindeer +just above the snow. That is all I see of their bodies. The rest is +hidden. They have dug the snow and are eating the moss, and their tails +are in motion." I had never seen such a sight before. It was a queer +landscape; over two thousand tails shaking above the snow at about the +same time. This herd also belonged to Pehr Wasara, who was smiling all +over when he saw how amazed I was at this sight. + +[Illustration: "They were really working hard for their living."] + +Then we continued our journey, and soon found ourselves in the midst of +hundreds and hundreds of reindeer of all sizes. They were just beginning +to dig the snow with their fore legs. How strange was the sight! As we +passed among them they were not in the least afraid of us. They were +left to themselves. There were no dogs with them, and no people to +watch. + +Every reindeer was working as hard as he could, busily digging in the +snow. They were evidently hungry. I said to Pehr Wasara: "Let us stay +here a while; I want to watch the reindeer working." Pehr, who had been +accustomed to see reindeer all his life, wondered at my curiosity, which +seemed rather to amuse him. They dug with the right fore foot, then with +the left, rested at times, then worked again. It was hard work indeed, +but the holes got larger and larger. The bodies gradually disappeared in +the holes they made, and were partly hidden by the little mounds of snow +coming from these holes, until only the tails of many could be seen. +They had reached the moss of which they were so fond. They were really +working hard for their living. + +Some of the female reindeer were working with a will, while the young +does were looking on, and when the moss had been reached the mothers +called the calves by a peculiar grunt and let them feed by their side. + +After looking at the reindeer for a while, we continued our journey and +were completely lost in the midst of deep holes made by the thousands of +reindeer. Wherever we turned we discovered holes and mounds, until we +came to fresh furrows of sleighs and knew that these led to an +encampment. We had succeeded in getting out of the honeycombed track +into a smooth and open region. + +All at once I noticed that Pehr Wasara was going much faster than I did. +I was losing ground. His reindeer seemed now to fly over the snow. +Suddenly he disappeared; he was going down a hill. Now it was the turn +of my reindeer to go fast. I prepared myself for the occasion, for I did +not know how steep was the descent. I said to myself, "Paul, you must +not upset; bend your body on the opposite side when the sleigh makes the +curve, and be quick when the time arrives. Do this in the nick of time." + +Down I went. The animal reached the bottom, and before I knew it made a +sharp curve to prevent the sleigh striking his legs. I gave a shout of +joy. I had not upset. I felt quite proud. + +At the next hill I was more proud than ever, for Pehr Wasara upset and I +did not, but I had never seen a Lapp get quicker into a sleigh than he +did. Further on Pehr stopped and waited for me. When I came to him I +found myself on the edge of a long and very abrupt hill, and he said: +"This hill is too steep, we must descend it in long zigzags, so that the +sleighs may not strike the legs of our reindeer, for if we do not do +this the sleigh will go faster than the reindeer. Follow in my track, +and use your stick with skill to guide the sleigh. Your reindeer will +follow mine without trouble." + +Hill after hill was ascended and descended. Now I had got the knack. At +every sharp curve I managed to bend my body out on the other side in +time, and thus avoided being thrown out. Then we came to a forest of +large fir trees, which surprised me, for we were in 69 degrees latitude. + +The trees were very thick. Pehr Wasara alighted and led his reindeer, +for fear of striking against them, and I did likewise. It was a relief +to move one's legs, for it is very tiresome to sit for hours with legs +stretched out. Afterwards we got again into our sleighs, and at the end +of a pleasant drive we reached our own tent and I was received with a +hearty welcome by the family. + +The next day Pehr said to me, "We are going to kill some reindeer this +morning, for the skins of the animals are at their best now and their +fur is very thick. We want clothing, shoes, and gloves. With their +sinews we will make our thread. We want also new reins, new traces, new +lassos." + +In the afternoon eight reindeer were brought before the tent. These were +to be slaughtered. My host said to me: "Paulus, we are going to show you +how we slaughter our reindeer." An old bull was brought forward and one +of the Lapps seized the animal by the antlers, and by a peculiar twist, +without apparently great effort, threw him on his back. Then he thrust a +long, sharp, narrow knife deeply between his forelegs until it pierced +the heart, where he let it remain. The poor creature rose dazed, turned +round upon himself twice, then tottered and fell dead. + +I did not like the sight, but I was studying the life of the Laplanders +and I had to see everything for myself. After the blood had accumulated +in the cavity of the chest it was removed and put into a bladder. The +intestines were taken out and washed. The skin belonging to the forehead +between the eyes, and from the knees to the hoofs, was cut off from the +rest of the hide. + +"This," said Pehr Wasara, "will be for shoes and gloves;" and each piece +was stretched on wooden frames, likewise the skin of the carcass. The +tongues were set aside, the host saying to me, "If it were summer we +would smoke them." The sinews were collected for thread. + +The other reindeer were then butchered, and the meat placed on the racks +outside of the tent. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + + WATCHING FOR THE REAPPEARANCE OF THE SUN.--THE UPPER RIM FIRST + VISIBLE.--THE WHOLE ORB SEEN FROM A HILL.--DAYS OF SUNSHINE AHEAD. + + +I watched the horizon every day towards noon, hoping to see the sun, for +the light was getting brighter and brighter. The glow of the hidden sun +was so great at noon that it looked as if sunrise were going to take +place. How disappointed I felt when the glow became less and less, as +the unseen sun sank lower without showing itself. Then came to my mind +the coast of New Jersey, where in the early morning I had often watched +for the appearance of the sun above the horizon, in the long glow that +preceded sunrise. + +One day I saw a golden thread above the snowy horizon. It was the upper +rim of the sun. I watched, hoping to see the whole sun. But it was at +its meridian, and in a very short time the golden thread had disappeared +and the sun was on its downward course. I shouted, "Dear Sun, how much I +should like to see you. I am so tired of beholding only the stars and +the moon. I am longing for sunshine." + +Near by was a hill. A sudden thought came into my mind. I said to +myself, "If I ascend this hill I shall see the whole sun, as the +greater height will make up for the curvature of the earth." + +I ran, and soon was ascending the hill. After a while I stopped, turned +round, and looked where I had seen the golden thread. I saw about half +the sun. I climbed higher as fast as I could, and when I reached the top +of the hill I saw the whole sun. I shouted, "Dear Sun, I love you. I +love sunshine. Come and reign once more on this part of the earth. Come +and cheer me, and drive away the 'Long Night.'" + +I watched the sun until it disappeared. Oh! I wished the hill had been +higher so that I could have ascended it and kept seeing the sun. + +When I came to the bottom of the hill I said, "I do not wonder that in +ancient times there were people who worshipped the sun, for without the +sun we could not exist on the earth, for nothing would grow." + +I felt like a new being, for I had seen the sun and its sight had filled +me with joy. Days of sunshine were coming, and I gave three cheers with +a tiger for the sun. + +I had had enough of the "Long Night." I wanted to see a sky without +stars and also the pale moon during the day. + +The following day the glow above the horizon became more brilliant, and +towards noon the sun rose slowly above the snow; but only about half of +its body made its appearance. It was of a fiery red. Then it gradually +sank. The third day the whole of the sun appeared above the horizon, +then in a short time sank below. As it disappeared I imagined the sun +saying to me: "Day after day I will rise higher and higher in the sky +and shine a longer time. I bring with me joy and happiness. I will +gradually transform 'The Land of the Long Night' into a land of sunshine +and brightness. I will bring the spring; with me flowers will appear, +the trees will be adorned with leaves, grass will grow, the land will be +green; I will make gentle winds to blow, the rivers will be free and +roll their crystal waters, the birds will come and sing. Man will be +happy and gather the harvest that grows under my rays and husband it for +the days of winter." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + + WOLVES THE GREAT FOE OF THE LAPPS.--HOW THE REINDEER ARE PROTECTED + AGAINST THEM.--WATCHING FOR THE TREACHEROUS BRUTES.--STORIES OF + THEIR SAGACITY. + + +After the reappearance of the sun I came to a region where the Lapps +among whom I lived were in great fear of wolves, for three packs of them +had made their appearance in the forests about one hundred and fifty +miles away to the eastward, and the news had come to the people. + +One day as I was in the tent watching the meal that was being cooked, +one of the Lapps said to me, "We dread the wolves. No animal is as +cunning as a wolf when he is hungry, and the Chief of the Pack is chosen +by them as their leader because he is the most cunning of them all." + +"What do you mean," I asked, "by the Chief of the Pack being chosen?" + +He replied, "The wolves are very intelligent, and they choose their +leader just as people do. They select the one among them that can lead +them where there is prey." + +Then he added, with a tone of sadness in his voice: "Our life is one of +constant vigilance, and old and young are continually on the lookout for +wolves. We have not suffered from them for three years, but they may +appear suddenly at any moment when we think they are far away. When +wolves attack our herds the reindeer scatter in great fright in every +direction to long distances, and we have very hard work in bringing them +together again. When they have once been attacked by the wolves they +become very suspicious, and take fright easily, and at the least alarm +run away. After their flight they roam in small bodies without any one +to watch over them, or dogs to look out for their enemies, and they +become an easy prey to the wolves. Sometimes the herd is destroyed, and +the rich Lapp becomes suddenly poor. Yes," he added with flashing eyes, +and in a loud tone, "the wolves are our greatest enemies. We kill them +whenever we can." + +He remained thoughtful for a little while and then proceeded: "Reindeer +bulls have more fight in them than the females, and sometimes fight +successfully one wolf; but what can they do against a pack of them? Our +life is a hard one indeed when wolves are around, for we have to be +constantly on the watch night and day. The wolves are so wary that they +always approach a reindeer or a herd of them when the wind blows from +the herd towards them, so that neither dogs nor reindeer can scent +them." + +"I hope," I said to myself, "that I shall see bull reindeer fight some +of these treacherous wolves and get the better of them; besides I will +make them taste my buckshot, and kill them before the poor reindeer is +overpowered." + +After this conversation we went on our skees to scour the country for +wolves, but there were none to be seen, and we returned in time for our +dinner. + +The following day, as we stood in front of our tent watching the sun +above the horizon, we saw in the distance a black speck coming over the +snow. We watched! What could it be? The speck came nearer, and we +recognized a woman with a bludgeon coming towards us as fast as her +skees could carry her. As soon as she was within hearing distance she +shouted, "Wolves! Wolves!" The dreaded news had come; the wolves had +made their appearance in our district. + +She stopped when she reached us, and with one voice the Lapps asked her +when the wolves had been seen, and if they had attacked any herd. "No," +she answered, "but they will soon do so, for the tracks of three packs +have been seen." She had hardly spoken these words when she bade us +good-bye, and was on her way to some of her family who had pitched their +tent about four miles from where we were. The bludgeon she carried for +defence against the wolves. + +Soon every man, woman, and child of our tent were on their skees. The +men armed themselves with heavy bludgeons and guns and, followed by all +the dogs, we started for the herd, taking a lot of reindeer meat with +us. Now there was to be an increased watch day and night. + +I followed the Lapps on my skees, and though I lagged behind, as I could +not go as fast as they did, one of the girls remained with me to show me +the way, and now and then she would stop and scan the country for +wolves. + +I was armed with my double-barrelled shotgun loaded with buckshot. "Oh, +if I could encounter the wolves," I said to myself, "what havoc I would +make amongst them." + +When we came to the herd we told those who were on the watch the news of +the appearance of wolves. Immediately preparations were made to discover +their whereabouts. + +Some of the people went in different directions to reconnoitre, all +armed with their heavy bludgeons. They shouted as they left: "We will +show the wolves if we meet and chase them on our skees what our +bludgeons can do. We will smash their heads and break their legs." + +Towards dark, when they returned, they had seen no wolves nor their +tracks. "The wolves are so cunning and their ways are so unknown to us +that we must be on the lookout all night," said the Lapps to me. + +Then we partook of our reindeer meat, which had been kept between our +clothing and our chests to prevent it from freezing. It is not pleasant +to eat a frozen piece of meat as hard as a rock. But I had learned not +to be so very particular. Otherwise I should never have been able to +travel in the country. + +The moon was on the wane. When it rose it cast its dim light upon the +snow. It was a very busy night for the Lapps, for the reindeer had to be +kept together and required constant watching. + +The dogs acted with great intelligence; they seemed to know that their +masters dreaded the wolves; they barked continually, and looked once in +a while into the distance, moving away, as if to see if they could scent +the wolves afar off. + +I walked with my skees slowly, looking off into the distance! Suddenly I +thought I saw far away a pack of them. I drew the attention of the Lapp +who was with me to the spot; but his eyes, accustomed to scan the snow, +soon discovered what it was. He said to me: "There are no wolves there; +only the top of some branches of birch trees above the snow." + +All the Laplanders, men, women, and big boys and girls, remained on +their skees all night. The men were outside and made a circle round the +herd. The second circle was made by the women; the third circle, the +nearest to the reindeer, by the children. All shouted and yelled. I +yelled also--I thought it was great fun! The dogs barked as they +followed their masters or mistresses, going outside of the ring to look +for wolves. They were constantly urged; but little urging was required, +for almost all of them knew from past experience that it meant that the +herd had to be protected from wolves, for they had seen them come when +their masters were acting precisely as we were doing, and they were +ready for the fray. + +If it had been a dark night, or if it had been snowing, we should have +been in a bad plight; but the moon was our friend. The night passed away +and the wolves had not made their appearance. When daylight came we +were all pretty tired, and we moved the reindeer nearer to the tent. +Then after the coffee was made and drunk, and some reindeer meat had +been eaten, we all huddled the best way we could into the tent, covered +ourselves with skins, and soon after fell asleep, leaving the care of +the reindeer to those who were on the watch and to the dogs--their +untiring and faithful friends. + +When I awoke, three dogs were fast asleep near me--the dear dogs +required rest as well as ourselves; they had worked hard for their +masters all night. I remembered the time we had had during the night, +and said to myself, "Hard, indeed, is the life of the Laplander." The +reindeer lay on the snow. After breakfast they were taken a short +distance to pasture, and those who had slept watched them, ready to +fight the wolves if they came. + +The news had spread quickly among the Lapps in the district that wolves +might make their appearance at any moment, and several families with +their tents came to camp near us and their herds were kept near ours for +mutual protection. We were numerous enough to fight a great number of +hungry wolves, and the country was scoured in every direction. + +Numbers of juniper-brush fires were lighted at night where we had +cleared away the snow to scare off the wolves. + +That evening the Lapps told wolf stories. One began thus: + +"When wolves have lost the Chief of the Pack, they hold a council and +name another Chief, who they expect will lead them safely through their +wanderings and direct them when an attack is to be made. The wolves +understand each other perfectly well, and they obey the Chief of the +Pack. They often speak to each other with their eyes. This appears +wonderful, but it is so. But woe to the Chief when the wolves become +dissatisfied with him. When they find that under his leadership they are +constantly starving, they agree among themselves to destroy him. They +then pounce upon him, kill him, and devour him. They have a way of +agreeing to do this without their Chief knowing what is to happen to +him. They pass judgment upon him and sentence him to die." + +"Wonderful indeed," I said, "is the intelligence of the wolves, if what +you say is true." + +"It is true," said the narrator, and the rest with one voice confirmed +him. "Wolves are as knowing as people, and we know some of their cunning +ways. The Chief of the Pack must often lead the wolves on long marches, +through forests and unbeaten tracks, over the snow to some place where +he supposes they will find prey. Besides he must not lead them into +ambush where they may be destroyed. The Chief must be not only cunning, +but brave also. We see them often, after they have discovered us, going +away or taking another direction than the one in which they were going. +It is simply to deceive us, to make us believe that they are going +away. Then they make a long detour and take our reindeer in our rear. +People say foxes are cunning, but the cunning of a fox is nothing to +compare to the cunning of a wolf." + +"That is so," repeated all the Lapps. + +Another man said: "When the Chief of the Pack becomes old, and is not +able to lead the wolves any more, the wolves kill him and eat him. When +two packs meet there is often a great fight between the two chiefs for +the mastery, and the defeated one runs away. Then his own pack over +which he ruled runs after him and kills him. Then they proclaim the +victor the new Chief and the two packs join forces. Often, when the +wolves make an attack, the Chief looks on with a few of his followers as +a reserve to see how things are going, and then rushes in with them to +insure victory." + +After this story the Lapps lighted their pipes and puffed away. Then one +passed his snuffbox round, each taking a pinch of snuff. I took one, and +I had immediately a fit of sneezing that lasted quite a while, to the +great amusement of my Lapp friends. One of the latter then told the +following story: + +"Some winters ago, while a number of us were on skees on our way to +church, which was about one hundred miles away, we saw in the distance +quite a number of wolves, following the Chief of the Pack. He was easily +recognized, not only because he seemed larger than the others, but +because he was always in the lead, and when he stopped they did +likewise. It was fortunate that we were on skees instead of in sleighs, +for the reindeer would have become unmanageable in their fright and +would certainly have been attacked by the wolves. We were armed with our +bludgeons, and three of us had guns. The wolves, which had seen us, came +in our direction and when at about a quarter of a mile from us stopped +and suddenly held a consultation, then advanced again towards us. When +they had come within shooting distance I aimed with my gun at the Chief +of the Pack, who stood by himself, and killed him. Immediately the other +wolves precipitated themselves upon him and fought over his body and +devoured him. In the mean time we shot two others. Those likewise were +devoured by their comrades. It did not take the wolves much time to +devour their three companions. It was done in the twinkling of an eye. +The wolves were so voracious because they had not eaten for several +days. This is the time when they follow men and sometimes attack them +when they are a large pack together. + +"The other wolves made off, cowed by the death of their three comrades, +but soon stopped and held a consultation among themselves again, and +soon we saw one among them take the lead. This was the new Chief of the +Pack that had been chosen by them. Then they walked towards us again, +and we were ready to meet them on our skees. Our object was to kill this +new Chief of the Pack. I aimed at him and succeeded in killing him also. +He had hardly fallen when he was set upon and devoured. Now the +appetite of the wolves was more or less satisfied, and after we had +killed another they fled as they saw him fall; once in a while they +looked back towards us, but having no chief they did not know what to do +until they had chosen another--and they disappeared in the distance." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + + IN SEARCH OF WOLVES.--A LARGE PACK.--THEY HOLD A CONSULTATION.--THEIR + FIERCE ATTACK ON THE REINDEER.--PURSUING THEM ON SKEES.--KILLING + THE CHIEF OF THE PACK. + + +The following day a great snowstorm swept over the land, and during that +time the Lapps were much in fear that prowling wolves would get into the +midst of their herds and that we should be unable to see them on account +of the storm. + +When the snowstorm was over, the Lapps said to me: "We are going to +scour the country for miles around and look out for wolves, for now is a +good time to hunt them because the snow is soft. They sink into it as +they run, and we can go much faster than they do on our skees, and so +overtake them and fell them with our bludgeons." And they asked if I +would accompany them. + +"Yes," I replied, without hesitation, and added, "I hope we shall meet +wolves." + +The Lapps left by twos and threes and went in different directions. One +of them and myself took our way directly east. + +After travelling a few miles I espied a black speck very far away, for I +am long-sighted. This at first I thought to be the top of birch trees +above the snow, as before; but I was not quite sure, and as I walked +along on my skees I kept a sharp lookout. Suddenly I thought the black +spot was moving. I stopped and watched. There was no mistake, the spot +was moving. It was a large pack of wolves. And they were apparently +coming towards us. I called to my companion, and pointing to the spot +said to him: "Look there. I think I see wolves." He looked for a while, +then with glittering eyes he said, "Paulus, you are right; they are +wolves." + +We stood still to watch them. The spot was getting bigger and bigger as +the wolves came nearer. They made a large pack; but they were still too +far away for us to be able to guess how many there were. I wondered if +they were coming to attack us. They certainly would if they had had no +food for several days, for hunger makes them very bold and fierce. + +I looked at my gun. It was all right. My pouch was filled with buckshot +cartridges. My hunting knife hung by my side. My Lapp held his bludgeon +tightly in his hands. No wolf could run as fast as he could when he was +on his skees, and he could run away from them if he was not equal to the +contest and if there were too many after him. + +"The wolves have perhaps scented the reindeer," said he; "they have to +come in our direction to reach the herds." + +Not far from where we stood was a big boulder that was not entirely +buried in the snow. "Let us hide behind it, and watch," said my +companion. + +After we had come to the boulder, the Lapp hid at one end of it, I at +the other. From our hiding-place we could peep out and keep a sharp +lookout on the wolves. + +The wolves were coming nearer and nearer. I tried to count them, and I +thought there were about thirty. I soon recognized the Chief of the +Pack. He was bigger and appeared darker than the rest. He was walking +quite ahead of all the pack. They seemed to become more cautious as they +neared us. What was the reason? We held a consultation. The Lapp said, +"The wind has shifted and is blowing from the wolves towards us, so they +cannot scent us, and it is by mere chance they are coming in this +direction. They have evidently come from the great Finland forest east +of us." + +Suddenly the Chief of the Pack stopped, and all the wolves stopped also. +Then he advanced alone slowly while the remainder of the pack stood +still. Then the wolves came to join him. They were now evidently holding +a consultation, talking wolf fashion among themselves, or listening to +their Chief, who had something to say. "What are the wolves up to?" I +inquired of the Lapp. + +"They are planning some mischief," he replied. + +[Illustration: "The Lapp passed him like a flash and gave him a terrible +blow."] + +Then they divided themselves into two packs, the old Chief having the +greater number of wolves with him. The new pack with its Chief turned to +the right, the ones with the old Chief remaining at the same place. I +said to the Lapp, "How strange is the wolves' behavior! Apparently the +long conversation they had among themselves was to arrange a plan of +campaign and to divide themselves into two packs." + +"That is so," replied he. "Wolves are very knowing, and by their tactics +fool us very often." + +I replied, "We will try to fool them this time, and kill many of them. +The reindeer must be protected." + +"I believe," continued the Lapp, "that the new pack that has left is +going to take our reindeer in the rear and attack them, and those which +remain here are going to wait for this attack. The reindeer in their +fright will run in the opposite direction and fall into the midst of +these wolves that we see, and which are waiting for them. The cunning of +wolves is wonderful. When a pack attacks a herd of reindeer there are +always some of them lying in wait somewhere else. + +"You stay here and watch. I must go and warn our people that the wolves +have come among us. We have been expecting them every hour. It is very +seldom when their tracks are seen that they do not attack our reindeer. +I will return very soon." + +"All right," I said. I had plenty of buckshot, and with my back to the +boulder I was not afraid of being attacked in the rear, and I could face +them without fear, fire at them, and kill a number of them. + +After the Lapp had gone I watched the pack carefully. The wolves stood +still for a long time. They were looking in a certain direction. I tried +to find what they were looking at, but saw nothing. Suddenly they +advanced, turning away slightly from the boulder, then walked faster, +headed by the Chief of the Pack. There seemed to be great excitement +among them. I looked in the direction whither they were moving, when I +saw a lot of reindeer coming towards them, pursued by wolves from behind +and Lapps and dogs following them. What the Lapp had said had come to +pass; the wolves had attacked the reindeer in the rear, and the pack +that had stood still was ready for the fray and to attack them in front. +I was also prepared for the fight--ready to kill all the wolves I could. + +Now I saw reindeer in every direction--wolves among them, and the Lapps +everywhere, moving at great speed on their skees. They seemed to fly +over the snow. Suddenly I saw one coming near a wolf which was running +after a reindeer, and passing by his side give with his bludgeon a blow +that broke the back of the beast, which gave a fearful howl. In the mean +time the Lapp wheeled round, came back, and finished him by a blow on +the head. + +I saw further on a poor reindeer in his death struggle with two wolves +that had fastened upon his neck. Two Lapps had seen this also, and armed +with their bludgeons they came at full speed, and as quick as the flight +of an arrow they passed on each side of the poor reindeer and broke the +fore legs of the wolves, which fell on their backs howling. The Lapps +wheeled round, returned and gave them two terrific blows on their heads, +which stunned them; then they killed them. I had heard the sound of the +blows. + +The wolves had become very fierce in their attacks. I wanted to pursue +them on my skees, but unfortunately I was not skilful enough to do so. +The reindeer were fleeing, pursued by the wolves which were in their +midst. It was a fight for life. I saw four wolves attacking a bull while +he was charging one of them and had almost pierced him with his antlers. +The three other wolves sprang upon him, their big teeth in his flesh. He +ran with them for a while, then the noble animal fell. + +Another wolf came near me and succeeded in bringing down a young +reindeer that was running away with all his might. I sent a lot of +buckshot through him and killed him on the spot, but I was too late to +save the life of the poor reindeer; and in an instant the dying wolf was +attacked by his voracious comrades, which precipitated themselves upon +him and tore him to pieces and devoured him. I looked at this scene with +so much astonishment that I forgot to fire another shot at the wolves. + +Several wolves were killed, and at last all were put to flight. Our +victory was complete. I recognized the Chief of the Pack among the +slain. What a big fellow he was! What ugly-looking teeth he had! The +wolves after this attack were completely disorganized, and fled in +different directions. + +In the mean time my Lapp, true to his word, had rejoined me. He said: +"These wolves understand each other, and have agreed among themselves to +meet somewhere in the great forest east of us. They will visit us again +in small packs, so we must be on the watch constantly." Then with a sigh +he said: "Now we are going to have a hard time to bring the reindeer of +each owner together." + +The day after the slaying of the wolves, I bade good-bye to the Lapps +and once more started to wander over the great snowy waste of "The Land +of the Long Night." + +[Illustration: "It was a fight for life!"] + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + + GREAT SKILL OF THE LAPPS WITH THEIR SKEES.--LEAPING OVER WIDE GULLIES + AND RIVERS.--PRODIGIOUS LENGTH OF THEIR LEAPS.--ACCURACY OF THEIR + COASTING.--I START THEM BY WAVING THE AMERICAN FLAG. + + +I was once more travelling westward, and two days afterward fell in with +another company of nomadic Lapps. We became, as usual, good friends. + +One day they said to me: "Paulus, the snow is in a very fine condition +for skeeing, and we are going to have some fun among ourselves, and run +down steep hills on our skees and try our skill in making leaps in the +air across a chasm there is over yonder, with a river beyond, and find +out who can make the longest leap and be the champion. We want you to +come with us, for there will be great fun." + +I replied, "I am certainly coming, for I have never seen such a game +before, and I like fun. Yes, boys, I like fun." They laughed heartily +when they heard me say this. + +We made ready, and started on our skees, and after a run of about four +miles the Lapps stopped near the edge of a long and very steep hill, at +the foot of which was a plain. + +There they said to me: "There is a wide gully, which you cannot see, +before reaching the bottom of the hill, and further down is a river. We +will go down this hill and leap over both the gully and the river on our +skees. Of course, the greater our speed, the longer the leap we make. +The danger is in not being able to reach the ledge on the other side; +but this makes the fun more exciting. It is very seldom, however, that +accidents happen, for no one undertakes these dangerous leaps unless he +is very sure of himself." + +"What happens then," I asked, "if the leap falls short?" + +"Then," he answered, "you may break your leg, or arm, or your neck; but +I do not know of any such misfortunes happening, though we hear once in +a great while in the mountains of an accident which results in death. +One of the great dangers in skeeing is that of striking a boulder hidden +under the crust of snow, or of falling over an unseen precipice. When we +are small children we learn to leap forward in the air and come down on +our skees, beginning by making small leaps from insignificant heights, +increasing the leap gradually as we have more practice, and so becoming +stronger and more agile and skilful in going down a hill." + +Thereupon the Lapps took up their position along the brink of the hill +and stood in a straight line about ten or fifteen yards from each other. +It was a fine sight. At a given signal they started on their skees, +holding in one hand their sticks to be used as rudders to guide them. +They slid down at tremendous speed; suddenly I saw them fly through the +air, and then land below on their skees. They had leaped over the gully. +Then they continued their course faster than before, on account of the +momentum of the leap, and as they reached the bottom of the hill they +made another leap in the air, which took them over the river to the +plain beyond. After going a little further, for they could not stop at +once, they came to a halt. Then returning they examined the leaps, to +see who among them had made the longest one. + +After they had ascertained who was the champion in the first contest, +they continued to ascend the hill in zigzags on their skees, and after +this tiresome task they came to where they had left me. + +I said to them, "Friends, I am going down the hill, for I shall then be +able to see better your great leaping feats, and how wide and deep is +the space you leap over, for from the top of the hill it cannot be seen. +Wonderful, indeed, are your skill and daring! Such tremendous leaps as +you made can never be accomplished by man except on skees. I wish I +could have been brought up to go on skees like yourselves, from my +childhood, then I should enjoy this greatly, and compete for the +championship. It is far better fun than skating." "Certainly," they +shouted with one voice, "there is ten times more fun in skeeing than in +skating. It is like all sports, the more danger there is in them the +greater are the excitement and the interest." + +"But," said I, "I must go down this hill in a roundabout way, for I do +not want to fall into the hollow over which you leaped." + +"It would not hurt you," they cried; "you would find plenty of snow at +the bottom if you should fall in." It was agreed that one of the Lapps +should go with me and show me the way through a less steep descent to +the chasm. We made the descent successfully, and came to a good position +from which I could see the men make the great leap. + +Looking up, I saw all the Lapps in position ready for the descent and +waiting for the raising of the little American flag I always carried +with me,--a custom which dates from the time of my travels in Africa--as +the signal to start. As I unfolded it, I kissed it with great affection. +How beautiful the stars and stripes looked as they waved in the breeze +and over the snow! + +At this signal the Lapps started. Suddenly I noticed that one of +them--the last one in the row--bore down directly upon me. "Goodness!" I +said to my companion, pointing out to him the Lapp above, "suppose this +man as he comes down should happen to strike me." + +The Lapp heard me with a smile, and replied: "Paulus, do not be afraid; +he will guide his skees as skilfully as a skilful boatman steers his +boat. I think perhaps he intends to touch you with his hands as he +passes by you, so do not be frightened; do not move an inch; he is one +of the most skilful among us." + +[Illustration: "Suddenly I saw them fly through the air."] + +He had hardly finished these words when the Lapp with railroad speed +and dangerously close bore down upon me, and before I could realize it +passed in front of me within three feet, without however touching me, as +my companion had predicted. Still it took my breath away; my heart beat +so quickly. Down he went. Before I had time to recover I saw the Lapps +in the air, over the chasm, then in the twinkling of an eye they had +alighted on the other side. Their momentum was very great, and in less +than a minute they had leaped over the river, and continued their +forward course, which they could not stop, on the plain below; then +lessened their speed gradually with the help of their sticks, the ends +of which were thrust deep in the snow. + +It was a grand sight. As they leaped over their legs were somewhat bent, +and as they struck the snow they righted themselves. While in the air +they maintained their skees parallel, as if they had been on the snow, +and when they alighted the skees were on a perfect level with each +other; no man seemed to be more than two or three feet ahead of another. + +I had followed their motions with great curiosity. They seemed to give a +spring as they came near the brink of the chasm, bending their bodies +forward, straightening themselves as they struck the snow, and +continuing their way as if nothing had happened. + +On their way back, as they neared me I shouted, "Good for you, boys! +Good for you! It was splendid." I shook hands with every one of them. +They were very much excited over the sport. + +The hollow over which they leaped seemed to be about ninety-five feet +wide, and the place from which they sprang was about twelve or fifteen +feet above the bank on the other side. They told me that some of the +great leaps in the country had been over one hundred and twenty-five +feet. + +"Is it possible!" I exclaimed; "it seems incredible." + +Then the Lapp who had passed so near me said to me, "You were afraid I +would strike you on my way down. We can pass an object far below us +within a few inches when we like. We will show you how we do by and by." + +The Lapps once more ascended the hill, and I took a new position by the +river and waited for them to come down. They started in the same way as +before and came down with very great speed, leaped over the gully, and +in an instant, seemingly, they were in the air over the river--a leap of +about sixty or seventy feet. + +I shouted again, "Well done, boys! Well done!" I was terribly excited +myself. + +Then they came to me and said: "Now we are going to have a new game." +They planted several sticks in the snow in different positions on the +declivity of the hill, and said, "Paulus, we are going to show you how +near we can come to those sticks; we will almost touch them with our +skees." + +When they were ready I raised my flag. They came down the hill almost +with the same rapidity as before, but pushed their guiding sticks deeper +into the snow; and most of them came within a few inches of the sticks. + +After passing one they would change their direction and move to another, +either on the left or right, further down. + +This terminated the day's sport. We returned to our encampment. I had +had a day of great delight. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + + WE ENCOUNTER MORE WOLVES.--MY GUIDE KILLS TWO WITH HIS BLUDGEON.--A + VISITING TRIP WITH A LAPP FAMILY.--EXTRAORDINARY SPEED OF + REINDEER.--WE STRIKE A BOULDER.--LAKE GIVIJAeRVI.--EASTWARD AGAIN. + + +Now I kept a sharp lookout over the horizon as we drove along, for I +thought wolves might make their appearance again at any moment. My Lapp +guide was also apprehensive. + +When we stopped for our meals he said to me, "If our reindeer scent or +see wolves, they will become uncontrollable. It will be impossible for +us to stop them, and if we try to keep in our sleighs we shall be surely +upset, for the animals will be so wild from fright. We had better have +our skees handy, so that we can throw them out of our sleighs and then +jump out ourselves." + +Then, brandishing his bludgeon, he said fiercely, "I will make short +work of some of them. They will never run after any more reindeer." + +I brandished my gun, and cried, "Woe to the wolves if they come near us. +I will give them enough buckshot to make them jump." + +We continued our journey, the Lapp keeping close to me. Suddenly he +stopped and said, "Paulus, I am going to tie your sleigh behind mine +and fasten your reindeer to it. I do not know why, but I have an idea, +somehow, that there are wolves around, and I expect to see them at any +moment. At any rate it is better to be prepared for them." + +After my sleigh was attached as he had said, we resumed our journey, I, +quietly seated in my sleigh, having no reindeer to drive, only using my +stick as a rudder. About two hours afterwards as we skirted a forest of +fir trees we suddenly saw two wolves skulking in the distance. +Fortunately we discovered them before the reindeer did. We threw out our +skees, and then the Lapp with his bludgeon and I with my gun jumped out. +We were hardly out when our reindeer scented the wolves and plunged +wildly in their efforts to escape, and we had to let them go, for we +could not hold them. + +The Lapp in an instant was on his skees armed with his bludgeon. He made +directly for the wolves at tremendous speed. He seemed to fly over the +snow, and before I knew it he had slain a wolf by giving him a mighty +blow on his skull. Then like a bird of prey he made for the other wolf. +The animal stood still, ready to bite him, but the Lapp passed by him +like a flash and gave him a terrible blow on his mouth which broke his +teeth. Then after he had stopped the speed of his skees, he turned back +and gave him his deathblow. + +After he had taken breath, he said to me, "Paulus, wait here, for you +cannot 'skee' fast enough. I must go after our runaway reindeer and our +sleighs," and off he went. He followed the tracks they had left behind +them. + +I waited one hour, two hours,--I thought he would never come back. +Finally I saw a little black speck over the snow. It was my Lapp, and +soon he was by my side with reindeer and sleighs. + +In the afternoon we came to a tent, where we were kindly received, and +there we slept. The next morning the owner of the tent said to me, "The +snow is very fine for sleighing, for it is crisp and well packed. The +weather is cold and travelling with reindeer could not be better, for +the animals will feel fine. Some of my people and I want to go and visit +my brother and his family. Will you come with us?" + +"Yes," I replied, "I shall be very glad to go with you." + +A short time after this five reindeer made their appearance; they were +all males, and splendid animals,--Samoyeds, the finest and largest I had +thus far seen. Their antlers were superb. + +"These reindeer," said their owner, "are the fastest I have, and are in +their prime for driving, for they are between six and eight years old, +the age when they are the strongest. They have not been used for two +weeks, so they feel very frisky; and it being so cold they will run at a +rate that will perhaps scare you, and I am sure they will go as fast as +they ever did. No reindeer that I know of can keep pace with them. I +have taken great care in training them." + +I was delighted at the thought of travelling with such fast animals, and +I replied, "I am sure I shall enjoy the drive." + +Then everybody got ready for the start. My host, pointing to one of the +biggest reindeer, said to me, "This one will be yours, and you will +follow me." + +We were hardly ready when the reindeer started at a furious rate and in +the wildest way. The Lapps held their reins as hard as they could and +threw themselves across their sleighs and were carried in that way for a +little distance. It was a most ludicrous sight, the like of which I had +never seen! But they all succeeded in getting in--they were masters of +the situation. + +How they succeeded in getting in I could not tell, it was certainly a +great feat of gymnastics. My reindeer had started with the rest and was +ahead of them all, but soon the Lapps overtook me. + +We went on at a tremendous rate. These were indeed the fastest reindeer +I had ever travelled with. It was a good thing that I had learned how to +balance myself in those little Lapp sleighs. I did not mind any more +their swinging to and fro. I rather liked the excitement. And it was +exciting enough! We went so fast that things appeared and disappeared +almost before I had time to look at them. + +We sped with such rapidity that I fancied I was travelling on the +Pennsylvania railroad, as I often had done on the Limited to Chicago on +the way to see my Scandinavian friends and others. I was thinking of +that splendid train with its luxurious cars--of the observation cars +with their comfortable chairs, sofas, library; of the bath room, +stenographer, and barber, and polite employees, and all the comforts +travellers had. Suddenly I thought of its fine dining-room cars, and as +I was hungry I imagined I was seated before one of its tables, with +snowy-white linen, and enjoying a glorious meal,--oysters, capon, roast +beef, vegetables of several kinds, and puddings and fruits; the ice +cream I dismissed, for I did not feel like having any, it was so cold. +Then I thought of its comfortable beds--when suddenly a tremendous +bumping, which almost threw me out, reminded me that I was not on that +luxurious train. I had struck a snag or boulder. This made it clear at +once that I was dreaming and was not on the Chicago Limited, but that I +was travelling in "The Land of the Long Night." + +The air was so rarefied, the drive so exciting, that I shouted with all +my might, "Go on, reindeer, go on. This is fine, I never had such a +drive in my life." + +After two hours, and a drive of nearly fifty miles, we alighted before a +Lapp tent. The dogs, and there were many, announced our arrival by +fierce barking, and the inmates of the tent came out to see who the +strangers were. They recognized my friends and received them with +demonstrations of joy, which was the more remarkable as the Lapps are +far from being demonstrative. + +The next day in the afternoon we returned to our tent, the reindeer as +frisky as the day before and running as fast. I have never forgotten +those two glorious rides, and I shall remember them as long as I live. + +Bidding my Lapp friends good-bye I came one day to Lake Givijaervi and +further on to Lake Aitijaervi. There I saw a lonely farm with a +comfortable dwelling-house of logs. How pleasant this habitation seemed +in that snow land. The smoke curling over the chimney told that there +were people there, and soon after we were in front of the house, and I +entered a large room, and saw a man with long black shaggy hair tinged +with grey. His name was Adam Triump. Then a woman, his wife, came in, +also with loose shaggy black hair falling over her shoulders. My guide +and I were made welcome. + +From there I travelled once more eastward, driving over the Ivalajoki, +which falls into the Enarejaervi. If I had been travelling alone I should +certainly have perished, for I did not know where to find the people of +the thinly inhabited country. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + + THE LAPP HAMLET OF KAUTOKEINO.--A BATH IN A BIG IRON POT.--AN ARCTIC WAY + OF WASHING CLOTHES.--DRESS AND ORNAMENTS OF THE LAPPS.--APPEARANCE + AND HEIGHT OF THE LAPPS.--GIVIJAeRVI.--KARASJOK. + + +A few days after the events I have just related to you, I found myself +in the Lapp hamlet of Kautokeino, with its Lutheran church, near +latitude 69 degrees. Here and there were queer-looking storehouses which +belonged to the nomadic Lapps. I alighted before the post station, and +entered the house and was welcomed by the station master. The dwelling +was composed of two rooms, one for the use of the family, the other for +guests or travellers. The place was full of Lapp men and women who had +come to rest, go to church on the following Sunday, or see their +children who were at school; or to get coffee, sugar, and other +provisions stored in their own houses. + +On the opposite side of the post station was the cow house, and between +it and the house was the old-fashioned wooden-bucket well with its long, +swinging pole, surrounded by a thick mass of ice made of the dripping +water from the bucket. I did not wonder when I saw the ice, for it was +43 degrees below zero that day, and sometimes it is colder still. + +I went into the cow-house. It was, as usual, a very low building, lower +than most of those I had seen before. The two long windows admitted a +dim light. At the further end was the usual big iron pot seen in almost +every cow-house, for soaking the grass in boiling water, as the coarse +marsh grass is so hard to chew that it has to be thus prepared. The +daughter of the house, a girl about twenty years old, said to me, "I am +going to prepare a meal for the cows and the sheep." + +The huge iron pot was filled with reindeer moss and grass and warm +water. "This food is for the cows and sheep," she said. "The horse is +fed on fine fragrant hay, gathered during the short summer; horses will +not eat the food we give to the cows and sheep; they are very +particular." + +I was very much in need of a good wash and of a warm bath, for I had +only used snow to wash my hands and face for many days. As I looked at +the big iron pot I said to myself, "This pot will make a good wash-tub." + +I went to the mistress of the house and asked her if I could take a warm +bath in the big iron pot. "Certainly," she replied. Then she called her +daughter, and both went to the cow-house. They cleaned the iron pot +thoroughly; then filled it about two thirds full with water from the +trough communicating with the well, which the old station master drew +for them. They lighted a fire under the pot, and cleaned the +surroundings, and laid down a reindeer skin for my feet, and a chair for +me to sit on. + +When the water was warm, and the fire under it extinguished, the wife +said that my bath was ready. + +How good I felt when I was in the big iron pot filled with warm water. I +gave grunts of satisfaction. I put my head under water and thought "How +good; how good the water feels." + +Suddenly one of the family appeared, and before I had time to say "What +do you want?" had jumped into the water all dressed and got hold of one +of my legs and rubbed it with soap. Then came the turn of the other leg, +then the body, head and all. I was rubbed with a brush as hard as if I +had been a piece of wood that had no feelings, and as if my skin had +been the bark of a tree. Two or three times I screamed out, but my +attendant only laughed. After the rubbing I was switched with birch +twigs till I fairly glowed, and then I was left alone. When I looked at +my body my skin was as red as a tomato. The blood was in full +circulation and I felt fine, for it was such a long time since I had +taken a real bath that I had almost forgotten that there was such a +thing. + +How nice it was to put clean underwear on. How comfortable it felt. I +put on a new pair of reindeer trousers, that were lent to me and that +had never been worn before, and a new "kapta." Here was a good occasion +to have my underwear washed, and my fur garments cleansed of everything, +for it was over 40 degrees below zero. This wearing of the same clothes +for a long time is the greatest hardship of travelling in winter in the +Arctic regions; for in the course of time obnoxious things swarm in the +fur and also in the woollen underwear. When these become unendurable the +following way of washing has to be performed without soap or water. + +After a person has changed his fur garments and underwear, he hangs them +outside when the temperature is from 20 to 50 degrees below zero. The +colder it is, the better for the clothes that are to be cleansed. These +are left hanging for several days, during which time all the noxious +things are killed by the intense cold. After this the underwear and the +fur garments are well shaken and beaten, and then they return from this +kind of laundry clean, according to the views of the Arctic regions, and +are ready to be worn again. I often had my clothing washed in that +manner, and also my sleeping-bags. + +On Sunday many Lapps attended the Lutheran church from different parts +of the country, coming either on skees or with their sleighs; those who +lived far away starting the day before. Some had come even so far as one +hundred and fifty miles. I was present at the religious services; the +church was crowded. The clergyman was not in his clerical robes, but +dressed in furs--like the rest of the congregation, for the churches are +not heated. + +On my return from church, the Lapps asked me where I was going. I +replied I wanted to go as far as the land went north of me, as far as +Nordkyn. They all wondered why I wanted to go there. They asked me if I +was a merchant and bought fish. I told them I was not, but that I +travelled to see the country and its people. They thought I was a very +strange man, and they wondered at my ways. + +This hamlet was composed of about twelve homesteads. The dwelling-houses +were built of logs, those for beasts of turf or stones. By the church +was the schoolhouse, and there was a large store very much like our +country stores at home. + +The inhabitants owned about sixty cows,--such small cows! they were +about three feet in height--one hundred and seventy sheep and a few oxen +as small as the cows. + +Kautokeino was full of nomadic Lapps, and we had a good time together, +for the Lapps are very friendly and I had learned to love them. "We come +here," they said, "to meet our friends, to see our children who are in +school, to get some of the provisions kept in our storehouses and other +things we want; and we bring with us skins of reindeer and the garments +and shoes that have been made in our tents." + +In this church hamlet were a number of very old Lapps, men and women who +could no longer follow their reindeer and endure a hard, wandering life. +Thither also the sick or the lame come, to stay until they get well or +die. Two Lapps were pointed out to me who were nearly one hundred years +old. + +The inhabitants of these Lapp hamlets are not nomadic; they live on the +produce of their farms, the increase of their reindeer, by catching +salmon, and in employing themselves as sailors on the fishing-boats of +the Arctic Sea, which they reach by descending the rivers. + +The Lapp women wore queer-fitting little caps of bright colors, and when +in holiday dress wore a number of large showy silk handkerchiefs. +Sometimes they had as many as four, on the top of one another, over +their fur dresses; they wore necklaces of large glass beads, round their +waists were silver belts, and their fingers were ornamented with rings. +They wore trousers of reindeer skin, as the Lapp women do universally. +The men wore peaked caps. + +These people were short of stature, compactly but slightly built, with +strong limbs, their light weight allowing them to climb, jump, and run +quickly. There are no heavy men with big stomachs among them. Quite a +number of Lapps have fair hair and blue eyes. They are unlike the +Esquimaux, and in a crowd at home, dressed like ourselves, would pass +unnoticed. There are a number of Lapps in the North-west of our own +county. The tallest woman that I saw was 5 feet 1/2 inch, the tallest +man 5 feet 4-1/2 inches; the smallest woman 4 feet 4-1/4 inches, the +smallest man 4 feet 7 inches. There were more women averaging 4 feet 10 +inches than men of that size, men averaging generally above five feet. + +I left Kautokeino, and that same day I came to Lake Givijaervi. I had to +be told that it was a lake, for it was a continuous snow-land. Here was +a farm, the owner of which kept a small store and sold sugar, coffee, +salt, flour, tobacco, matches, some woollen underwear, etc., to the +Lapps; and bought from them skins, shoes, and gloves, in summer smoked +tongue and reindeer meat, reindeer cheese, etc., and every year went +with these to some of the Norwegian towns on the Arctic Sea to sell them +and buy groceries and other goods. + +Here I had a clean room and bed. The place was a great rendezvous for +nomadic Lapps, and I found many of them. The farmer extended to them +unbounded hospitality, and spread as many reindeer skins on the floor at +night as the room could hold, for them to sleep on. + +The Lapps liked the place very much, and came there to rest for a few +days, bringing their food with them. Their wives and children would also +come, and were sure to be welcome at the farm. I could not drink +sufficient milk or coffee, or eat enough reindeer meat, cheese, or +butter that had been churned in summer, to please the good-hearted +farmer. He wanted no pay. He even insisted on accompanying me to +Karasjok. + +The sleighing was fine, and the snow was six and seven feet deep on a +level. Our arrival at Karasjok, after a hundred miles' journey from +Givijaervi, was announced by the fierce barking of the dogs of the place, +and twice I was almost overtaken by one more fierce than the others. +"They only bark," shouted my guide. I was now in latitude 69 deg. 35', and +within a few miles of the longitude of Nordkyn. The hamlet was situated +on the shores of the Karasjoki river. Some of the fir trees of the +forests near Karasjok measured twenty inches in diameter; but once cut +they do not grow again. I saw very few young trees. + +The hamlet was composed of eighteen or twenty homesteads, with about one +hundred and thirty inhabitants. There were over twenty horses, besides +cows, sheep, and reindeer. The horses were so plentiful because they are +used to haul timber. I reflected that the horse is a wonderful animal, +and can live like man in many kinds of climate. + +All the houses at Karasjok were built of logs. The finest residence was +that of the merchant of the place. The Karasjok Lapps, and others in the +neighborhood, were very unlike those I had seen before. They were tall; +some of them six feet in height. The women were also tall, most of them +having dark hair. The fair complexion and blue eyes were uncommon. Men +and women wore strange-looking head-dresses. The men wore square caps of +red or blue flannel, filled up with eider down. The women put on a +wooden framework of very peculiar shape, appearing more or less like a +casque or the helmet of a dragoon. + +I only stopped the night in Karasjok, and after getting new reindeer at +the post station and a new guide, started north. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + + LEAVE KARASJOK STILL TRAVELLING NORTHWARD.--THE RIVER TANA.--RIVER + LAPPS.--FILTHY DWELLINGS.--ON THE WAY TO NORDKYN.--THE MOST + NORTHERN LAND IN EUROPE. + + +On leaving Karasjok I travelled northward, over the frozen Karasjoki, +until I came to a broad stream called the Tana. As we drove on the river +I saw here and there solitary farms and strange little hamlets inhabited +by river Lapps. + +The occupation of the river Lapps is largely salmon catching in summer. +These fish are very abundant in the rivers. Many, during the codfish +season, engage themselves as sailors on the Arctic Sea. Almost every +family has a small farm, stocked with diminutive cows; besides they have +sheep and goats. During the summer their reindeer are taken care of by +the nomadic Lapps. These reindeer have to go to the mountains near the +Arctic Sea, on account of the mosquitoes. + +Now travelling was becoming very hard,--not on account of the snow, but +because the inhabitants and their dwellings were so dirty. + +But I had one comfort. All over that far northern land I felt so safe; +it never came into my head that these people would rob me, though they +knew I had plenty of money with me, according to their ways of +thinking, to pay for reindeer and other travelling expenses; but the +Finns and the Lapps are a God-fearing people. + +The first day, I came to a place occupied by a single man. The house was +so filthy, and vermin apparently so plentiful, that I whispered to my +Lapp guide, "Let us go on." The Lapp was so tired that he looked at me +with astonishment, and seemed to say: "Are not these comfortable +quarters?" + +We got into our sleighs, however, and further on we stopped and tied our +reindeer together. The Lapp slept in his sleigh covered with a reindeer +skin, and I in my bag. + +The next day we halted before a farm. It was dark. There we intended to +spend the night. The people do not lock their doors, neither do they +knock to obtain admittance. So we entered. The family were all in bed. A +man lighted a light. Such filth I thought I had never seen. The beds +were filled with dirty hay that had been there all winter. The sheepskin +blankets with the wool on were almost as black as soot. The people who +slept between them were without a particle of clothes. "What a place for +vermin!" I whispered to myself. + +At this sight, I again said in a low voice to my Lapp, "Let us go on." +He replied, "The reindeer are hungry, and we have had no food ourselves +for long hours. Let us remain overnight and breakfast here to-morrow." + +In the mean time the owner of the place got up, put on a long dirty +woolen shirt, and went with us into the next room, which was clean. I +gave a sigh of relief. The wooden bed had no hay, no sheepskin blankets. +The man got for me a clean reindeer skin which he said had just come out +of the open air, where it had been for several days. + +To my consternation my Lapp guide offered to sleep alongside of me, and +added, "We shall be warmer if we sleep together." I was in a dilemma. I +did not want to offend him, but I told him that I always slept by +myself. Then the owner of the place spread another reindeer skin on the +floor, and my guide slept upon it. + +The next morning we breakfasted on dried reindeer meat, hard bread, and +milk. After bidding our host good-bye, and thanking him for his +hospitality, we continued our journey, arriving towards noon at a farm +owned by a river Lapp. The farm had three buildings; only the wife and +daughter were at home. The husband was cod fishing in the Arctic Sea. +The wife told me she had been a sailor before she was married, and +engaged in cod fishing. + +There were on this farm three diminutive cows, an ox of the size of the +cows, nine sheep, and they owned besides quite a number of reindeer. The +cows were getting smaller and smaller as I went north. In the little +dwelling-house was a small room for a stranger; reindeer skins made the +mattress. My guide and I ate together. We had excellent coffee, smoked +reindeer meat, and milk. + +Further on we stopped awhile at a little farm owned by a woman and her +daughter. The mother and daughter worked as if they were men; they +fished for salmon in the river in summer, mowed hay, collected reindeer +moss to feed their cows, went after wood. A faithful dog was their +companion. At some seasons the daughter descended the river, and engaged +herself as one of the crew on board of a fishing boat on the Arctic +Ocean. + +Resuming our journey we passed the church hamlet of Utsjoki. Near +Utsjoki I met some nomadic Lapps, who had a large herd of reindeer with +them, and were willing to take me to Nordkyn. That night I slept in +their tent. Early the next morning they lassoed some very fine reindeer, +which had superb horns and had not been used for quite a while. I did +not care now how fast the reindeer went, for I could keep inside of my +sleigh. The men said: "We will meet on the promontory Lapps with their +reindeer herds, and if it is very stormy we can go into their tent." + +Soon after we started. + +They were not mistaken in regard to the speed of their beasts. They set +off at a furious pace, and it was all I could do to keep inside of my +sleigh. My pride was up, and I was bound to do my utmost not to upset. + +We finally reached the high promontory which divides the Laxe from the +Tana fjord, at the extremity of which is Nordkyn. It was blowing a gale +right from the north, and we had to protect our faces with our masks. +Fortunately we came to a Lapp encampment, and were received with great +kindness and hospitality; enjoyed a good meal of reindeer meat, and a +good sleep afterwards. + +The next morning the weather was fine, and I drove on to Kjorgosk +Njarg--hard name to pronounce--the most northern land in Europe. + +The land's end was nearing, and erelong I stood on the edge of Cape +Nordkyn, 71 deg. 6' 50"--the most northern end of the continent of Europe, +and rising majestically over seven hundred feet above the level of the +sea. Before me was the Arctic Ocean, and beyond, a long way off and +unseen by me, was the impenetrable wall of ice which the Long Night had +built to guard the Pole. + +From there I could see North Cape. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + + LEAVE NORDKYN.--FRANTIC EFFORTS OF THE REINDEER TO KEEP THEIR FOOTING + ON THE ICE.--THE BEAR'S NIGHT.--FOXES AND ERMINES.--WEIRD CRIES OF + FOXES.--BUILDING SNOW HOUSES.--SHOOTING-BOXES.--KILLING FOXES.--TRAPS + FOR ERMINES.--A SNOW OWL. + + +Nordkyn being the land's end, I could not go further north, so I +retraced my steps southward. That afternoon we saw on the other side of +a frozen lakelet the tent of some nomadic Lapps, and we made +preparations to cross the lake to go and see them. + +While we were in the midst of the lake the wind rose, and before we knew +it the ice was left bare around us, and our reindeer could not run or +walk over it, it was so slippery. They would fall at every step they +made, making all kinds of contortions to try to stand on their legs; +their hoofs could not possibly hold on fast to the ice. We got out of +our sleighs to help them. I said to myself that reindeer ought to be +shod, especially to go over the ice. + +It was awful--the poor beasts made frantic efforts to get on, but could +not. I thought we should never be able to cross the lake, and that we +should be obliged to abandon the reindeer, or try to put them into our +sleighs, and drag these ourselves to the shore. But we watched our +opportunity, and when a layer of snow was blown in our way, we succeeded +in making some headway. At last we reached the shore, after three or +four hours of hard work. + +The Lapps received us very kindly. + +That night I heard the weird and dismal howls of foxes. They sounded so +strange in the stillness of darkness. In the morning I asked the Lapps +how many kinds of foxes were found in the country. "There are red, blue, +and black foxes," they answered. "During the Bear's Night or winter +months the blue foxes and the gray hares turn white; the fur of the +black fox is tipped with white, and he is known as the silver-gray fox, +the fur thus tipped being very valuable. The ptarmigan also, a species +of grouse, turns white during the Bear's Night." + +I asked the Lapps, "Why do you call the winter months the 'Bear's +Night'?" + +"Because," one replied, "in this land the bears sleep all through the +winter months." + +"Goodness!" I exclaimed; "then the bear has a sleep that lasts five or +six months, and even more?" + +"Yes," the Lapp replied. + +"Are there any bears here," I asked, "that are sleeping in the +neighborhood?--for I should like immensely to stir one up." + +"There are none this year," he replied. + +Then I said to him, "Let us go fox hunting, for I should like to get +some white and silver-gray fox-skins. We will build a snow house for +our camp to shelter ourselves." One of the Lapps, called Jakob, agreed +to go with me. + +Besides hunting foxes, we were to trap ermines and kill white hares, for +I wanted to have a rug of their skins. I remembered that I had slept +between two rugs of white hare skins, and how beautiful, soft, and warm +they were. + +After this talk Jakob went off after reindeer, and returned with three +of them. In a short time our preparations for camping were made. We took +with us our sleeping-bags, some reindeer meat, a little salt, some hard +bread, a coffee kettle, coffee, a small iron pot to cook our food in, +two wooden shovels to help us in building a snow house and clearing the +ground of snow, our skees, guns, and ammunition. I did not forget a +couple of wax candles, for I always carried some with me, and plenty of +matches, besides a steel and flints in case some accident should happen +to our matches. We took also a few slender poles, upon which we intended +to hang our meat to keep it out of reach of prowling carnivorous +animals. These carefully packed and made secure in a special sleigh, we +started. Our sleighs glided along as if they were going on smooth ice. + +After a journey of four hours, having travelled about sixty miles, we +came to the shores of a lake, and at one end were two conical dwellings +belonging to fishing or river Lapps. The smoke curling above their tops +showed us the people were at home. + +"Here," said Jakob, "we will build our snow houses. I think we shall +find plenty of foxes in the neighborhood, for the country is full of +ptarmigans, and the foxes prey upon them." + +We tied our reindeer with long ropes, so that they should have plenty of +room to dig for moss. Then we began to build our snow house. It was so +cold that the snow did not hold well together, so we concluded to make +two instead of one, just big enough for each of us to sleep in and be +protected from the great cold. It was hard work. When finished they were +a little over five feet and a half long and some three feet wide inside. + +"I like this much better than going in and sleeping in the dwellings of +the river or fishing Lapps yonder," I said to Jakob. + +Clearing a space for our fire in front, we put up three long poles we +had carried with us, and hung our meat high up upon them, so that wolves +and foxes could not get at it. Then we put our sleighs containing our +outfit on the top of each other and made them fast with cords. When this +was done Jakob said: "Foxes are often very bold, and they come and +rummage around the tents; and when famished they bite everything they +get hold of. We shall be able to hear them from our snow houses if they +try to get into our sleighs." + +We had carried with us a few sticks of dry wood to be used as firewood, +but Jakob knew the country well and that near us were some junipers, the +branches of which appeared above the snow, and he went and gathered +some of them. The wood of the juniper, though green, burns well, for it +is full of resinous matter. + +Our camp was now ready. The day's work being done we lighted a fire, +cooked a piece of reindeer meat for our supper, and made coffee. Jakob, +as usual, had some dried fish skin with him to clarify the coffee. After +our meal we went into our snow houses, and taking off my Lapp grass and +stockings, I laid them inside of my kapta on my chest to dry the +dampness out of them during the night. Then I got into my bag. Jakob did +likewise, and after bidding each other good-night we fell asleep. Our +houses were warm and comfortable. + +During the night we were startled by the piercing howls of foxes, and +these kept us awake for a time. How dismal those howls sounded. We had +evidently come to a good place to find foxes! Jakob evidently knew what +he was about, and had brought me to the right place. + +When we awoke the weather had become colder, the thermometer marking 45 +degrees below zero. After a breakfast of reindeer meat and a cup of +coffee we went to reconnoitre on our skees and saw many tracks of foxes. +I was delighted at the discovery, and said to myself, "Paul, do not +leave this place till you have a few fox skins." I wished all the time +that these tracks might be those of the white and silver-gray foxes, for +they were the ones I particularly wanted. + +On our return the fishing Lapps from the other side of the lake came on +their skees to pay us a visit, and invited us to come and see them. +Looking at their faces I thought they had not been washed for months, +for a coat of dirt covered their skins. I looked at their fur garments +with great suspicion, and kept away from them without appearing to do +so. I found it necessary to use all the tact I possessed to avoid +wounding their susceptibilities. + +After their departure Jakob said: "I am going to take the reindeer to +some friends of mine who have their camp within two hours from this +place, and they will take care of them until we go back." Then he bade +me good-bye, saying, "I will not be long." + +I watched him until I lost sight of him and of the reindeer. Then I put +on my skees, took my gun, and went to look for foxes, and soon came upon +fresh tracks of them. Once or twice I thought I saw white foxes, but +they are difficult to see at a long distance, being of the color of the +snow, and I could not be sure. Being satisfied of their presence in our +neighborhood, I returned to the camp. + +[Illustration: "I advanced cautiously."] + +As I came within sight of our shelter I thought I saw on the snow, near +one of the poles where the reindeer meat was hung, something that was +not there when I had left. It was possible that it was only the snow +that had been piled up in heaps by us. "Strange," I said to myself, +"that I did not notice that this morning." I advanced cautiously, when +suddenly I discovered that what I thought so strange was three foxes, +white ones, seated and looking up intently at the reindeer meat, +probably thinking how they might reach it. I watched them while they +stood still and kept their heads up, looking at the meat. I was glad the +meat was out of their reach, otherwise we should have had no supper. I +stood perfectly still and kept watching them. The three foxes did not +move. Suddenly one turned round, and when he saw me he gave the alarm to +his companions and off they ran at a great rate, and soon were out of +sight. + +When I came to the camp I saw that the foxes had gone round and round +the pole, in the hope of finding a way to reach the meat. It was lucky +that they had not intelligence enough to dig the snow with their paws at +the foot of the pole to make it come down. + +After this, looking over the snow, I saw in the distance a little black +spot, which grew bigger and bigger as it came nearer. I recognized Jakob +on his skees. + +Soon after he arrived in our camp I told him about the foxes. "They will +come again," he replied, "for they are hungry. Other foxes will also +come, for they will surely scent our meat." + +After a while we began to work, and built two little round enclosures of +snow, the walls about three feet high, with openings here and there to +fire from, and went inside and waited for the foxes, having previously +put within a short shooting distance some reindeer meat. We waited for +quite a while--no foxes--when suddenly I thought I saw something moving +over the snow. Looking carefully I found that they were white foxes. +They had evidently scented the meat and were approaching in that +direction, and when within shooting distance we fired and two of them +fell. They were fine creatures, with soft long hair almost as white as +the snow upon which they walked. We skinned them at once, and stretched +their skins on frames we made from branches of juniper. + +The next day we built two new snow entrenchments, in the opposite +direction to the others, and when it was dark we went into them, putting +reindeer meat near. + +We had not to wait long. I saw something black on the snow. Certainly +the animal was not a white fox. It could not be the cub of a bear, for +it was the Bear's Night and they were all asleep. When the animal was +near enough I fired and it fell. I ran towards it, and saw that it was a +splendid silver-gray fox. How carefully we skinned the animal! + +The next day Jakob made a lot of traps for ermines. These traps are made +in the following manner: A string is attached to a loop long enough for +the head of the animal to pass through. The string is fastened to a +branch, which is bent down above the place where meat is deposited, some +distance back of the loop. The ermine approaches, and in trying to reach +the meat pushes his head through the loop and pulls the string up, and +the loop tightens round the neck and strangles the animal in the air. + +We scattered these traps in every direction, and caught many ermines. +How pretty is the ermine, with its short legs, white fur, and tail +tipped with black! The ermine feeds much on the ptarmigans. + +That day I saw perched on the low branch of a tree a beautiful snowy +owl, motionless, evidently watching for something. Jakob said to me, +"The owl is watching for ermines. There are plenty of these, I am sure, +round here, or the owl would not be on this tree. We will set some of +our traps here." The owl was big and beautiful, and I said to myself, +"The ermine feeds on the ptarmigans, and the owl on the ermine." I did +not like the idea of the harmless ptarmigans being eaten by ermines and +owls, so I raised my gun and knocked him over. + +The foxes, after being hunted for two or three days, became very shy and +it was impossible to get near them. There were a great number of +ptarmigans, and they were so tame that we had no difficulty in getting +many for food. + +Strange to say, when we fired our guns they made hardly any noise, for +the air was so rarefied. We feasted well at our camp, for we also killed +a number of white hares. + +The white fox had become so scarce that we concluded to leave our camp +for good, and Jakob went to get our reindeer. After packing we retraced +our steps towards his home, his tent on the snow. + +In one place where we stopped to rest I suddenly noticed that our +reindeer had got loose. I shouted to Jakob, who was quietly taking a +little snooze on the snow, "Our reindeer are loose!" + +Without saying a word, he went to his sleigh and took a lasso. The Lapps +never travel without a lasso. This reassured me. "I must be very wary, +for our reindeer are somewhat wild," Jakob said; "Paulus, follow me." So +I took to my skees. As we approached the animals moved off from us. Then +he came near enough to one of them, and threw his lasso and caught him. +After making the animal fast, he went carefully after the others and +succeeded in lassoing them. + +"Well done," I said to him. Then we lay on the snow, with our masks to +protect our faces, and went to sleep. After a short nap we continued our +way, and finally reached Jakob's tent just in time for supper, and were +warmly welcomed by the family. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + + JAKOB TALKS TO ME ABOUT BEARS.--THE BEAR'S NIGHT.--WATCHING A BEAR + SEEKING FOR WINTER QUARTERS.--THEY ARE VERY SUSPICIOUS.--I TELL A + BEAR STORY IN MY TURN. + + +Since I had heard of the Bear's Night, I wanted to know more about these +animals and their habits. After our supper, I said to Jakob, "Talk about +bears to me--tell me about them." "All right," he replied. "I will tell +you all I know about them." + +"At the end of the summer and before the first fall of snow," he began, +"the bears are very fat, for they have had plenty of berries and roots +to eat. They are so fat that they can stand the long fast during the +Bear's Night; but when they go out in the spring from their snow cover, +they are very lean. We dread the bear more in the spring than during any +part of the summer, for he is voraciously hungry all the time and goes +after cattle, horses, sheep, or reindeer." + +"I do not wonder at their being hungry, for the poor bear has to make up +for his long fast," I said. + +Jakob continued: "The bear chooses a place in which he can lie +comfortably, such as under boulders or fallen trees, where he can be +protected from the snow. He becomes suspicious after he has chosen the +place for his Winter's Night, and for days he walks round and round to +see that there is no danger and to make sure that no enemy can see him. +He wants to feel perfectly safe before he goes into winter quarters. By +walking round wherever the wind blows, he is sure to scent danger, and +if he does he moves away and goes to seek some other place. The bear is +very wary; it is almost impossible in summer to pursue him without dogs, +for he is so quick of foot and always on the alert, that when a hunter +sees one he has to be more wary than the bear to approach within +shooting distance of him. When badly wounded he attacks his enemy +suddenly." + +After Jakob had done speaking, I said to him, in my turn: "Let me tell +you a bear story. One autumn day when I had crossed the mountains by the +great Sulitelma glacier and was descending the eastern slope on my way +to the Gulf of Bothnia, my Lapp guide and I saw a big brown bear in the +distance, but as it was almost dark we decided not to go after him, for +the country was very stony. We camped that day in a forest of pines, in +order to be sheltered from the wind, for we were to sleep without a fire +so as not to make the bear suspicious. After taking our frugal meal of +hard bread and butter, my Lapp said to me, 'To-morrow we shall see the +bear; it is late in the season, and I am sure that he is looking for his +winter quarters in the neighborhood, and at the first indication of a +big snowstorm he will make ready for his long sleep, for the bears know +when a snowstorm is coming.' + +"'How can they know?' I inquired. + +"'I cannot tell you, for I do not know,' he replied, 'for I am not a +bear; but they do know. Do not the swallows and other migrating birds +know the approach of winter and then fly southward?' + +"'They do,' I replied. + +"That day we were very tired, for we had been tramping all day, down and +up hills and leaping over boulders which covered the country in many +places, and the wonder to me was that we did not break our necks. + +"The place we had chosen for the night was by a big boulder almost as +large as a small house. There we could be sheltered against the cold +wind of the night that came through the trees. I picked out a stone for +a pillow, then stretched myself by the side of the boulder on thick +lichen that grew over the barren soil, and made a comfortable bed. My +guide did likewise. Then we bade each other good-night and soon fell +asleep. + +"The next morning we wandered in the neighborhood where we had seen the +bear, but that day we did not find him; then we moved in the direction +whither we thought he had gone. That evening we saw another boulder some +twelve or fifteen feet high. 'This will be a fine place of shelter for +the night,' I said to the Lapp. He replied, 'It is just the place we +want. If the wind shifts we will shift also, so as to be protected.' + +"I lay flat along the boulder on the thick reindeer moss, the Lapp did +likewise, and soon after we fell asleep with the pure bracing wind of +the mountains blowing over our faces. + +"The next morning we saw the bear; he was a long way from us. The Lapp +said to me, 'I think the bear expects to winter round here; we must +watch him and follow him.' Soon after the bear disappeared. + +"'Do you think he has scented us?' I asked. 'I do not see how he could,' +my guide replied, 'the wind is in the wrong direction for that. He has +gone for some reason of his own, you may be sure. There may have been +people on the other side of the hill and he has scented them.' + +"We moved all round our boulder to scan the country, but there was no +bear in sight as far as our eyes could reach. After a while I noticed a +small black spot on the top of a hill. It was the bear; he was looking +all round. He then walked away and disappeared. Soon he appeared again, +and we saw him walk round and round a cluster of pines. The Lapp said: +'The bear is walking, making a ring in that manner. He tries to find out +if there is any danger for him, and by walking round he is sure to get +the wind, no matter from what direction it comes. Sometimes the bear +will try a number of places for several days before he selects one.' + +"'How clever the bears are to walk around in that manner,' I said. + +"Suddenly the bear disappeared. 'He has scented us,' said the Lapp, 'and +I think he will never come back here. We have eaten all the food we have +with us. We shall have to feed on berries the rest of our way. This bear +will probably remain in this region and take up his winter quarters +around here somewhere. I will find out where he will lie. Come to me +early in the spring, before the snow melts, and we will kill him.' + +"'All right,' I replied; but the following spring, I regret to say, I +was travelling in another part of the country, but I heard that Bruin +met his fate at the hands of my Lapp when he aroused himself from his +long sleep and came out from under the snow." + +The bears in Sweden, Norway, and Finland are very fine animals and +attain great size. They vary in the color of their fur, some being +almost black, but generally they are of different shades of brown. I +think they rank in size next to the grizzly bear of the Rocky Mountains. +They are sometimes dangerous, but not so much so as the grizzly. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + + PREPARATIONS FOR CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS TO THE ARCTIC OCEAN.--DECIDE TO + TAKE THE TRAIL TO THE ULF FJORD.--HOUSES OF REFUGE.--A SERIES OF + TERRIFIC WINDSTORMS IN THE MOUNTAINS.--LOST.--GLOOMY REFLECTIONS.--A + HAPPY REUNION. + + +The next day I said to Jakob and to the Lapps, "I wish some of you to go +with me across the mountains to the shore of the Arctic Ocean. I will +pay you well." + +We were then between the 69th and 70th degrees, north latitude, and we +had to cross the mountains at an elevation of about 5,000 feet on our +way to the sea. I wanted to find out the kind of weather they had in +these high altitudes in the Arctic regions. + +"Some of us will go with you," they replied; and added: "There are +several trails leading to the Arctic Ocean. We can reach the sea by +going to the Ofoden, the Ulf, the Lyngen, the Quananger, or the Alten +fjords." I took my map out. After a conference it was agreed that we +should go to the Ulf fjord. + +Norway is the country of fjords. A fjord is an arm of the sea, winding +its way far inland in the midst of mountains. The sea is very deep, +often of greater depth than the towering heights which rise abruptly +from the shore, though these are often several thousand feet in +altitude. No road can be built along many of these fjords, and boats are +the conveyances that are used to go from one place to another. + +"There are houses of refuge in the mountains, where we shall find +shelter in case of heavy storms," said the Lapps. "If it were not for +those places of refuge people would often perish when overtaken by these +storms. Paulus, you have met great windstorms on your way here, but they +are nothing to compare with the terrific winds to be met in the high +mountains. Remember that we are in the month of March--the month of +storms." + +As I was listening to what the Lapps said, I thought I heard, from +across the Atlantic, my young folks and friends encouraging me, crying: +"Be not afraid, Paul. Go on! Go on! No harm will befall you!" I shouted +back, "I am not afraid!" + +So we started. First we came to a Finn hamlet, where we met a good many +Finlanders and Laplanders who had arrived with their goods and a great +many sleighs and reindeer on their way to the Ulf fjord. All the animals +had been trained to eat reindeer moss gathered and stored for that +purpose. We had come just in time. + +Here it was agreed that Jakob and the Lapps who had taken me to this +place should not go further, but that I should be taken care of by +Finlanders, whose destination was the same as mine and who were on their +way to the Arctic Sea. I was to go with John Puranen. John was a +powerfully built man, with a very kind expression. + +We were soon good friends. John and a party of friends were going with a +large number of sleighs loaded with reindeer meat, butter, reindeer +cheese, smoked tongues, skins, garments, shoes, and thousands of frozen +ptarmigans, to sell to the people living on the coast. + +The day after our coming parties of Finlanders and Laplanders began to +leave, with forty or fifty sleighs and a number of spare reindeer in +case any gave out. + +As I looked over the snow, I could see the caravans following each +other, in single file, and a number of dogs following their masters. + +The next day we started with a large party. We all hoped for good +weather. We took a good supply of reindeer moss with us. + +Late at night we came to the first farm of refuge found in our track. +Hundreds of sleighs and reindeer were outside, and when I entered the +house more than a hundred men were sleeping on the floor. The snoring +was something terrific, and the heat and the closeness of the room were +unbearable. A lighted lamp shone dimly on the slumberers. + +So I thought that I would be far more comfortable sleeping outside in my +two bags. John said that he would sleep in his bags by me--and in fact +we slept very comfortably. + +[Illustration: "The mist was so thick that I could not see ahead."] + +When I awoke in the morning it was 42 degrees below zero. Then we +went into the house and had some coffee and reindeer meat for breakfast. +As at all the post stations, there is a tariff for everything printed on +the walls, so no overcharge is practised. + +Many of the people had already left; we hurried on to overtake them, and +as usual went in single file. + +The weather had become windy, and the wind blew stronger and stronger as +we went on, until there was hardly any snow left on the ground. It flew +to a great height, and the mist was so thick that I could not see ahead. +My reindeer was going of its own accord. I trusted him to scent and +follow the other reindeer ahead of me. I hurried him on by striking +slightly his right flank with my rein, hoping to overtake the people of +our party. + +The wind kept increasing, and seeing no one ahead or behind I became +alarmed. + +Where were John and the other fellows? I had no provisions with me. +Where was I? Once in a while, when there was a lull that lasted about a +minute, I saw nothing but huge mountains ahead of me. At sight of them I +became more anxious than ever. I could only hear the shrieking of the +wind, which at times threatened to upset me. Occasionally it blew so +hard that my reindeer had to stop. + +My head was entirely hidden by my mask and my hood, which had been made +so secure that I felt it would stay with my head till both were blown +away. Only my eyes could be seen; but the snow which kept flying in the +air became as fine as flour and penetrated everywhere. It got through +the open space for my eyes, then gathered on my hair, eyelashes, +eyebrows, and mustache, and on my cheeks and nose; in fact, everywhere +on my face, and made a mask of ice. + +I wished I had no mustache, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, no hair--for it +was very painful every time I broke this mask of ice. It was hardly +broken when it would form again from the particles of new snow adhering +to each other. When I broke it, I thought every hair would be torn from +my face. If I had not cleared it away the mask of ice would have become +so thick that I would have been unable to see. I began to think that +there was no fun crossing the mountains after all, if this was the +weather we were going to get all the way. + +As I could not overtake the people ahead, and John was not in sight, +gloomy thoughts came over me. Suppose I can find nobody, nor even a +house of refuge, I repeated: what then? What will become of me in this +terrific windstorm, in the midst of these great towering mountains that +surround me on every side? An answer to my question, as dark as my +thought, said: "Starvation! Starvation! Death! Death!" + +Suddenly I thought I heard, through the storm, the same voice from the +friends at home shouting to me, "Be of good cheer, Paul; go on; go on! +No harm will befall you!" + +These imaginary words had hardly been uttered when I said to myself, +"If the worst comes to the worst, and when I am on the point of +starving, I will kill my reindeer, drink its warm blood to sustain my +life, abandon my sleigh, and depend on my skees. By that time the storm +may be over, and I may meet some of the people who were with me, or +other parties who are going to the Arctic Sea." + +Soon after I had reached this decision, however, I saw through the mist +something black. Was it a pack of hungry wolves? It was moving towards +me. I seized my gun; but how could I shoot in such weather and be sure +to kill? I did not fancy the idea of being attacked by a pack of hungry +and starving wolves. At any rate, I would make a desperate effort to +kill some; these would be eaten by the pack, and after they were +satisfied they would perhaps not follow me but let me alone. Perhaps I +might kill a wolf and suck his warm blood; this would avoid the need of +killing my reindeer. + +No, they were not wolves, but people! I was in the midst of my friends; +they had stopped and were waiting for me. + +Now I felt happy. John's dog also felt happy for he wagged his tail and +looked at me, and John said, "Paulus, if you had been lost, my dog would +have found you." + +Then they exclaimed: "We would never have gone to the sea without you. +We would have wandered all over the mountains with our reindeer or on +our skees to find you. But we thought your reindeer would follow our +track, for he could scent ours, as the wind was in the right direction; +and here we were waiting for you." I could hardly hear their voices, +though they surrounded me, for they were drowned in the hissing of the +wind. + +We continued our way and came to another house of refuge, where we took +shelter. There we could wait until the storm was over. + +It was so nice to stretch one's legs and to stand up and pace the floor +and bring the blood into circulation. + +What would the people do while travelling in such a climate without +houses of refuge? The place of refuge was a mountain farm; they had +cows, goats, and sheep, for there were pastures near by in summer. + +When the time to sleep came I stretched myself at full length upon a +reindeer skin on the floor, and fell asleep hearing the wind howling +fiercely round the house. + +When I awoke in the morning the storm had ceased. I washed my face and +hands in water and dried them with a clean towel which the wife handed +me. What a luxury! + +After breakfast we bade the kind people of the house of refuge good-bye, +and once more we were on our way to the Arctic Sea. We had not been two +hours on the way, however, when the sky began to grow gray and +apparently a storm was coming; the wind increased, and flakes of snow +began to fall; the squalls increased in force and frequency. Little did +I know that these were the forerunners of a series of great windstorms +that were to take place nearly five thousand feet above the sea. In a +word, I was to encounter the greatest windstorms I have ever met in my +life. The dark clouds kept flying very fast high over our heads, then at +times seemed to be hardly above the top of the mountains. The sky became +wild and peculiar. John was hurrying his reindeer as fast as he could by +striking his flanks. He evidently knew what was coming, for he was a +child of the stormy regions of the North, and knew what such a +threatening sky meant in March. The wind was increasing in force every +minute, the snow flew thicker in the air. At last, when we reached the +station of refuge, John gave a great shout of satisfaction. We had come +just in time. The snow was driven in thick clouds, the hills and +mountains were hidden from view, and all around was nothing but a thick +haze. The fur of our garments was entirely filled with particles of +snow; we looked as if we had been rolled in a barrel of flour. + +I gave a great sigh of relief when we came in front of the house of +refuge. It was well that we hurried with all our might, for we would +never have reached the place at a slower speed. Then what would have +become of John and me, and of the others! + +At bedtime reindeer skins were strewn on the floor, for many had come to +get shelter against the furious windstorm. Before going to sleep, we +took off our shoes, and carefully hung them with our stockings and Lapp +grass on the poles that were suspended near the ceiling. Then we bade +each other good-night and thanked the farmer and his wife for their +kindness. + +That night I dreamed that the same voices that I had heard before were +saying to me, "Go on! Go on! Friend Paul, no harm will befall you. Do +not be afraid, be valiant, as you were in Africa. Then come back and +tell us what you have seen in 'The Land of the Long Night.'" Thereupon I +saw all their faces smiling at me. I felt so happy during that sleep. +But it was nothing but a sweet dream. When I awoke there was nothing +round me to remind me of my far-away friends, of the girls and boys I +loved so dearly. "What makes you, Paul, so fond of a wandering life," I +said to myself, "and of encountering such perils and hardships as you +have done all through your life, when you have so many warm friends at +home?" + +In the morning, one by one, the people awoke and got up. The weather was +calm, but John said: "The weather is not to be trusted at this time of +the year on these high mountains." I had great faith in John, as a +weather prophet. + +Most people had their provisions with them. I was to drink my coffee in +the finest cup owned by the owners of the house of refuge. "Taste some +of my butter," a Finlander would say. "Taste my smoked reindeer meat," +urged a Laplander. "Help yourself to some of my cheese," said a third. +If I had eaten a little of all that was offered, I should not have been +able to travel. People must not eat too much when they have plenty of +exercise to perform, or hard work to do. + +After breakfast John said to me: "It is wise in these mountains to +prepare for all kinds of weather. It has been bad enough already, but it +may be a great deal worse, for to-day the mountains we are to cross are +very high." + +"Goodness gracious!" I exclaimed. "Is it possible that we can have worse +weather than we have seen, John?" "Certainly," he replied. I wondered +what sort of weather it could be! + +John attended himself to my toilet; he would not trust me. He put my +stockings on, put an extra quantity of Lapp grass round them, and saw +that every part of my foot to my ankle was well protected, tied the +shoes over my ankles and my reindeer-skin trousers most carefully, saw +that my belt was well fastened, that my "pesh" or fur blouse was +carefully made fast round my neck, and that my gloves were well secured +to my wrists with bands used for that purpose and my hood tied tightly. +When he had finished, he said, with a smile: + +"Paulus, you are ready to stand the strongest windstorm that can blow; +everything on your body is made as secure as it can be!" + +Our reindeer being harnessed we bade good-bye to the people of the house +of refuge, and a number of parties left together for self-protection. + +John was not mistaken about the weather. Three or four hours after our +departure the wind increased, and terrific squalls followed each other +and threatened to upset our sleighs. The blinding snow dust prevented my +seeing my reindeer, and at times I could not even see the head of my +sleigh. Night seemed to have taken the place of daylight,--a thick fog +could not have been worse. Then, to add to my discomfort, I had +continually to break through the mask of ice, which formed again quickly +after being broken. It was of no use to look for the furrows of the +sleighs that had preceded us, for their tracks were filled at once with +snow. + +Once more I thought I was lost, when I saw John standing still; he was +waiting for me, and attached my sleigh to his, so that the mishap of +being parted again could not occur. When he had tied the two sleighs, he +said: "If we are lost we will be together." Dear John, what a glorious +fellow he was! + +I thought of what I imagined the "Long Night" had said to me after the +disappearance of the sun: "I send terrific gales and mighty snowstorms +upon ocean and lands." It seemed to me that I could hear her sardonic +laugh after telling me of her power. The storm continued to increase, +and swept down upon us from the higher mountain sides with a force which +I had never witnessed before, though I have crossed the Atlantic more +than twenty times in winter and met with furious gales. + +[Illustration: "We remained seated on the ground, back to back."] + +When I thought that it was impossible for the wind to blow stronger, the +next squall proved that it could. Then we fell in with a number of men +of the party. They had stopped; they did not dare to go further, +travelling had become impossible; before we knew it we might fall over a +precipice, or go in the wrong direction. I managed to look at my +thermometer. It was 17 degrees below zero. I wished it had been forty or +forty-five, for instead of a windstorm we should then have had glorious +still weather. + +The wind had risen to such a pitch that no snow was left on the ground, +though in many places it must have been twenty or thirty feet deep or +more. It was all flying in the air, and though it was noon it was quite +dark. We remained seated on the ground, back to back, in order to +support each other, with our heads bent, to prevent as far as possible +the snow getting under our masks. It was a weird sight, as once in a +while I could see dimly through the flying snow our bent, immovable +bodies, with heads down. Not a man said a word; it seemed as if we were +frozen to death. + +The snow was carried hither and thither, and all at once in a lull of a +few seconds fell, forming hillocks, which were in an instant destroyed +and sent flying in the air. One of these hillocks settled dangerously +near us and scared us. + +Then one of the men suggested that we had better divide into two +parties, so that in case one should be buried in the snow, the other +party could help to extricate those who were buried. This suggestion was +accepted at once. As we got up several of the men were taken off their +feet, and rolled over against some sleighs, which stopped them. I was +raised bodily and thrown on the ground, and carried away; but some of +the men came to my rescue and caught me. Finally we succeeded in making +two parties; we were about fifty yards from each other and ready to help +one another in case of emergency. + +The wind became so terrific that we had to crouch against the rocks. I +thought we must be in the heart of "The Land of the Wind," and that this +was the worst country I had ever come to. I almost believed that the +wind had obtained the mastery over the world, and chaos was coming +again. But after a few hours these north-west squalls gradually +diminished in intensity, and for a time the windstorm seemed to be over. +Then we made preparations to continue our journey. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + + A DANGEROUS DESCENT.--HOW TO DESCEND THE MOUNTAINS.--THE MOST PERILOUS + PORTION OF THE JOURNEY.--EXHAUSTION OF THE REINDEER.--ALL SAFE AT + THE BOTTOM.--ARRIVAL AT THE SHORE OF THE ARCTIC SEA. + + +As we were ready to start, John said to me: "Paulus, we are soon to come +to the most dangerous part of the journey; we are to descend the western +slopes of the mountains, which at times are very abrupt, to the sea. We +will go over mountain tops and descend their steep declivities. We shall +have to drive twice along the sides of deep ravines; all that are here +are going together, so that we may help each other. Get into your sleigh +and follow us closely. I will lead, and my brother will be behind you." + +We set forth, and soon afterwards I noticed that our reindeer went much +faster than at the start. I knew by this that we were approaching the +slope of a mountain. I was right. Next we came to the brink of a hill, +and descended with a rapidity of at least twenty-five miles an hour. The +animals simply flew. + +When my reindeer reached the bottom of the hill he made the usual sudden +curve to the left to keep the sleigh, which had a tremendous momentum, +from striking against his legs. I had prepared myself for the sudden +motion; I had been there before! I bent my body almost out of the sleigh +in the opposite direction, and succeeded in keeping in. It was a fine +sight to see sleigh after sleigh coming down the hill, but no man +followed exactly in the track of the others, so that in case of accident +the one behind would not pitch headlong into the sleigh ahead. + +I thought this was lots of fun. But ascending the hill on the opposite +side was no fun at all. It was indeed hard work for the reindeer and for +the men. The snow had drifted on one side of the hill and was very deep, +and in many places very soft. The poor reindeer spread their hoofs as +wide as they could, so as not to sink too deeply. But in many places it +was of no avail; they would sink to their flanks and even deeper; but it +was wonderful to see how quickly they sprang out. + +We should never have been able to ascend the hill without going in +zigzag. We had often to get out of our sleighs and take to our skees. +One Finn lent me a pair of them that were much shorter than mine, to +ascend the hills. I should never have been able to do it had I not +followed the track of those ahead. Though it was 43 degrees below zero, +I was in a profuse perspiration. + +[Illustration: "Once in a while I gave a look towards the ugly +precipice."] + +At times the poor reindeer panted; their tongues protruded. They would +fall down on their backs, breathing heavily. My reindeer was so +exhausted and breathed so hard, with protruding tongue and mouth wide +open, that I thought he was going to die. "Don't be afraid," said +John to me with a smile, as he saw my anxious face, "reindeer often act +like this when they are exhausted; yours will soon be all right." + +John was not mistaken. + +It was wonderful how quickly they all recovered, and after eating plenty +of snow they went on as if nothing had happened to them, until they +again became exhausted and powerless. When we reached the top of a +mountain, we waited for those of our party that lagged behind. I said to +John, "I hope we have not many more of these hills to ascend." "We have +none so steep; but, Paulus, now we have come to the most dangerous part +of our whole journey; we are going to run along the brink of one of the +ravines of which I spoke to you. Look ahead," said he, pointing to the +deep ravine. + +When all the men of our party had arrived at the top of the hill, every +one began to make careful preparations for the descent, and I watched +with great earnestness what was done. Once in a while I gave a look +towards the ugly precipice. I did not like the sight a bit. The men were +anxious, and showed this in the care and pains they took in testing +every plaited leather cord, and those were especially strong that were +to be used for such an emergency. They knew how dangerous was the ride +and that no cord must snap. + +A number of sleighs were lashed with mine by a very strong plaited +leather cord. When John was through he said to me: "This cord cannot +break." + +Behind each sleigh a reindeer was fastened, the cord being attached at +the base of his horns. John said to me: "Reindeer cannot bear to be +pulled quickly, and make every effort to disengage themselves, and by +doing so act as a drag." All the sleighs had been lashed together by +fours, sixes, eights, or tens. We had plenty of spare reindeer with us, +and at the end of each set of sleighs two or three reindeer were made +fast to the last one. A man was in the front sleigh of the set to lead, +and another man in the last one. John was to lead the set in which I +was, and his brother was to be in the last. As usual each man rode his +sleigh with his legs outside, turned back somewhat, or reversed, with +the top of his shoes touching the snow, the feet to act as rudder. + +When I did the same a great cry went up. I heard, "No! No! Paulus, your +legs will surely be broken; put them inside your sleigh, as you have +always done!" and before I could say a word in reply John and a Finn +were by me, each taking one of my legs and putting it inside. + +A short time was to elapse between the start of each set of sleighs, so +that there would be no chance of their coming in contact. The signal was +given, and one set after another started with great speed. It was one of +the grandest and most dangerous sights I had ever seen, but the Lapps +and Finns were accustomed to this, for they generally went twice every +winter to the Arctic Sea with their produce for sale. + +Then my turn came. John started and off we went. + +As the sleighs swerved in the descent the tension was very great. I said +to myself, "If the cord that keeps our sleighs together breaks we shall +be pitched far below and be dashed against the rocks with incredible +force." + +In the mean time every reindeer was holding back with all his power, +making efforts to disengage himself, and by doing this acted as a brake +on the sleighs in front. If they had not done so the descent would have +been impossible. + +What speed! I had never seen anything like this descent before. Here was +a terrifying precipice, the sloping rocks leading towards the chasm. I +was afraid the reindeer would miss their footing. I hoped that no bare +ice would be met. At any moment we might have been thrown out headlong. +After we reached the dale, which closed abruptly at the head of the +ravine, I was breathless from excitement. I had just ended one of two of +the most exciting rides I had ever taken. We waited for those that were +behind, and when they had arrived we rested for a while. + +I asked John what would have happened if one of the cords had snapped. +He did not answer my question, but simply looked at me with a serious +expression. I knew what it would have meant. Death! + +Further on we had another descent of the same character, but not so +dangerous. + +We were all glad when we reached the station of refuge; we were so tired +from the excitement of the day. + +We had crossed the backbone of the mountain, and had come down the +western slope. Each stream now flowed to the Arctic Sea. + +The next day we continued the descent. The day before we had come to the +zone where the juniper grew; to-day we passed the birch. Then came the +fir trees. Darkness overtook us, and I could not make out what sort of +land it was, but soon we came to the house of a fisherman, where we all +spent the night. + +When I awoke in the morning and looked out I found that I was at the +bottom of a great chasm with towering mountains on each side. I had +never seen the like. It seemed to me that I had come to a world unknown +before. Looking towards the west I saw a long dark green line of water, +sunk deeply into the ragged and precipitous mountains. I had come to the +Ulf Fjord. The water was the Arctic Sea. I was on the shores of grand +old Norway. + +The fjord was frozen at its inner extremity for about one mile with +thick solid ice. At the inner end of every fjord there is a river, +flowing through a valley, which is the continuation of the fjord; +consequently the water is only brackish and freezes more easily than +salt water. Further on the fjord is free of ice, for in this part of the +world, though so far north, the sea is made warm by the Gulf Stream, the +very same Gulf Stream that starts from West Africa and flows westward to +the coast of Brazil, then branches off northward and runs close to our +American shores. Without the Gulf Stream this part of Norway would be a +land of ice, just as the land of North-west America is, in the same +latitude. + +I remembered that I had sailed over the Gulf Stream waters near the +African coast, and it had come to meet the same stream again on that +far-away northern shore--beyond the Arctic Circle. + +My journey over mountains 5,000 feet high, between the 69th and 70th +degrees of north latitude, was over. + +I saw a vessel in the distance, and with one of the fishermen living on +this inhospitable shore we went on board. It was good luck the vessel +was going to sail north. The captain was willing to take me with him on +his voyage. + +I thanked John and my other travelling companions for the kindness they +had shown me. We parted with great tokens of friendship. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + + SAIL ON THE ARCTIC OCEAN.--THE BRIG _RAGNILD_.--AEGIR AND RAN, THE GOD + AND GODDESS OF THE SEA.--THE NINE DAUGHTERS OF AEGIR AND RAN.--GREAT + STORMS.--COMPELLED TO HEAVE TO. + + +As I stepped on board I said farewell to my dear skees and sleigh, as +they were put into the hold. "I shall miss you very much," I said, "for +we have had happy times together." Then we sailed away. Now I have laid +aside my Lapp costume, and I am clad in the garb of a fisherman. I am +clothed in a suit of oilskin garments, over my woollens, to protect me +from the wet. I wear a big sou'wester, instead of a cap, to keep the +rain and the spray from running down my neck, and huge sea-boots to keep +my legs and feet dry. In these I am ready to brave the storms of the +Arctic Ocean. Now a boat will be my sleigh, its sail my reindeer: these +will carry me onward on the sea, as the others have done on the snow. + +As I stood quietly on deck looking at the sea, the captain said to me, +"For a wonder we have pleasant weather. This winter we have had nothing +but a succession of gales or terrific squalls, and what is worse, +blinding snowstorms, when we could not even see each other on deck." + +[Illustration: "I am clad in the garb of a fisherman."] + +The _Ragnild_--such was the name of our vessel--was a staunch Norwegian +brig that had weathered many a gale on the stormy coast of Norway and +the Arctic Sea. She was bound for the coast of Finmarken, on the east +side of North Cape, to buy codfish. On board were provisions and +clothing, boots, etc., for sale to the fishermen we were to meet in the +coast settlements. + +Our crew was composed of most sturdy seafaring men. The name of the +captain was Ole Petersen, a real old salt who had been at sea for nearly +fifty years and was part owner of the craft. + +John Andersen was the first mate; the sailors were Lars, Evert, Ivor, +Hakon, Pehr, and Harald. All of these men had encountered many a gale, +and two had been wrecked. + +Towards nine o'clock that evening, the captain and I went to our bunks, +the captain leaving the first mate and three men on the watch. + +When I awoke in the morning the _Ragnild_ was rolling heavily; we were +in the midst of an angry sea and of a great gale, and while I was +dressing I was thrown from one side of my little stateroom to the other, +and it was no fun. I came on deck, and as I looked at the big waves I +said, "The wind and the waves are in their ugly mood." The wind howled +and shrieked through the rigging, and waves were like big hills. I +thought of the many wrecks of ships and boats, and of the multitude of +passengers and seafaring men that have been drowned since people have +sailed on the seas. + +The captain murmured to me, "This is ugly weather indeed. We must employ +all the skill we have to fight against the storm. Our sails are new, our +rigging is strong, and our vessel is staunch, and we are all valiant men +on board who have gone through many such a storm before." + +That morning as I watched the coast, I remembered that the Vikings +believed and worshipped AEgir as the god of the sea. AEgir ruled over the +sea and the wind. Ran was his wife, and she had a net in which she +caught all those who were lost at sea; her Hall was at the bottom of the +ocean, and there she welcomed all the shipwrecked people. + +AEgir and Ran had nine daughters, and their names were emblematic of the +waves. They were called _Hefring_ the Hurling, _Hroenn_ the Towering, +_Bylgja_ the Upheaving, _Bara_ the Lashing. + +The five other daughters were called _Himinglaefa_ the Heaven Glittering, +_Bloedughadda_ the Bloody Haired, _Kolga_ the Cooling, _Unn_ the Loving, +_Dufa_ the Dove. + +The Vikings dreaded Hefring, Hroenn, and Bylgja when far out at sea, and +Bara when they were approaching the shore. These four waves are those +the mariners dread to-day. + +They believed that these daughters of AEgir and Ran were seldom partial +to men, that the wind awakened them and made them angry and fierce. They +called them "The white-hooded daughters of AEgir and Ran." They called +the spray their hair. They believed that in calm weather they walked on +the reefs and wandered gently along the shores, and that their beds +were rocks, stone-heaps, pebbles, and sands. + +I had not been long on the sea before I found that I had exchanged the +terrific winds of Arctic "Snow Land" for the gales of the Arctic Ocean. +The weather was fearful! Snow, sleet, hurricanes, treacherous heavy +squalls, followed each other in succession. + +"This is the winter weather we have here," said the captain; "we do not +expect any better at this time of the year. When there is a lull, it is +only to deceive us; then it blows harder than ever, and the snow or the +sleet falls thicker than before." + +My fancy recalled again to me the words of the "Long Night": "I send +terrific gales and mighty snowstorms over oceans and lands." + +As I looked at the ocean I saw a big towering wave rolling up towards +the stern of the ship and apparently gaining upon us. It was transparent +and of a deep green color. I imagined I could see Hefring with +glittering eyes, one of her arms directing the wave against us. + +The men looked anxiously towards the wave, which was steadily advancing, +but our ship rode over it as if she were a gull resting on the ocean. +Then the ugly wave formed a crest, curled upon itself, and with a heavy +boom broke into fragments of snowy foam. + +I said to the men: "This wave has missed us." They answered in serious +voices, "And we must watch, for a more towering one will follow, as +there are always three of them going together, and this second one may +come and break over us." + +These words were hardly uttered when I saw far off another mountainous +wave rolling up. I imagined it was Hroenn. It was so high as it neared us +that we could not see the horizon beyond; it looked fierce and +dangerous. Its crest gradually rose higher and higher, as if getting +ready to strike. Steadily Hroenn advanced. We are lost, and our ship is +sure to founder if her wave breaks over our stern. The faces of the +captain and men were serious. I said to myself: "If we get into the +whirlpool of its crest there will be no escape; we are sure to founder." + +The wave broke about fifty yards before reaching us. It had become +harmless, but the foaming, scattered billows enveloped the ship in their +thick spray. It was a narrow escape; but we were saved thus far! Then in +the wake of the imaginary Hroenn rose another wave. I imagined Bylgja was +coming. It advanced slowly and angrily towards us, ready to sweep our +deck and to do the work the two others had tried to do and +missed--demolish our ship. It broke before reaching us with a loud boom, +making the sea a surging sheet of foam as white as snow for a long +distance. This was a beautiful sight. We gave a great shout of joy; we +had had a narrow escape. + +After these three heavy seas came a lull. The captain said thoughtfully, +"Those are the waves that disable or founder ships and send them to the +bottom of the sea!" + +[Illustration: "I saw a big towering wave rolling towards the stern of +the ship."] + +We were indeed still in the midst of a great gale. But the captain and +our crew had thus far fought against the storm successfully. I thought +of the great Viking Half, and of his champions. It was their custom +always to lie before capes, never to put up a tent on board, and never +to reef a sail in a storm. Half had never more than sixty men on board +of his ship, nor could any one go with him who was not so hardy that he +never was afraid or changed countenance on account of his wounds. I +wondered if Half and his men had ever encountered such a storm as we +were having. If so his ship must have been a staunch vessel indeed. + +As the hours passed the storm continued, the Daughters of AEgir and Ran +rose again and again, trying to strike our ship; when their hoods were +rent asunder, their long hair streamed on the gale. + +In the afternoon the dark clouds were lower than usual and moved rapidly +over our heads. The wind howled and hissed through the rigging. Wave +after wave struck against the ship's side and deluged the deck with +water. One of them took me off my feet and pitched me to the other side +against the bulwarks, almost washing me overboard. + +"You had better go into the cabin," said the captain; "this is no +weather for you." But I replied, "Yes, captain, it is; I want to see +this big storm with its mighty sea." I had hardly said these words when +another wave came aboard of us. Two men were nearly washed overboard; +fortunately they held fast to the rigging. + +Soon after another big wave struck our port side, and carried away a +part of our bulwarks, swamping our decks with a huge mass of water; this +time nearly washing overboard all of us who were on deck. Looking at the +havoc the wave had wrought, I remembered the saga which tells of the +storm the celebrated Viking Fridthjof encountered at sea, and which +says: + +"Then came a wave breaking so strongly that it carried away the gunwales +and part of the bow, and flung four men overboard, who were lost. + +"'Now it is likely,' said Fridthjof, 'that some of our men will visit +Ran. We shall not be thought fit to go there unless we prepare ourselves +well. I think it is right that every man should carry some gold with +him!' He cut asunder the arm ring of his sweetheart Ingibjoerg, and +divided it among his men." + +We had been running before the wind with all the sails we could carry +safely, so that the ship might not be overtaken and swamped. As long as +the ship can sail faster or quite as fast as the waves, it is all right; +but if the waves go faster then there is great danger that the ship will +be pooped by the sea,--that is, that the seas may come over the stern, +and sweep over the deck, carrying everything away. In such a case it +happens sometimes that all those who are on deck are swept overboard. + +The sea finally became so high and so threatening that the captain +ordered that we should heave to and wait for the storm to abate. To +heave a ship to before the wind is a dangerous manoeuvre. We waited +until three big seas had passed. There is generally a lull after that, +and then is the time to bring the ship's head to the wind. During the +evolution the ship is liable to get in the trough of the sea, when she +rolls heavily, and has her deck swept by the waves. The dangerous +operation in our case proved successful. + +While our ship lay to we had just sail enough to keep her head to the +wind, and she rode like a big albatross on the water, drifting a little +to leeward. When she was in the hollow of two waves, these seemed like +mountains ready to engulf us, but we rode safely over every one. As we +lay to we felt perfectly secure. Our ship did not roll as if broadside +to the seas, but pitched, rising slowly, over every wave. + +After lying to for over six hours, the storm having somewhat moderated, +we sailed east towards the shore; but before the day was over we +encountered a cross-sea, the waves coming in every direction and +striking against each other. The man at the helm had to watch them. +Evidently there had been two or three heavy storms blowing in different +directions. A cross-sea is very dangerous, for the man at the helm never +knows where the wave will strike. After a while the wind shifted and was +ahead, and now we had to beat against it and we sailed under close +reefed sails. The wind seemed ten times stronger than before, for when a +ship runs before the wind, the wind is not felt so much, as it goes with +the ship. + +As we came to a barren island, running parallel with the main land, we +saw the angry sea lashing itself with a tremendous force against the +solid base of mountain walls, filling the air each time it struck with a +deep booming sound which seemed like the roar of cannon heard far off; +the waves, as they struck the immovable wall of rocks which stopped +their advance, breaking into a tumultuous mass of seething billows, +which recoiled from the barrier that opposed them and fell back into a +surging, boiling mass of white which soon after was hurled forward again +by another advancing wave rushing on to meet the same fate. The whole +coast was fringed as far as the eye could see with a mass of angry white +billows. It was an awful sight. + +Seamen dread the coast in a storm more than they do the waves in the +middle of the ocean. We steered for the leeward of the island, and when +we reached the sound separating it from the main land we came into +smooth water where we cast anchor. We were to remain there until the +storm abated, to give a good rest to the crew. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + + A DARK NIGHT AT SEA.--WAKE OF THE _RAGNILD_.--THOUSANDS OF PHOSPHORESCENT + LIGHTS.--A LIGHT AHEAD.--AN ARCTIC FAIR.--A FISHING SETTLEMENT.--HOW + THE COD ARE CURED.--FISH AND FERTILIZER FRAGRANCE. + + +The weather having moderated, we raised our anchor and with a fair wind +continued our voyage. When the night came it was so pitch-dark that I +could not distinguish the sea from the horizon and the sky. It was +impressive. I felt so little in the immensity that surrounded our craft. +Our ship, to my eyes, when compared with the size of the ocean, was not +bigger than a tiny hazelnut tossed to and fro upon it. + +Once in a while the crest of a wave broke into a long snowy-white line +which appeared to be filled with a thousand lights; this effect was +caused by the infinite number of animalculae, which are struck together +by the movement of the wave and give out phosphorescence. These +animalculae are living creatures which cannot be seen without the help of +the microscope. It is wonderful that such small things can give such +glowing light. + +The long heavy swells, pushed by the southerly gales that had passed +away, moved irresistibly on towards the North, one after another, to +break the wall of ice the Long Night had built round the pole. What +terrific booming must take place there at times, when the ice gives way, +breaks up, and rises in great ridges over the Long Wall! + +A light at our masthead told of our presence to the mariners of the +fishing boats, or the vessels coming from far northern ports across our +course, and warned them of danger. + +Our ship ploughed her way through the sea, raising a mass of foam +brilliant with globules of light. These globules swept astern along the +sides of the ship, and disappeared further on. We left behind us an +undulating luminous wake, resembling a long bright snake following us, +which was gradually in the distance engulfed by the ocean. This luminous +track seemed to be reeled off from a windlass at the stern of the ship. + +As I watched this white serpentine phosphorescent pathway, I thought of +the countless wakes that had been made in like manner since vessels +sailed upon the seas, on their way to different lands, for thousands of +years past, yet not one of those tracks has ever been seen again. No +wonder that the Norsemen called the sea "The Hidden Path." + +On deck were four men on the watch, who guarded the lives of those who +had gone below to sleep. The man at the helm watched the compass, which +was lighted by a lamp. A man at the prow was on the lookout for sudden +danger--ships, derelicts, or rocks. Another stood amidships. The first +mate paced the deck, watching for any change in the wind. Suddenly the +man at the prow shouted: + +"Light on the starboard bow!" It was the light of a ship sailing in the +opposite direction towards us. In a snowstorm, in a fog, we might have +collided; then both might have gone to the bottom of the sea. + +To the leeward of us was the barren, forbidding coast; to the windward +lay rocky islands. "Dear compass," I whispered, "we trust in thee; lead +us right; the night is very dark, and our eyes cannot see rocks ahead, +except, perchance, when it is too late." + +Suddenly the bell struck: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, +eight. It was midnight--time for the watch below to relieve the one on +duty, and for the captain to take the place of the mate. Every four +hours this change is made. I remained on deck, for I wanted to watch +this dark night. + +I came on deck early the next morning, for I smothered in the close +confined cabin--I had been so accustomed to the bracing open air. As I +looked around me I saw nothing but the great horizon which surrounded +us. It had seemed so near every day, as we sailed towards it, and yet, +no matter how long we sailed, we never came nearer. This was because the +horizon is the boundless space in the midst of which the earth moves on +its axis round the sun. + +In the morning we came to a place full of people dressed in furs. They +were Laplanders and Finlanders. A great fair was taking place, and most +of the people had crossed the mountains to the Arctic Sea, taking with +them for sale reindeer meat, butter, cheese, reindeer cheese made in the +summer and autumn, frozen ptarmigans, skins of reindeer, bears, foxes, +ermines, and other animals; ready-made clothing, gloves and shoes of +reindeer skin; hoofs of reindeer, and other things. They bought salted +and dried codfish, sugar, coffee, salt, and other groceries, flour, lamp +oil, tobacco, and things for their wives and children, and took back +cash with them. + +After a short stay we raised our anchor, and continued to sail along +that bleak coast until we came to a hidden harbor, well protected by a +number of barren islands from the storms of the Arctic Ocean, and cast +anchor before a large fishing settlement. It was the beginning of April. + +It was a strange place indeed. The port was filled with fishing boats. +Hundreds of them were drawn up on the shore, and other hundreds were at +anchor. There were also a number of good-sized vessels and smaller +craft. All along the rocky shore were huge piles of codfish caught that +day. The water was crowded with boats moving in every direction, loaded +with cod. + +Alongside the big piles of fish, men dressed in wide trousers and +overalls of leather were busy preparing the codfish. Some were cutting +the heads off and throwing them into a pile, while others were opening +the fish, cleaning them, and then, after flattening them, throwing them +to other men, who salted them. After this operation they were carried to +the warehouses and were ready for drying. + +By some of the piles men opened and cleaned the fish and tied them +together by twos. After this they were hung on frames or poles. In other +places the men divided the cod in halves, taking their spines out, but +kept them connected by their gills. These were also hung on the poles. +When dry the fish is as hard as wood. + +The eggs or ova were put into barrels and salted, and Captain Ole +Petersen, who was with me, said to me: "Each barrel contains the ova of +three hundred cod. They are sent to Italy and France and used in the +sardine fisheries of those countries." Other men were busy putting the +livers into barrels, two barrels of fat liver yielding about one barrel +of brown oil. The tongues of the cod were taken out of the heads, put +into barrels and salted. + +I visited the warehouses, built partly on piles projecting into the sea. +Along some of these were brigs and schooners loading. + +What a sight was the inside of these warehouses! They were filled with +long deep rows of freshly salted codfish, piled higher than a man and +about the same width. These fish were to be put on board ships and +landed upon rocks, there to stay until they were dried and ready to be +shipped to foreign countries. The cod is the gold of the people living +on this desolate land. + +The country around was covered with frames upon which fish were hanging. +Nets and lines were seen in every direction on the rocks, left to dry or +ready to be mended. Wherever I turned the place was saturated with the +blood of fish and offal. The sea was covered with offal; thousands of +gulls were flying in every direction and feeding upon it, while great +numbers of eider ducks, as tame as farm ducks, were swimming everywhere +and feeding. They were not afraid, for no one is allowed to shoot them. +The bare rocks were black with hundreds of thousands of heads of cod +that had been put there to dry. + +These heads, with the bones of fish, are turned into a fertilizer, or +used to feed cattle. The heads are boiled before they are given to the +animals. "Cattle and sheep feeding on dried fish heads!" I exclaimed +with astonishment to my companion, "I never heard of this before." + +I asked one of the merchants how he could live in such a place. "The +atmosphere that brings money," he replied, "never smells bad. Where +there is no smell there is no business and no money with us." + +Goodness gracious! what a smell there was in this fishing settlement. It +was far from pleasant, especially when compared with the pure air of the +land over which I had travelled. + +Several nice houses belonged to the merchants of the place. These were +painted white and were very comfortable. + +The cabins of the fishermen were scattered everywhere and were all +alike. They were built of logs, with roofs covered with earth. I wanted +to live with the fishermen and become acquainted with them. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + + AMONG THE FISHERMEN.--THEIR LODGINGS AND HOW THEY LOOK.--WHAT THEY HAVE + TO EAT.--AN EVENING OF TALK ABOUT COD, SALMON, AND HERRING.--THE + IMMENSE NUMBER OF FISH.--A SNORING MATCH. + + +Soon after Captain Petersen and I entered one of the houses of the +fishermen. They had just returned from their fishing. I asked them if I +could live with them for a few days. "Yes," they all replied with one +voice. They knew Captain Petersen, I was with him: that was enough for +them. + +Strange indeed was the room. Each fisherman's cabin had only one. The +wall was surrounded by two rows of bunks, on top of each other. The room +was arranged like the forecastle of a ship. + +"Where are you from?" one of the fishermen asked me. + +"From America," I replied. + +"From America!" they all exclaimed at once. "Is that possible?" + +"Yes, he is from America," said Captain Petersen. + +"I have a brother in America, in Minnesota," exclaimed one. + +A second said: "I have a sister in Dakota." + +A third: "I also have a brother in America; he sails on the Great +Lakes." + +From that moment those fishermen and I were great friends. They asked me +my name. I replied, "My name is Paul Du Chaillu." + +"Why!" some of the younger fishermen said, "we have read in school the +translation of your travels in Africa. Are you really he?" + +"Yes," I replied. + +Twenty-eight men, the crews of four boats, including the captains, lived +together. A cooking-stove was in the centre of the room; a few wooden +benches and a table composed the rest of the furniture, while a number +of chests contained the garments of the men, several coffee kettles, a +pan and a big pot, etc. + +All these twenty-eight men insisted that I should have a whole bunk to +myself--the occupant would shift and go to another fellow. I must be +comfortable, they said. I was not accustomed to living in their way. + +A man took his things from his bunk. He was the captain of one of the +boats. He said to me: "Paul, my bunk is yours." I had to accept. + +When they had cooked their meal, they said: "Paul, eat with us simple +fisher folk; we will give you the best we have; you are welcome." We had +only one dish, and it was entirely new to me. + +It was what the sailors called lobscouse, a sort of pudding made of ship +biscuits, liver, and fish. I did not care much for it, but I said +nothing to the fishermen. One said: "We eat this dish every day, and +that will be your food when you are with us." + +"Humph!" I said to myself. I remembered the elephants, the crocodiles, +the snakes, and the monkeys, etc., I had had to eat while in Africa. The +monkeys when fat were fine, and tasted so good I should have been +willing to exchange a dish of lobscouse for a monkey. + +After our meal we had coffee; each man owned his own cup. "We drink only +coffee," they said, "for no spirits are allowed to be sold here, for +fear some of the men while going to sea might become drunk, and endanger +their lives, and the lives of those that are with them." + +Our coffee drunk, we talked first about fish and their peculiar habits. +The names of the four captains were John Ericksen, Hakon Johansen, Ole +Larsen, Harald Andersen. + +"Every spring," said Captain Ole, "salmon come up from the sea and +ascend our rivers to spawn, and in time the little ones go to sea. As +they grow up they continue to come every year to the same river where +they were born, and nobody knows where they spend the interval." + +After a pause, during which the fishermen filled their pipes, Captain +Ericksen said: "Every year the codfish make their appearance in winter +in vast shoals and countless millions on the Lofoden Islands banks to +spawn. Then they migrate further north to the coast of Finmarken, then +eastward as far as Russia. Then they disappear until the following +winter. No one knows where they come from or where they go." + +One of the men observed: "I have been a fisherman for over forty years, +and it is wonderful how regularly the cod make their appearance on the +fishing banks. We depend so much on their time of coming that we leave +home every year at the same date. They must know their way in the ocean +and recognize different marks on their journey, for they have to travel +thousands of miles before they return to the fishing banks to spawn. The +cod in their migration leave behind them a great many stragglers, which +are caught all the year round. The number of cod caught on the banks of +Finmarken and of the Lofoden Islands averages about forty to forty-two +millions a year, and the total catch along the coasts of Norway amounts +to about fifty millions a year. The land is barren, and if it were not +for the fish we could not live in our country." + +"Fifty millions of cod is a great number," I observed. + +"Yes," he replied, "but these fifty millions are nothing but a small +fraction compared with the great number that are not caught." + +After our talk on the cod was finished, Captain Ericksen spoke about +herrings as follows: "If the number of codfish caught is great, the +number of herring is far greater. The herrings make their appearance in +immense shoals, and it is beyond the power and calculation of man to +guess their number, for their millions are countless. The migration of +the herring is often very irregular. They appear generally from January +to March. The herring are known to have disappeared for years in some +districts, then suddenly reappear." + +"That is strange," I said. "Can you account for that?" + +"No," the captain replied; "if I were a herring I probably could tell." +We all laughed when he said this. + +I remarked: "The number of Norwegian fishing boats is so great, how do +you know when some are missing and have foundered at sea?" + +Captain Ericksen replied: "Every fishing district has its own letter on +each boat belonging to it, and a number, and the name of every man +composing its crew is registered; also his residence, the day of his +birth, etc. This is necessary, for every year some poor fisherman's boat +is lost and the crew drowned; thus the boat and crew missing can be +identified. All the Norwegian men you see at the fisheries have +homes--humble it is true--either on the fjords, by the coast, or on some +little islands where there are a few patches of land which they can +cultivate, raise potatoes and some grain, and where there is grass +enough to keep a cow or two, sometimes more, some goats, and a few sheep +to give us wool. + +"That is the reason you see us so warmly clad. Our wives, daughters, or +sisters, while we are absent from home think of us. They spin and weave +the wool from our sheep into outer garments and underwear, knit +stockings for us, and with some of the money we get from our catch of +fish we buy waterproof clothing. With a good part of the money we save +we buy things for our family and the provisions that we need, and put +the rest in the bank." + +It was time to retire, for we had to start up at five in the morning, if +the weather permitted, for the fishing bank. It was agreed among the +fishermen that I should go net-fishing in the boat owned by Captain Ole. +What music we had during the night! All the fishermen snored. I thought +I had never heard such a snoring before! I amused myself by wondering +which one of them would have received the prize had it been a snoring +match. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + + DEPARTURE FOR THE FISHING BANKS.--GREAT NUMBER OF BOATS.--MORE THAN FIVE + THOUSAND OARS FALL INTO THE WATER AT THE SAME TIME.--QUANTITIES OF + BUOYS AND GLASS BALLS.--A NOTABLE CATCH OF COD. + + +At four o'clock the next morning we were up. It was the dawn of the day. +It was wonderful how quickly the nights shortened. Coffee, flat bread, +butter, and cheese made our breakfast. + +When we came out almost all the boats with their full crews were ready +waiting for the hoisting of the flag at five o'clock, which is the +signal for the start, the time changing according to the length of the +day. We all had to leave together, and to return the same day. Every +one, including myself, was dressed in oilskin garments, sou'wester, and +high sea-boots. There were more than nine hundred fishing boats. As soon +as the flag was hoisted over five thousand oars struck the water at the +same time, and filled the air with a deep booming sound. I had never +seen so many sea boats and oars together. It was a grand sight! + +As soon as we were out of the harbor the boats hoisted their sails, and +soon we were scattered in every direction, each boat going towards its +buoys. I looked at the thousands of white sails with wonder. + +Our fishing boat was a fine craft, forty-two feet long and about seven +feet and a half beam. The poop was decked under for a cabin, with bunks +for the men to sleep in. The rudder-like oar, several feet long, is held +by the captain, who sculls and steers at the same time. + +Captain Ole was a regular "old salt." Our crew was composed of Sven, +Hakon, Fridthjof, Ivor, Evert, Harald and Erik. Evert and Harald were +lads about seventeen years old; they were learning to be hardy sailors +like their father. + +After a sail of three hours' beating against the wind, we came to the +fishing banks and towards our buoys. The water for as far as I could see +was filled with buoys and glass balls (floaters to hold the nets) +enclosed in netted ropes. These glass balls were attached by a short +cord to the nets to keep them floating, while stones at the bottom held +the nets stretched. It was no easy matter to sail among them. + +Looking at the multitudes of buoys I asked Captain Ole, "How can you +ever find and recognize your own buoys?" + +He answered smiling, "We can find our nets by the bearings, and every +buoy has its special mark of ownership. It is hard work to haul in the +nets, especially when the sea is rough. Each net is one hundred and +twenty fathoms long, and about three fathoms deep;--we sailors do not +count by yards but by fathoms. Each fathom is six feet long. In our boat +we have to raise twenty-four nets tied together in fours." + +[Illustration: "It is hard work to haul in the nets."] + +"I will help you all I can," I replied; "I am willing to work. I have +come to sea and I am in your boat as one of the crew, and I will try to +do my part. I hope we are going to have good luck, and that the catch of +cod will be big." + +To Evert and Hakon was assigned the duty of pulling in the nets. Two +other men stowed the nets carefully. Near the net-reels were two men who +hooked the fish as they appeared and threw them inside of the boat, and +another man and I arranged the nets. How eager we were as the nets were +hauled up to peep and see how plentiful the fish were; for these +represented money--and the poor fishermen work so hard to get a +livelihood. + +The sea was rough and it took us about ten minutes to haul each net. +After they were all in, we estimated that we had caught about eight +hundred codfish. This was considered a very fine catch. Then a +consultation was held to decide where to re-set the nets. It was very +important to know the direction in which the fish had gone on the banks, +for these big shoals were constantly moving as they spawned. + +After they had decided where to go our sail was hoisted, and we started +for another part of the fishing banks; in the mean time the nets were +inspected and put into good order. When we reached the spot, we sounded +twice and found the sea too deep. When we found a depth of one hundred +fathoms we set our nets, after which we returned home. + +On our return we went on board of one of the ships, and our fish was +bought by the captain at a little over eight dollars a "big +hundred,"--that is, 112 cod. + +On the deck of this ship were already several boat-loads of cod; the +fish were cleaned, flattened, washed and salted, and laid in the hold on +the top of one another. + +The captain said to me: "When I am loaded I shall sail for my farm, and +then lay the fish on the rocks to dry. I have a nice little home by the +sea. I hope my boys will one of these days be sailors as I am." Then we +shook hands with the captain and returned to our cabin. + +Before we went to bed we learned that the catch of all the boats of the +settlement that day had been over six hundred thousand cod. + +The following morning found me ready to start at the appointed time for +fishing with hook and line. The departure of the boats took place in the +same manner as the day before. Our boat was not so large as the netting +boat; it was not decked over. + +Captain Johansen steered. The men of our crew were Mats, Pehr, Anders, +Ole, Knut, and Roar. + +Captain Johansen had fished in the Arctic regions for forty-two +consecutive years. His face had been permanently reddened by the wind. +Whenever he had a chance he had his pipe in his mouth, and he told me +that his pipe was one of his best friends. + +We had a fair wind at the start and in about one hour the men came to +their buoys. Then we lowered the sail. The sea was covered with boats; +there were nearly fifteen hundred in sight, for they had come to that +part of the banks from several other fishing settlements. These boats +were manned by about eleven thousand sailors; men enough to man a big +fleet of men-of-war. + +Captain Johansen said: "We are going to have hard work raising our +lines, but if we catch many fish the work will seem to be much lighter +to us." + +"That is so," I said, "Captain, for when I go hunting and see no game I +get tired; but if I see plenty of game, then I can tramp all day without +fatigue." + +A large reel was placed on one side of the boat to haul in the line. +Before we began to haul the lines the captain remarked: "We attach four +lines together; each line is one hundred fathoms long. The hooks are +generally from four to six feet apart and there are about one hundred +and twenty on each line. We have to pull in over twenty-four hundred +fathoms or over twenty-six thousand feet of line, to which are attached +about five thousand hooks." + +"Indeed," I said to the captain, "it will be hard work and will take +quite a while, especially if many fish are caught." + +"I hope, nevertheless, we shall catch many," he replied with a smile, +"for most of us have a home to keep and a wife and children to clothe +and feed." + +We began to haul in the lines on the reel. How we watched! How deep our +eyes tried to see into the water! It was quite exciting. We were +fortunate: a big shoal of fish had been passing on that part of the +banks, and on many a hook a cod was hanging. After we got through, we +pulled towards another of our buoys, passing several that belonged to +other fishermen on the way. + +Having pulled in about three hundred fathoms of our next line, we found +that the rest of the line had drifted into a net and some of the hooks +were caught and entangled in it, and we had a hard job to free the line. + +Then we rowed to a third buoy belonging to us and began hauling. Almost +every other hook had caught a fish. The faces of the fishermen were full +of happiness. They felt that on that day they would have a great catch, +when suddenly one of the men shouted, "Our line is entangled; I wonder +whether it has fouled a net or another line." But as we pulled in the +line we raised another line with it not belonging to us. We had a hard +time to separate them, but after nearly half an hour's work succeeded in +doing so. We had caught over two hundred cod on this line. + +Our fourth line proved to be entangled in nets as well as also in +several lines belonging to different owners. The untwisting was +something awful, and it was no joke to separate them. Fortunately we +could tell to whom the lines belonged, for each one is marked from +distance to distance with the number of the boat and the letter of the +district from which the craft comes. The rest of the lines were so badly +tangled that we concluded to cut them. Then we pulled the cut pieces +with the fish on them into our boat, intending to give them to their +owners--not a difficult task, as the marks of ownership were on the +tackles--and if they belonged to another settlement the fish would be +sold and the money given them. + +Captain Johansen and the crew thought the cod would remain two days +more. Their advance guard had passed, but a great deal of the shoal was +going northward; and there were miles of cod still to pass over the bank +upon which we fished. + +The wind had been gradually rising. We had had two days of good weather, +and now the sea was covered with white caps. The daughters of AEgir and +Ran were all white-hooded. But as we sailed for home the wind suddenly +increased; squall after squall followed each other. We had to reef the +sail; the sea at times washed over us, and the poor fishermen began to +think seriously of throwing our cargo of fish overboard, for we were +pretty deeply loaded, but it would have been like throwing away money, +and they had worked so hard to get it. + +A big black cloud overspread our heads and hail fell thickly upon us, +and it hurt us badly for the hailstones were hard and very big. I tried +to protect my face, for my sou'wester only protected well the back of my +head. The hail was succeeded by sleet, the rigging and mast were covered +with ice; our garments and sou'westers were stiff, and we looked like +big icy things. The captain, looking at me with a smile,--for he saw I +did not like this sort of weather, said: "This weather is the +forerunner of spring in these high latitudes; the sun is getting higher +at its meridian every day." + +It was dark long before we reached port, but the men knew every rock on +the coast, and yonder was the lighthouse guiding us on our way. Boat +after boat entered the harbor, and not one of them was lost. + +The next day the gale was such that no boat was permitted to put out to +sea. In the evening there was very little talking, and for a while no +one said a word; then Captain Johansen broke the silence and said: +"Paul, this Arctic Ocean is the home of gales; these often bring sadness +to many homes; some of us here have lost friends and relatives at sea. +Some years ago a fishing fleet of eight hundred boats was caught in one +of these sudden gales. After the boats had come safely into port the +roll-call showed that twenty boats with their crews were missing." + +"How sad!" I exclaimed; and as Captain Johansen was speaking I wondered +how many people thought, when they ate fish, of the hard life of the +poor and brave fishermen and of the gales they encounter. + +The fishermen wanted to entertain me before we retired for the night, +and Captain Larsen said, "I will tell you, Paul, about one of the great +sea battles of the Vikings." + + + + +CHAPTER XXX + + A GREAT VIKING SEA FIGHT.--SVEIN KING OF DENMARK, OLAF KING OF SWEDEN, + ERIK JARL OF NORWAY, AGAINST KING OLAF TRYGGVASSON OF NORWAY.--THEY + LIE IN AMBUSH.--MAGNIFICENT SHIPS.--THE _LONG SERPENT_.--READY FOR + THE FIGHT.--THE ATTACK.--THE _JARN BARDI_.--DEFEAT OF OLAF + TRYGGVASSON. + + +After we had clustered round Captain Larsen, he gave three or four big +puffs of his pipe and began: + +The battle of Svold took place in the year one thousand. Olaf +Tryggvasson, King of Norway, had left Vindland in the Baltic and was on +his way back to Norway with his fleet. He was on his ship the _Ormrinn +Lange_ (the "Long Serpent"). Svein, the King of Denmark, Olaf King of +Sweden, and Erik Jarl of Norway, his enemies, lay in ambush for him +under the island of Svold with all their ships. The three chiefs landed +on the island. After a while they espied some ships of the fleet of +Olaf. Among them was a particularly large and splendid one. Both kings +said: "This is an exceedingly fine ship; it must be the _Long Serpent_." + +Erik Jarl, who knew the _Long Serpent_, answered: "This is not the _Long +Serpent_, which is much larger and grander, though this is a fine +ship." + +Ship after ship passed by and the two kings took each of them to be the +_Long Serpent_, but they received invariably the same answer from Erik +Jarl. + +The three chiefs drew lots to know who should first attack Olaf +Tryggvasson's ship. Svein, King of Denmark, drew the lot to attack +first; then Olaf, King of Sweden, and Erik Jarl last, if it should be +found necessary. It was agreed between the three chiefs that each should +own the ships which he himself cleared of men and captured. + +Erik Jarl's ship was called the _Jarn Bardi_, an iron-clad ram which had +the reputation of cleaving through every ship it attacked; there were +beaks on the top of both stem and stern, and below these were thick iron +plates which covered the whole of the stem and stern all the way down to +the water. + +When the chiefs had arranged their plan, they saw three very large +ships, and following them a fourth; they all saw a dragon-head on the +stem, ornamented so that it seemed of pure gold, and it gleamed far and +wide over the sea as the sun shone on it. As they looked at the ship, +they wondered greatly at its length, for the stern did not appear till +long after they had seen the prow, as the ship glided past the point of +the island slowly; then all knew that this was the _Long Serpent_--a +ship about three hundred and sixty feet long, with a crew of over seven +hundred and fifty men. + +At this sight many a man grew silent. + +Sigvaldi Jarl, one of Olaf Tryggvasson's commanders, let down the sails +on his ship and rowed up towards the island. Thorkel Dydril on the +_Tranan_ (the "Crane"), and the other ship-steerers (for the commanders +were so called), lowered their sails also and followed him. All waited +for Olaf Tryggvasson. When King Olaf saw that his men had lowered their +sails and were waiting for him, he steered towards them and asked them +why they did not go on. They told him that a host of foes was before +them and that the fleets of the allied kings lay around the point. + +Advancing further the King Olaf Tryggvasson and his men saw that the sea +was covered far and wide with the warships of his foes. Thorkel Dydril, +a wise and valiant man, said: "Lord, here is an overwhelming force to +fight against: let us hoist our sails and follow our men out to sea. We +can still do so while our foes prepare themselves for battle, for it is +not looked upon as cowardice by any one for a man to use forethought for +himself and his men." King Olaf Tryggvasson's men now missed the ships +that had sailed ahead. + +King Olaf replied loudly: "Tie together the ships and let the men +prepare for battle!" for in those days it was the custom to tie the +ships together. Then the commanders arranged the host. + +The _Long Serpent_ was in the middle, with the _Short Serpent_ on one +side and the _Crane_ on the other, and four other ships on each side of +them; but this fleet was but a small one compared with the overwhelming +fleet which their enemies had. + +When Olaf saw that they began to tie together the stern of the _Long +Serpent_ and of the _Short Serpent_, he called out loudly, "Bring the +_Long Serpent_ forward; I will not be the hindmost of all my men in this +fleet when the battle begins!" + +Then Ulf ("Wolf") the Red, the king's standard bearer, and who was also +his prow-defender, said: "If the _Long Serpent_ shall be put as much +forward as it is larger and longer than other ships, the men in the bows +will have a hard time of it!" + +The king cried: "I had the _Serpent_ made longer than other ships so +that it should be put forward more boldly in battle, but I did not know +I had a prow-defender who was faint-hearted!" + +Ulf replied: "Turn thou, King, no more back in defending the high deck +than I will in defending the prow!" + +Olaf Tryggvasson stood aloft on the high deck of the _Long Serpent_. He +had a shield, and gilt helmet, and was easily recognized. He wore a red +silk kirtle over his ring-armor. + +When he saw that the ships of his foes began to separate, and that the +standards were raised in front of each chief, he asked: "Who is the +chief of that standard which is opposite us?" He was told that it was +King Svein of Denmark with the Danish ships. + +"What chief follows the standard which is to the right?" He was told +that it was Olaf of Sweden. + +"Who owns those large ships to the left of King Olaf of Sweden?" + +"It is Erik Jarl Hakonson," they replied. + +Then Svein of Denmark, Olaf of Sweden, and Erik Jarl rowed towards the +_Long Serpent_. + +The battle horns were blown and both sides shouted a war-cry, and soon +the combat raged fiercely,--at first with arrows from crossbows and long +bows, then with spears and javelins and slings--and King Olaf +Tryggvasson fought most manfully. King Svein's men turned the prows of +many of their ships towards both sides of the _Long Serpent_. The Danes +also attacked the _Short Serpent_ and the _Crane_. The carnage was +great. + +King Svein made the stoutest onset. King Olaf Tryggvasson made the +bravest defence with his men, but they fell one after another. King Olaf +fought almost too boldly, shooting arrows and hurling spears; he went +forward in hand-to-hand fight, and cleft many a man's skull with his +sword. + +The attack proved difficult for the Danes, for the stern-defenders of +the _Long Serpent_ and of the _Short Serpent_ hooked anchors and +grappling hooks to King Svein's ships, and as they could strike down +upon the enemy with their weapons, for they had much larger and higher +boarded ships, they cleared of men all the Danish ships which they had +laid hold of. King Svein had to retreat. + +In the mean time Erik Jarl had come first with the _Jarn Bardi_ +alongside the farthest ship of Olaf Tryggvasson on one wing, cleared it, +and cut it from the fastenings; he then boarded the next one, and fought +until it was cleared of men; and as the men fell on his ship, other +Danes and Swedes took their places. At last all of Olaf Tryggvasson's +ships had been cleared of men and captured except the _Long Serpent_, +which carried all the men who were now able to fight. + +Erik Jarl then attacked the _Long Serpent_ with five large ships; he +laid the _Jarn Bardi_ alongside, and then ensued the fiercest fight and +the most terrible hand-to-hand struggle of the day, and such a shower of +weapons was poured upon the _Long Serpent_ that the men could hardly +protect themselves. + +King Olaf Tryggvasson's men became so furious that they jumped upon the +gunwales in order to reach their foes with their swords and kill them, +and many went straight overboard; for out of eagerness and daring they +forgot that they were not fighting on dry ground, and sank down with +their weapons between the ships. + +When only a few men were left on the _Long Serpent_ around the mast +amidships, Erik Jarl boarded it with fourteen men. Then came against him +King Olaf's brother-in-law, Hyrning, with his followers, and between +them ensued a hard fight. It was ended by Erik Jarl's retreating onto +the _Bardi_, which took away the dead and the wounded, and in their +stead brought fresh and rested men. + +When Erik had prepared his men, he said to Thorkel the High, a wise and +powerful chief: "Often have I been in battles, and never have I before +found men equally brave and so skilled in fighting as those on the _Long +Serpent_, nor have I seen a ship so hard to conquer. Now, as thou art +one of the wisest of men, give me the best advice thou knowest as to how +the _Long Serpent_ may be won!" + +Thorkel replied: "I cannot give thee sure advice, but I can say what +seems to me best to do. Thou must take large timbers, and let them fall +from thy ship upon the gunwales of the _Long Serpent_, so that it will +careen; then thou wilt find it the easier to board the ship." + +Erik Jarl did as Thorkel had told him. + +King Olaf and his men defended themselves with the utmost bravery and +manliness; they slew many of their foes, both on the _Jarn Bardi_ and on +other ships which lay near theirs. + +When the defenders of the _Long Serpent_ began to thin out, Erik Jarl +boarded it and met with a warm reception. + +Olaf Tryggvasson shot at him with spears. The first flew past his right +side, the second his left, and the third struck the fore part of the +ship above his head. + +Then King Olaf said: "Never before did I thus miss a man; great is the +Jarl's luck." + +In a short time most of King Olaf's champions fell, though they were +both strong and valiant. Among them Hyrning, Thorgier, Vikar, and Ulf +the Red, and many other brave men who left a famous name behind. The +_Long Serpent_ was now cleared of men and captured, but Olaf Tryggvasson +was never seen or heard of more. He probably threw himself into the sea +not to survive his defeat. + +"It was a grand fight, Captain Larsen!" I exclaimed, as the narrator +concluded his story. I thanked the captain, and after this we all went +to our bunks to sleep. + +The following day was Sunday. There was no buying or selling of fish. +Every man was shaved and wore clean linen; the church was crowded with +fishermen, and the afternoon was spent in making social visits. + +I had fished with the four boats of our house, and now I made my +preparations for sailing northward. Our catch of fish and that in +several neighboring fishing settlements during the fishing season had +amounted to over twenty-two millions of cod. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + + SAILING ALONG THE COAST OF FINMARKEN.--HAMMERFEST, THE MOST NORTHERN + TOWN IN THE WORLD.--SCHOOLS.--FRUHOLMEN, THE MOST NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE + IN THE WORLD.--AMONG THE SEA LAPPS.--MEN AND WOMEN SAILORS. + + +Leaving the fishing settlement, the _Ragnild_, which I had rejoined, +sailed along the rugged and dreary shore of Finmarken, the most northern +part of the continent of Europe, passing now and then a solitary +fisherman's house, or a settlement hidden from sight, though the +stranger would never dream that any human being lived in this land of +rocks and desolation. + +We next came to Hammerfest, in 70 deg. 40' north latitude, the most northern +town in the world. In its commodious port were English, French, Russian, +German, Swedish, and Norwegian vessels. Hundreds of fishing boats were +there also, waiting for favorable winds to continue their voyage. +Steamers were going and coming from the south. + +The population was about three thousand souls. There were warehouses +owned by rich merchants, a church, a comfortable hotel, good schools +where boys and girls can learn French, English, German, Latin and +Greek. + +The streets were filled with snow. But though so far north there was not +a particle of ice in the port, on account of the warm Gulf Stream, +though sometimes the thermometer reaches 20 degrees below zero. Often +during the winter the mercury stands for consecutive days above the +freezing point. + +After leaving Hammerfest we sailed towards North Cape. Suddenly I heard +one of the sailors on the watch shout, "Light! Light!" "What," said I, +"a lighthouse so far north?" + +"Yes," replied the captain, who was standing near me; "it is the most +northern light on the globe. It is the light on the island of Fruholmen, +situated in latitude 71 deg. 5' north." We sailed as far as North Cape, on +the island of Mageroe, rising majestically to a height of nine hundred +and eighty feet above the sea, and in latitude 71 deg. 10'. At the top of +the cape there was evidently a gale, for the snow was flying to a great +height. + +As we were sailing along the shore, I saw some strange-looking +weather-beaten logs, covered with barnacles. The captain said to me, +"Some of these logs come probably from the coast of South America, from +the Amazon and Orinoco rivers; the Gulf Stream has brought them here. It +has taken them a long time to reach this place, for they are covered +with barnacles." + +Instead of doubling North Cape, we sailed through the narrow Mageroe +Sound which separates the island from the mainland. + +[Illustration: "We sailed towards North Cape."] + +We had hardly entered the sound when I was astonished by the view that +met my eyes, for now there were fishing settlements coming suddenly into +view, with comfortable, white-painted houses, ships at anchor, +glittering churches shining in the sun, and school buildings. + +We sailed across the Porsanger Fjord. Far off was Nordkyn, upon the +summit of which I had stood. The coast looked dreary indeed! We sailed +across Laxe Fjord and doubled Nordkyn. + +The following day we entered a fjord and came upon a number of fishing +boats that were returning from the open sea. Some of these boats rowed +towards us, and soon were alongside of our craft, and we engaged in +conversation. + +These people appeared very strange; they were dressed like the nomadic +Lapps, with the noteworthy exception, however, that the fur of the +reindeer skin was on the _inside_ of their garments. They were Sea +Lapps. + +I looked at the crews of the boats, and was more astonished still, for +some of the boats were partly manned by women, and big girls; other +crews were entirely composed of women with a man for captain. One boat +was entirely manned by women, the captain included. I could not easily +distinguish the men from the women, for the features of the women were +coarse from exposure to the storms of the Arctic Sea. They wore reindeer +trousers like the men, as indeed do the women of the nomadic Lapps. They +rowed quite as well as the men, too. They were distinguishable by their +long shaggy hair. It was of a dark chestnut, with a reddish +tinge--almost black in some. They wore it hanging over their shoulders. +It was indeed a strange sight, and I looked at them with great +curiosity, for I had never seen such people before--women who were +sailors, some captains of boats, going to sea and braving the storms of +the inhospitable ocean. + +Captain Petersen said to me: "Almost all these sea Laplanders own their +crafts. Some of these are commanded by the husband, while the wife, the +daughters, sister or hired woman form the crew; the women are very +hardy, and excellent sailors; they pull as hard as strong men, and can +use the oar as long as the men do." + +The captain was right--for I could not see any difference between their +rowing and that of the men as they followed us. + +When they learned that I had come to see their land and wanted to live +among them, they were glad. They asked my name, and they were told that +I was called Paulus. + +Then many of these Sea Lapps said: + +"Come, Paulus, and stay a few days with us; we will take good care of +you;" and pointing to a hamlet at a distance, "there we live, and soon +we shall be at home." + +Looking towards where they pointed, I saw smoke curling up from +strange-looking dwellings. The settlement was scattered on the brow of +a hill looking down upon the fjord. + +As the word went round that I was coming to stay with them, the Sea +Lapps made haste and rowed with all their might; the women were +especially in earnest, for they wanted to prepare their houses for my +reception before I landed. Soon they all were far ahead, and after they +had landed I saw them running as fast as they could towards their homes. +Evidently they were going to announce my arrival to the people who had +remained at home. + +Here I parted with the _Ragnild_, which sailed to another fjord for more +fish. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII + + A SEA LAPP HAMLET.--STRANGE HOUSES.--THEIR INTERIORS.--SUMMER DRESS OF + THE SEA LAPPS.--PRIMITIVE WOODEN CART.--ANIMALS EAT RAW FISH.--I + SLEEP IN A SEA LAPP'S HOUSE.--THEY TELL ME TO HURRY SOUTHWARD. + + +When I had landed, and ascended the hill towards the settlement, I found +myself in a Sea Lapp hamlet. I looked at their dwellings with great +curiosity. Some of the buildings were conical and resembled the tent of +the nomadic Lapps; but they were built of sod or turf. There were others +resembling in shape log houses, with only a ground floor, built entirely +of the same material. Others were partly of stone and turf. Some were +entirely of stone slabs. Two houses were built of logs. + +In the mean time the people had changed their clothes, and wore their +summer every-day dress called _vuolpo_ (though it was still cold), ready +to receive me. + +Some of these summer dresses were made of coarse vadmal of a gray or +blackish color; others were blue. Most were in a ragged state, or +patched--having when new been used as Sunday clothes. The men wore +square caps of red or blue flannel, and the women had extraordinary +looking head-gear resembling casques of dragoons, on account of the +wooden frame under the cloth. These were also red or blue. + +"Come in," said one of the Sea Lapps, "come into my _gamme_ (house) and +see how I live." His house was of conical shape and built of sod, +supported inside by a rough frame formed of branches of trees. A fire +was burning in the centre of the hut, the smoke escaping by an aperture +above; and upon cross poles hung shoes, boots, and clothing. This sod +hut was about twelve feet high and eight feet in diameter. A large +kettle hung over the fire. It was filled with seaweed, which was cooking +for the cows. I tasted it and found it very palatable and not at all +salt. + +I was hardly in this _gamme_ when I wished myself out, but kept this to +myself, for I did not want to hurt the feelings of the poor Lapp. The +interior of the place was horribly filthy--dirty reindeer skins lay on +the ground upon old dirty dried grass. A tent of a nomadic Lapp was a +model of cleanliness compared with this! The outside was just as bad; on +the ground lay the entrails and heads of fish, and a couple of barrels +filled with half-putrid liver which in time would make a barrel of brown +oil; there were a great many codfish heads drying on the rocks. + +"Will you stay and have a cup of coffee with us?" my host asked. + +"Yes," added his wife, "it will not take long to make a cup of coffee." + +"Not to-day," I replied, "but some other time." + +"All right," the host said; "don't forget." + +I was glad when I got out. This abode was the _gamme_ of a poor Sea +Lapp, and the poorest kind of dwelling seen among them. + +The next house, which was at a short distance, belonged to the captain +of one of the boats which had been alongside of our ship. He and his +wife were waiting for me outside and bade me come in. His house was +long, narrow, and low, and built entirely of flat stones. I entered +through a wooden door a room built in the centre of the house. Their +winter garments hung on poles, there was a pile of firewood, and a heap +of dry seaweed and reindeer moss. + +I followed him to the room on the left. There the family lived. The +floor of the room was covered with flat slabs; in one corner was a bed +on the floor, itself made of young branches of birch, kept together by +logs. The skins that made the rest of the bed were outside to be aired. +This room was about ten feet long and about ten feet wide, the whole +width of the house, and lighted by a small window with tiny panes of +glass. + +At the foot of the bed in the corner was a small cow. Such a cow! I had +never seen one so small. In the opposite corner was another one. These +two cows were hardly three feet high, and between the two were a calf +and three sheep. "These animals," said my host, "help us to keep our +room warm and comfortable during the winter months." + +This was a very strange way of heating a room, I thought to myself. + +"Come and stay with us to-night," added the Lapp. "You will sleep +comfortably and you will not be cold." + +I accepted. + +The furniture of the room consisted of some kettles, a coffee pot, +coffee grinder, a lamp, and a few chests. Everything, strange to say, +was very clean. The third room contained a few nets, and on the floor +were a few reindeer skins upon which slept any stranger who chanced to +share their dwelling. I was a favored guest. I was to sleep in the same +room with the host, hostess, cows and sheep. I was considered as one of +the family. + +I slept splendidly. In the morning I had water to wash my face with. +That was fine! I gave myself a good rubbing with soap, for I said, +"Paul, after you leave this place it will be quite a while before you +wash your face, except with snow." But I could not as successfully get +rid of the odor of the stable, which clung to my clothes with a +persistence that would have driven every friend I had away from me if I +had been at home. + +Not far from this _gamme_ was the house of another well-to-do Sea Lapp, +one of the rich fellows of the hamlet. His house was long and narrow, +one part built of logs, the remainder of layers of turf. + +The wooden part was the every-day room--parlor, bedroom, kitchen. The +roof was supported by poles and covered with birch bark, over which more +than a foot of earth had been placed to keep the cold out; the birch +bark was used as shingles and kept the rain from dripping inside. Two +little cows, two dwarfish oxen, eight sheep, and two goats completed the +household, and these were housed in the turf compartment. + +Further on I passed a somewhat long and narrow house built entirely of +turf, which I also visited, and as I came out of it a very strange sight +greeted me. Several people were returning with their dwarfish carts +loaded with seaweed; each was drawn by a team of two wretched little +oxen not bigger than the cows of the place--that is, not more than three +feet in height. Some were driven by women, others by men or children. + +These queer-looking small carts were of the same pattern as those used +thousands of years ago. The wheels were of a solid block of wood hewn +out of the trunk of fir trees, which grow on the banks of some of the +fjords, though the land is so far north, owing to the effects of the +Gulf Stream. These wheels were of the pattern first made by man, and for +thousands of years there had been no improvement; just as in some parts +of the world the natives to-day still use the dug-out, or canoe made of +the trunk or bark of a tree--the primitive boat of man. The carts were +loaded with seaweed, fish, or reindeer moss. + +I stayed here several days, and one day I went to see Ole Maja, the +nabob of the place. Ole was an old Sea Lapp, who was considered very +rich among his neighbors. His house was entirely built of logs, and was +much admired by the people. The little room had two plain pine-wood +beds, a cast-iron stove (the only one in the hamlet), a clock and three +wooden chairs. Everything was exceedingly clean. He belonged to the best +type of Sea Lapps. + +Ole owned a horse, which had a special stable built of turf, and his +four cows, two oxen, and twelve sheep were kept in another building. I +asked what he wanted a horse for in these high latitudes. He answered: +"We use them on the frozen rivers to draw logs." "The hay I gather in +summer," he added, "is for him. Horses are very particular, they will +not eat the kind of food we give to our cattle, sheep or goats." I did +not wonder at this. + +I noticed, as there was no snow on the ground, that all the dwellings of +the little hamlet had small patches of land round them, which were to be +planted with potatoes when warm weather came. + +Those who had the best houses wanted me to stay with them, and to avoid +making distinctions I agreed to remain with each family one day until I +went away. They seemed very much pleased. + +I witnessed one day the feeding of the cattle, sheep, and goats. This +was a sight! They were to be fed on that day with raw fish cut in +pieces, instead of boiled heads of dry cod, or boiled lichen. These +pieces of fish were put in large wide wooden pails, the animals were +called, and they devoured the contents with great avidity. This amazed +me greatly. Just think of cattle feeding on raw fish! + +One day found me comfortably settled in a _gamme_ which belonged to +Matias Laiti. The chief meal was of reindeer meat and fish,--a boiled +head of fresh cod. This is considered the sweetest and nicest part of +the fish. A great wooden bowl of milk was given to me. The milk had a +queer taste--it had a fishy taste--so had everything else, I thought. I +am sure that if the cannibals that were my friends in Africa had been +here, and eaten me up, they would have found that I tasted of fish, for +I had been living on fish ever so long. + +I kept visiting one Sea Lapp and his family after another, and had a +good time--living on fish and reindeer meat, for the Sea Lapps own +reindeer which are kept for their relations or friends further in the +interior. Sea Lapps intermarry much with river Lapps, and also with +nomadic Lapps. They form really one family. + +On Sunday morning they were dressed in their best _vuolpo_ head-dresses +and garments. These were red, blue and white, with red and yellow bands +at the bottom of the skirt. Some had pretty belts, and wore necklaces of +large glass beads. The women and men had combed their hair, and it was +not to be combed again for a week. They all had washed their faces and +hands. One woman wore a pair of blue woollen trousers, fitting tight +from the knees to the ankle, had put on a new pair of Lapp shoes, and +wore casque-like head-gear, which was blue like her dress and had red +seams. The boats were ready to be rowed across the fjord to take them to +the church, where service was held once in three weeks. They were all +Lutherans. + +There were hardly any children in the place. The school was the other +side of the fjord by the church. The children were about to return to +their parents, for in summer there is no school. All the +Swedish-Norwegian Lapps know how to read and write. + +One evening as we were talking round a bright fire, one of the Lapps +said to me, "Paulus, you have told us that you intend to travel +southward by land. If that is so, there is no time to be lost, for the +sun is getting more powerful every day, and the snow will soon be in an +unfit condition for reindeer to travel on, and the ice over the rivers +and lakes will break; besides you are going to have great difficulty in +procuring reindeer, for no reindeer can be had at the post stations now. +You may be detained on the way, and be obliged to wait until snow has +melted and the rivers become navigable. At this time of the year the +reindeer are very feeble; it is the worst time to travel with them; they +shed their coats and horns and are weak and lean from their winter +digging. During the day they feel the heat of the sun, and do not go as +fast as during the winter months. So, though we love to have you stay +with us, if you want to go you had better hasten your departure. Do not +forget to take with you blue or green goggles, for the glare is so +intense, on account of the bright sun, you will surely become snow-blind +if you have none with you. We are going to send for reindeer, and we +will give you a guide to go with you." + +The long days come on with remarkable rapidity in this far North. The +sun was below the horizon till the latter part of January, and now on +the 25th of April in clear weather I could read a newspaper at midnight. +There were to be no more nights. The Long Night had been driven away +from the pole. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII + + COMPARISON OF FINMARKEN WITH ALASKA.--THE TWO LANDS MUCH ALIKE.--WHAT + MUST BE DONE FOR ALASKA.--COLONIZATION.--IMPORTATION OF + REINDEER.--PROTECTION OF FISHERIES.--HOUSES OF REFUGE. + + +That same evening (it has to be called so for the sake of distinction) I +stood out on the brow of the hill, looking at the fjord and Arctic +Ocean. Suddenly Alaska came to my mind. I remembered all I had seen on +the coast of Finmarken, and also all I had encountered and done in "Snow +Land", "The Land of the Long Night," and "The Land of the Winds," and I +said to myself, "Why should not Alaska have its fishing towns, +settlements, and hamlets, like those of Finmarken, and become as +prosperous as the country I have travelled through?" There is a +wonderful similarity between these two countries; they are both exactly +in the same latitudes; they have the same kind of barren coast bathed by +a warm stream, and both have fjords. + +Alaska has immense shoals of codfish and herring, besides salmon. Both +have their long nights, and then long days of Midnight Sun. We must give +inducements to the people of Finmarken to come to Alaska. They will find +in their new country something similar to the one they have left, they +will enjoy the same life. California and Oregon will provide the people +with flour and send them delicacies and products of their state, and +take in return the cod and herring. The southern American countries +would be a great market for their codfish. + +Then I thought that the only way to make Alaska prosperous eventually, +is to do exactly what the Swedes and Norwegians have done for their +country in the far North. The fisheries must be protected, and the laws +regulating them must be enforced. Then, as on the Finmarken coast, +towns, hamlets, and fishing settlements will rise in the course of time, +and the wealth of the people will come from the fish--their gold from +the sea. Then we shall have more American-born sailors to man our ships. + +Some of the barren hills of Alaska should be planted with juniper, +birch, alder, and with pine and fir and other trees growing in the high +altitudes of the mountains of Scandinavia. It will take a good deal of +time, but the world was not made in one day. The Scandinavian laws +regarding the cutting of trees below a certain size ought to be adopted +for Alaska. + +Then we must import many reindeer, and establish the same laws in regard +to them and their pasture as the Swedes and Norwegians have done. A +great many of these reindeer must be broken, and brought up to eat kept +reindeer moss. Samoides and Laplanders must be induced to come to +Alaska; they know how to take care of the reindeer, they are accustomed +to law and order, and they are absolutely honest. + +"Yes, indeed, they are honest," I said loudly without knowing it; "for +they knew I had money with me, and I have never been afraid of being +robbed or murdered. Such thoughts have never entered my head." Then I +thought of the good care these kind people took of me when there was +danger in travelling. + +Wherever there is a little good grazing land, houses and farms of +refuge, and post stations where reindeer can be procured, must be built +by the government in the interior, so that people can find refuge from +the terrific storms that blow over Alaska, and I cannot realize how they +could be fiercer than those I had encountered in Finmarken. With +reindeer and skees, travelling will become easy, and good distances will +be made in a short time. + +In summer boat stations must be established along navigable rivers, also +a tariff made for distances and for food--so that there be no +overcharge--as is done in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. + +Little hamlets with the church and the school will rise. Doctors must be +sent, and paid a salary by the government; besides a fee must be given +by the patient, who will then not call the doctor for a trifle. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV + + PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE THE ARCTIC COAST.--GREAT DANGER OF ENCOUNTERING + MELTING SNOW, OR RIVERS MADE DANGEROUS BY THE ICE BREAKING.--REINDEER + COME.--FAREWELL TO THE SEA LAPPS.--I LEAVE FOR MORE SOUTHERN LAND. + + +The advice the Sea Lapps had given me was not to be neglected, and I at +once made hasty preparations for my journey southward. There was not one +hour or one minute to be lost. I did not want to be caught in the midst +of vast tracts of half-melted snow, seven, eight, or ten feet deep, with +reindeer unable to travel further; or to drive over rivers and lakes +covered with treacherous ice, made the more dangerous by being hidden +under the snow--or, worst of all, to find no reindeer to carry me +onward; or delayed somewhere, waiting for the snow to melt and the land +to become dry and the rivers navigable, for during the time of thaw the +country is full of bogs and swamps, and the rivers become in many places +but roaring torrents, their waters dashing against huge boulders strewn +in their beds, or breaking over them in rapids and pouring cataracts. + +My little sleigh, my skees, my bags, and winter outfits were landed, and +were before me. I left off my sou'wester and oilskin garments and +sea-boots, and I said to them: "We have had rough weather together on +this stormy Arctic sea. Henceforth I do not need you any more; I hope +you will keep the Sea Lapp to whom I give you as dry as you did me." + +Then I donned my Lapp costume once more. Now the fur shoes of winter +were unsuitable to travel with, for being porous they are only good to +get over dry and crisp snow with. I had to wear henceforth the shoes or +boots that are without fur and the leather of which is prepared in such +a manner as to be impermeable to water or damp snow. I had provided +myself with two pairs of these, while at Haparanda on my way to "The +Land of the Long Night," for my return journey,--a short pair, of the +shape of the winter shoes, and a pair of boots coming as high as my +knees. + +One of the Lapps smeared them with a preparation of tar and fat that he +used for his own shoes. When they were ready he said: "Now you are all +right, no dampness or water will penetrate them," and he gave me some of +the stuff to use on my journey, saying, "Rub your shoes every two days +with it." I thanked him. Then I put on a new pair of woollen socks. I +surrounded my feet with the Lapp grass, and wore my short boots. + +While turning over in my mind the mishaps that might come to me on this +southward journey, I fancied the same friendly voices I had heard before +from across the Atlantic called to me: "Hurry on, Friend Paul! Hurry on! +for there is danger in delay; and when your journey is finished come +back to us at once." + +"I will hurry on," I replied aloud. "Do not be afraid. I will return at +once to our dear United States." After this I was more impatient to +leave than before. I waited anxiously for the reindeer to arrive. + +Henceforth I shall wear only one fur garment, instead of two as I did +during my journey northward, for the weather is getting warmer every +day. After I was dressed completely I looked affectionately at my little +sleigh, for I remembered the many hundreds of miles we had travelled +together, what fun I had had, and how hard it was at first to learn to +drive reindeer and to keep inside the sleigh, and all the sudden +upsettings I had. + +Then I looked at my skees, and said: "Dear skees, we are again to tramp +over the snow together. I wish I could leap over chasms with you, as the +Lapps do. I cannot do that; but we will walk on the snow, and go down +hill riding a stick. This will be great fun for me anyhow." + +Then I turned to the bags, and I said: "Dear bags, I have often thought +of you and how comfortable I was with you." I remembered how cosy I was +when I slept in them on the snow. I did not mind how hard the wind blew; +the harder it blew the more comfortable I felt inside of them. Near by +them was the big brown bearskin, which was safely fastened over me in +the sleigh. I said: "Dear bearskin, I think a great deal of you also, +for you have been my friend and have kept my legs so warm when I was +driving." + +The next morning to my great joy the reindeer came,--one for me, one for +my guide, and a spare one; but how differently they looked compared with +those I had in the winter. They were thin, and were changing their +coats. I did not wonder that the poor reindeer did not look frisky--they +had had to work so hard for their living, digging the snow to reach the +moss during the whole of the winter. + +I looked at the guide the kind Sea Lapps had provided for me. He was the +man who had come with the reindeer. His name was Mikel. He was a nomadic +Lapp, but had come to visit his sister, who had married a Sea Lapp. He +was about four feet eight inches in height, well built, broad +shouldered, nimble as a deer, about forty years old, with a face made by +the wind as red as a ripe tomato. He lived and pastured his herd of +reindeer south of Karesuando. + +As we were introduced to each other we shook hands, and I said, "Mikel, +we are going to be friends." + +"Yes," he replied, "we are to be friends." + +Then all the Sea Lapps that were round us shouted with one voice: +"Paulus, we are all your friends! Mikel will take good care of you." + +"I will," said Mikel. "I will take good care of Paulus." "Thank you, +Mikel," I replied. From that moment Mikel and I became fast friends. + +An hour after the arrival of the reindeer and after a hearty meal of +codfish and black bread we were ready to start. + +Before seating myself in the sleigh, I turned my face towards the North +Pole and looked at the Arctic Ocean beyond the fjord, and shouted: +"Farewell to thee! farewell, tempestuous Arctic Sea! farewell to thy +gales! farewell to thy snow and sleet storms. But I am glad I have been +through it all, for I have learned something I did not know before. I +have gained knowledge about the people and 'The Land of the Long +Night.'" + +One of the Sea Lapps held my reindeer, and after I was seated another +drew my bearskin round me, and made it secure with the cord belonging to +my sleigh. + +When Mikel saw that I was ready he jumped into his sleigh and we +started. + +"Good-bye, good-bye, Paulus!" shouted all the Lapps. + +"Good-bye, good-bye, dear Sea Lapps!"--I shouted back to them, and the +last words I heard were: "Lucky journey, Paulus, come to see us again, +come to see us again." + + + + +CHAPTER XXXV + + WE ENTER A BIRCH FOREST.--THE REINDEER ARE SOON FAGGED.--SLEEP ON THE + SNOW.--THE RAYS OF THE SUN MELT THROUGH THE SNOW.--GREAT DIFFICULTY + IN TRAVELLING.--MEET HERDS OF REINDEER.--REINDEER BULLS FIGHT EACH + OTHER. + + +We entered the birch forest soon after our departure. We had great +difficulty in driving among the trees. I was glad our reindeer were not +as frisky as in the earlier part of the winter. I could hardly follow +the track of Mikel, and sometimes I could not do so at all. I drove +sometimes against one tree and then against another, then the boughs of +the birch would strike against my face. I had not been five minutes +among the birches when I was upset. + +At last, losing patience, I shouted to Mikel, "When are we to get out of +these birch trees into the open country?" He replied: "We shall reach +the river soon." + +The snow was not more than three or four or five inches deep at first, +but grew gradually deeper as we moved further south. Along the coast of +Finmarken the heat of the Gulf Stream prevents it from lying deep on the +ground. + +That afternoon we reached the Tana river, at a place called Polmak, and +sped on over its snow-covered ice. + +Seven or eight miles was all that our reindeer could do in an hour, and +during the day we had to stop several times to give them rest. + +About eleven o'clock we stopped for the night. We spread our bags upon +the snow, but we got into one only, for two would have been too warm at +this time of the year; and as Mikel and I were ready to disappear in +them, I said "Good-night, Mikel," and he replied "Good-night, Paulus." + +It snowed during the night, and when we awoke in the morning our bags +were covered with it. I did not wonder when I saw this that I had felt +so warm during the night. + +I was the first to be up. I shook Mikel's bag and shouted to him, "Get +up, Mikel," and as his head peeped out of his bag, I said +"Good-morning," and he cried "Good-morning, Paulus." Then we took our +breakfast. The reindeer, while we were asleep, had dug through the snow +to the lichen and fed, and now were quietly resting. + +We were soon on the way. As the sun rose higher and higher and its rays +grew more powerful, the snow became soft, and the travelling so hard for +our reindeer that we had to stop; the thermometer marked 44 degrees in +the shade and 80 degrees in the sun. There were sometimes twenty or +thirty degrees' difference of temperature during the twenty-four hours, +but the change came so slowly, hour after hour, that I did not notice +it. + +So we had to stop travelling, and while the reindeer rested we took to +our skees and went in search of game, but no foxes or wolves were to be +seen. Towards four o'clock in the afternoon the snow began to freeze +again, and we again took up our journey. Now the nights have to be +turned into days, for we can only travel during the time when the sun is +not shining or has not great power. + +We travelled without interruption the following day, as the sky was +cloudy and the snow was hard. Towards midnight Mikel said: "Our reindeer +are tired, we must rest; but we will not sleep more than three or four +hours, for we must reach a station where we can procure fresh reindeer." + +We unharnessed our reindeer, and tied them with long ropes. When this +was done we got into our bags and soon were fast asleep. + +At about three o'clock Mikel awoke me, saying, "Paulus, it is about time +to go." + +"Oh, Mikel," I replied, "let me sleep one hour more, for I need more +sleep. I want another snooze." + +"There is no time to be lost," he replied; "you will have a snooze later +in the day." + +So I rubbed my eyes to get fully awake, and washed my face with snow, +and felt ready for another start. + +That morning the sky was very clear, and after a while the sun shone +brightly and the glare on the snow was so great that it would have been +impossible to travel without green or blue goggles. I had two pairs +with me, in case I should lose or break one by some accident. + +On account of the strength of the sun's rays, which melted the snow, we +had to stop our travelling by eleven o'clock. Our reindeer were +exhausted. + +I took my short pair of skees, covered with sealskin, and went ptarmigan +hunting. I killed four. The birds had already dropped many of their +white feathers, which had been replaced by gray ones. They were getting +their summer coats, and would soon be entirely gray. + +After killing these I went further, and saw something in the distance +moving on the snow. Soon I discovered it was a fox of a peculiar color +which I had not seen before. I lay flat on the snow, as the animal was +coming in my direction. He was evidently hungry, and was hunting +ptarmigans himself. When he came within shooting distance I fired and +killed him. He was a white fox, but much of his snowy-white fur had +dropped, and was replaced by bluish. I wondered if the change took place +for his own protection and advantage. When white he could not be seen so +easily by the creatures upon which he preyed, and when bluish he could +not be so easily seen as if he had remained white. + +When I returned Mikel was stretched on his back on the snow with his +arms spread out, and was snoring like a good fellow. Oh, what a noise he +made! He had succeeded in frightening our reindeer, which had moved +away as far as the rope would allow them. I did not wonder that they did +not like Mikel's snoring. + +After looking at Mikel I stretched myself on the snow, but quite a +distance from him, not to be disturbed by his snoring. Now we did not +require any masks on our faces, and during the day slept without being +obliged to get into our bags. + +Soon I fell asleep, and dreamed that I was attacked by a big pack of +wolves--I jumped up and looked round, but there were no wolves. I had +had the nightmare from sleeping on my back. Mikel was still snoring, and +I looked at him and thought I would let him snore a little more. + +Towards four o'clock in the afternoon, as it was beginning to freeze +again and the snow was fit for travelling, I awoke him. Soon after we +started, and we had not driven an hour when we saw a tent in the +distance and made for it. The Lapp family who owned it received us with +great hospitality. Coffee was made and we were invited to spend the +night. I looked forward with great pleasure to the prospect of a good +warm meal of reindeer meat and good reindeer broth. + +These people were great friends of Mikel, and they agreed to give us +some of their reindeer that were not as fagged out as ours. I was +delighted. + +How I enjoyed the warm reindeer meat and the reindeer broth! It was +fine! I was so hungry. After this meal we were presented with a lot of +cooked reindeer meat for our journey, and one of the Lapps was to go +with us, for he wanted to see some of his friends further south. + +Towards three o'clock in the morning we started. We saw many herds of +reindeer--they were moving westward towards the mountains that stretched +to the Arctic Sea. It was a grand sight. I saw more than thirty thousand +reindeer that day, in herds from one thousand to two or three thousand. +The Lapps on their skees, with their dogs, urged the animals onward, and +the dogs brought those which were trying to go astray, or lagged behind, +into the ranks. + +Many of the reindeer had already dropped their horns, and the calving +season had begun. How pretty were the tiny baby reindeer; they were put +on special sleighs and driven in them, their mothers following, uttering +a queer kind of grunt. + +The baggage of the family and tents went with them, led by women who +carried their young children in their cradles slung on their backs. + +Late that day I saw a splendid sight, two herds were approaching each +other in opposite directions. The bulls of each herd advanced to charge +the others with great fury and began a terrible fight, advancing and +retreating, then charging again, butting furiously. The horns of two +combatants sometimes became entangled, and it took a long time for them +to disengage themselves. Mikel said: "Sometimes they cannot be separated +and have to be killed." In the mean time, the Lapps and dogs went after +them, and with great trouble they were parted and made to go to their +respective herds. I noticed, as I went further south, that the twilight +was not so bright as it was in the North--for in that northern land, the +daylight comes from the direction of the pole. + +The darkest part of the day or night was somewhat after eleven o'clock +P.M., but even then I could read, and as we travelled only Jupiter and +Venus looked at us--no other stars were visible, and towards half-past +one these two disappeared, for daylight was so strong; and when the +weather was clear after that time only the pale blue sky of the North +and its fleecy white clouds were to be seen above our heads. How +beautiful it was! + + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI + + VARIABLE WEATHER.--SNOWY DAYS.--AN UNINHABITED HOUSE OF REFUGE.--ANIMALS + CHANGING THE COLOR OF THEIR FUR.--MIKEL TELLS ME ABOUT A + BEAR.--KILLING THE BEAR.--HURRYING ON OVER SOFT SNOW AND FROZEN + RIVERS.--THE ICE BEGINS TO BREAK.--PASS THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. + + +Onward we went, sleeping one day in the tent of a nomadic Lapp, another +day in our bags, at other times in the _gamme_ of a river Lapp. The +weather was very changeable; one day it was clear, the next day the sky +was gray. Snowy days were not uncommon. + +Midway between Nordkyn and Haparanda the snow was of great depth. Only +the tops of the birch trees could be seen, and strange to say the +branches were in bloom, for the trees felt the heat of the sun, and the +snow had prevented the freezing of the ground to a great depth. The snow +must have been eight or ten feet deep in some regions. + +When we reached the summit of the plateau, the watershed that divided +the rivers falling into the Arctic Sea and the Baltic, the weather was +very stormy. Though it was the 13th of May, we met a furious snowstorm. +This was dangerous for us, and Mikel attached my sleigh to his by a long +rope, so that we might not become separated. The snowstorm seemed, +however, to give new strength to the reindeer, and they went faster than +usual, and besides the cold weather we had had the two previous +days--the thermometer marking 15 to 18 degrees of frost--had evidently +invigorated them. For a while there was a lull in the storm, and we were +glad when we came to a house of refuge. + +The house was small and uninhabited, but clean inside. Some food was +hanging from the ceiling, belonging to some Lapp or some wanderer like +ourselves, who had left it to have it on his return journey. The food +was sacred and safe. No one would have dared to touch it, no matter how +hungry he was, for it did not belong to him, and the one who had left it +perhaps depended upon it to sustain his life on his return. We peeped +into the parcel--there was some hard bread, reindeer cheese, and a +smoked reindeer tongue, a coffee kettle and some coffee, and a few small +pieces of wood tied together, to make a fire to cook the coffee with. +This was one of those houses of refuge used only for shelter, without +people to keep them, built especially by the government for that +purpose, in case of sudden storm. + +After a while I went out for a walk on my skees, to stretch my legs, for +I had been more than ten hours seated in my sleigh. I took my gun with +me. Soon I spied some hares, and succeeded in killing two. These were +also changing their fur coats; much of their fur was gray, and mixed +with white; the hares were to be gray during the summer months. As white +was their protection in winter against big white owls, foxes, and other +animals, so their gray color would protect them against their enemies in +summer. + +"Strange indeed is nature," I said to myself. "In some cases the animals +change their fur so that they can approach their prey without being +seen; in other cases nature changes their fur to protect them against +their enemies." + +When I returned I saw that Mikel had prepared our supper. He had fetched +some firewood he had in his sleigh, and a bright fire was burning under +our coffee kettle. Reindeer meat, tongue, and reindeer cheese had been +put on a wooden dish, and two tin cups were ready for the coffee to be +poured into them. We seated ourselves cross-legged on the floor, and +began our meal. What a nice cup of coffee we had! How deliciously it +tasted! How good was our coarse hard black bread and our reindeer +cheese, and smoked reindeer tongue! + +After we had drunk our coffee and eaten our supper I noticed that Mikel +was very silent and thoughtful. I wondered if he was thinking of dangers +ahead--of the sudden stopping of our journey,--and just as I was on the +point of asking him why he was so thoughtful he broke the silence +himself and said: "Paulus, I know where there is a big brown bear--a +real big fellow. The Bear's Night is not over with him yet, and he must +be still sleeping under the snow at the place where I saw him last +autumn getting ready to go into his winter quarters." + +"You don't say so, Mikel!" I exclaimed. "Is the bear sleeping near where +we are?" + +"Not so very near," he replied with a twinkle in his eye. "A few hours +will bring us to his place." + +He saw by my looks that I was ready to go after the bear. It was just +what he wished. So he continued: "Paulus, shall we go and kill the bear, +before he awakes and goes into the mountains and forests to commit his +depredations,--for after his long fast he will be very hungry--and are +you willing to lose two or three days and run the risk of having our +journey come to an end?" + +When I heard this, I forgot all about the ice cracking over the streams +and lakes, about the snow melting and preventing people from travelling. +"Yes, Mikel," I replied, "let us go after the bear. Afterwards we will +travel as fast as we can and take very little sleep; perhaps we shall +have luck and the weather may be colder than usual for a while." + +"All right," replied Mikel; "we will go after the bear." + +"Mikel," said I "before we stretch ourselves on the floor and go to +sleep, tell me how you know that the bear is at the spot you suppose and +that he is spending his winter night there." + +Mikel took a big pinch of snuff and replied: "Paulus, I think I am the +only one, that knows where this bear is sleeping, for I have kept it a +secret. I hope no other person knows where he is, for I want his skin. +Besides I shall get a premium in money if we kill him." + +Then he added: "One day last fall as I was hunting for ptarmigans I saw +in the distance a huge brown bear walking about and getting ready for +his winter quarters. I knew that he was seeking his winter lodgings, +because he was going round and round a big cluster of pines before +entering it. I watched! After a a while he disappeared among the pines +and I saw no more of him. I knew that if he were not disturbed or +frightened away he would stay there. The bear assuredly had seen the +place during the summer and thought it was a good one for his long +sleep. This bear knew that a big snowstorm was coming, and he was not +mistaken, for that night snow fell very heavily and the storm lasted two +days. + +"The Bear's Night will soon be over in this region," Mikel continued, +"and at any moment this bear may awaken, break through the snow that is +over him, and go away. Perhaps he is already gone. At this time of the +year the slightest noise will arouse a bear, for by this time he has +ceased to sleep soundly." + +Then he added: "We have had very little sleep since we left the coast, +Paulus; we need a good rest before we go after the bear." + +"Yes," said I, "my eyes ache for want of a good long sleep." + +We stretched ourselves on the earth floor, and soon after I heard the +snoring of Mikel. He was an inveterate snorer,--I thought the champion +snorer of all those I ever had met. + +I could not go to sleep, though I was so tired. I turned first on one +side, then on the other, then lay on my back. I was much excited, for I +thought of the big brown bear and of the hunt that was before us. At +last I fell asleep. Suddenly I was awakened by a shaking of Mikel, and +as I opened my eyes he said, "Paulus, what is the matter? You have been +shouting." + +I was in a profuse perspiration. I had again had nightmare from lying on +my back. I was fighting with a big bear which had seized me, and we were +wrestling and I was getting the worst of it, and when ready to fall down +in his grasp I had given a big scream. + +After our breakfast that morning, Mikel said: "We must go and tell some +of the folks who live in a little hamlet not far from here to come with +us." + +"What do you call not far from here?" I asked. + +I had begun to know what "not far" meant with the Lapps. "Two hours' +travel, or about fifteen miles," he replied. "I have friends there." + +Before leaving the little house of refuge Mikel swept the floor, and +made it as clean as we had found it--for it is the custom of the people +to do this before they leave. + +We then started eastward, and after two hours' travelling we came to a +few farms and entered a house. Mikel told the people about the bear. The +news soon spread and there was much excitement. During the day +preparations were made for the hunt. + +The next morning men gathered, taking their guns and big long sticks, +with pikes at the ends to prod the bear with; and all the dogs of the +place followed us. Many men started on their skees, others in their +sleighs. According to Mikel the bear was about thirty miles away. + +I was full of enthusiasm, and longed to come face to face with the big +brown bear of northern Europe. + +About three hours after, we stopped. All the people took counsel +together and spoke in low voices. Then Mikel, pointing out to me a big +cluster of trees, said, "Paulus, the bear is there." + +Slowly we made for the spot, and then entered the grove, and went in +different directions seeking for the bear's winter quarters. Soon after +we saw a heap of snow, or little hillock, that covered evidently some +boulders piled on the top of each other or a cluster of fallen broken +pine trees. + +We looked at each other and pointed towards the spot--we knew that the +bear was under the snow there. Mikel whispered to me, "The bear sleeps +under that hillock of snow." + +We surrounded the place, then on a sudden we shouted and made a terrific +noise. Two or three of the men fired their guns, the dogs barked +furiously. + +[Illustration: "He sat on his haunches and looked at us, uttering a +tremendous growl."] + +Then we saw the centre of the heap or hillock of snow tremble, as if +some live creature were moving slowly under it. Then the snow moved a +little quicker. There was no mistake, the bear was awakened, had +moved, and was on the point of rising; he was listening, and getting +ready to come out. The noise had frightened him. The snow trembled more +and more and rose higher and higher. Suddenly there was a great +upheaval, and great cracks appeared in the crusted snow. Then we saw +peeping out the head and back of a huge brown bear, then two legs, and +finally the whole animal. + +He looked round him with amazement. He seemed to be dazed at the strange +and sudden sight before him. He sat on his haunches and looked at us, +uttering a tremendous growl. We could not tell whether he meant to fight +or to run. The dogs barked angrily around the huge beast, but did not +dare to approach near enough to attack him. In the meantime we had all +drawn together so that we could fire without danger of hitting any of +our party. The bear was getting ugly, gave a series of fierce growls, +and rose on his hind legs. At this moment Mikel and I fired. A grunt of +pain showed that the animal was hit. He ran a few steps towards us and +as we got ready to fire again the big beast fell, his blood reddening +the snow. + +We gathered round and looked at him. He was a huge beast, but very thin +from his long fast, for he had been six months or more without food. + +After the killing of the bear there was no time to be lost, for we had +deviated from our course and had gone eastward into Finland. So now we +had to go westward, and after two days' travelling we came to the river +Muonio, to a Finnish hamlet called Kuttainen, not far from Karesuando. + +Now travelling became really dangerous. The frozen river was full of +treacherous cracks, and others were appearing all the time. Once in a +while we came to small open spaces, where we could see the swift water +of the stream rushing with great rapidity; this made me shudder. In some +places there were large pools of water. + +It was getting really warm. Some days my "pesh" was comfortable, at +other times it was much too warm, the thermometer reaching 48 to 50 +degrees in the shade and 86 to 88 degrees in the sun. The dripping from +the melted snow came into the river from the hills, and had succeeded in +many places in melting the ice on the banks. This travelling was no +joke. I followed Mikel, and watched him constantly, fearing that his +reindeer and sleigh would disappear under the ice. Travelling appeared +to become more and more perilous as we followed the Muonio southward. At +times I could hear the angry water under the ice striking against +boulders, and this became quite common. + +At last I shouted to Mikel, "Let us travel on the land, for surely if we +do not we shall fall through the ice and be engulfed." + +"We cannot," he shouted back, "the snow is too soft. Our reindeer could +not pull our sleighs. We can get along much better on the river, though +the ice is very bad. Trust in me, Paulus. I have made this journey over +the Muonio River many times before, but you must follow me very closely, +for sometimes I shall have to pass near rotten ice or open spots." + +"I will follow you carefully, dear Mikel. Go on! Go on!" I said. + +So I followed Mikel closely, as he had bade me, but what thumps our +sleighs would sometimes get on the now uneven ice of the river! +Fortunately they were very strongly built. + +We slept at a place called Songamuodka. In the morning it snowed, but +the flakes were big and soft and melted as they fell on the old snow. I +met no more herds of reindeer, but since I had left on my journey +southward I had seen between sixty-five and seventy thousand of them. + +Two days after I saw the church spire of Pajala, rested there, and on +the 24th of May, as I was travelling on the Torne River, I passed once +more the Arctic Circle. It was raining. I was told that it was the first +rain that had fallen for over seven months. + +Here I said good-bye to the good Mikel and thanked him cordially for the +care he had taken of me. + +I had now left the kingdom of the "Long Night," and the "Long Day" was +to rule over the land through which we have travelled together. + +Now, my dear Young Folks, Friend Paul has come back, as you bade him, +and I hope you have enjoyed our travelling together in "The Land of the +Long Night." Good-bye. Do not forget your Friend Paul, who loves you +dearly, for once he was one of the Young Folks himself. + + + + + Paul Du Chaillu's Great Work + + THE VIKING AGE + + THE EARLY HISTORY, MANNERS, & + CUSTOMS OF THE ANCESTORS OF + THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING NATIONS + + WITH 1400 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAP + 2 vols., 8vo, $7.50 + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers + + * * * * * + +New York Tribune. + +"These luxuriously printed and profusely illustrated volumes embody the +fullest account of our Norse ancestors extant. Mr. Du Chaillu has gone +very fully and very carefully over the whole of his ground. This +extensive and important work must be of high interest to all +English-speaking people." + + +Newark Advertiser. + +"Their weapons, ornaments, ships, domestic manners and customs, art and +industries, are all reconstructed with a minuteness that is remarkable, +if we consider (as we must) that all this comes to us after centuries of +neglect." + + +London Athenaeum. + +"What is really valuable in these volumes is the exhaustive digest which +they contain of the extant information respecting the manners and +character of the ancient people of Scandinavia. The work deals with the +entire field of Scandinavian archaeology. In the main, we believe the +picture he has drawn of the manner of life of the Vikings and their +countrymen to be as accurate as it is undoubtedly full of interest." + + +Edinburgh Review. + +"The subject of M. Du Chaillu's work is vast in extent and full of +perplexing difficulties. We have shown that its author has collected a +store of valuable information, a great part of which has hitherto been +inaccessible to English readers. His enthusiasm will have a very useful +effect if it leads the people of this country to study and admire the +ancient civilization and the splendid literature of our Scandinavian +kinsmen." + + +Springfield Republican. + +"Mr. Du Chaillu is every whit as agreeable and entertaining as a student +of history as he has long proved to be in the character of a traveller." + + +Chicago Inter-Ocean. + +"Mr. Du Chaillu has certainly given to the literary world a work full of +interest." + + +The Nation. + +"While in Germany and in Scandinavia itself books have been written upon +the life of the ancient inhabitants of the North, no such comprehensive, +popular work as this, with citations from the old literature and +illustrations of all sorts of objects preserved from the ancient days, +has yet appeared. It is, accordingly, an unused opportunity that the +author of the work, with characteristic energy, has recognized and +seized. The two volumes are filled to overflowing with curious and +interesting facts concerning the people of the Scandinavian North, whose +manners, social customs, and national life the more than thirteen +hundred illustrations serve to bring up almost visibly before us. The +book as a whole is a record of persistent and ingenious research, and of +extraordinary literary zeal." + + +Philadelphia Record. + +"M. Du Chaillu's book is full of valuable information respecting the +manners and character of the ancient Norse people. It is, in fact, a +perfect museum of Northern antiquities, covering the entire field of +Scandinavian archaeology. The extracts from the Sagas which are furnished +must whet the appetite of students of Norse literature." + + +Boston Transcript. + +"Mr. Du Chaillu's monumental work, 'The Viking Age,' upon which the +careful labor of over eight years has been expended, is one for which +scholars will be profoundly grateful. It brings together from +innumerable sources a vast amount of information, relative to the period +covered, never before put in systematic form. The chapters on the +mythology and cosmogony of the Norsemen, on the superstitions, slavery, +graves, finds, weapons, occupations, feasts, warfare, etc., are +intensely interesting. The text is accompanied by nearly fourteen +hundred illustrations." + + * * * * * + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers + 153-157 Fifth Avenue, New York + + + + + IVAR THE VIKING + + A ROMANTIC HISTORY, BASED + UPON AUTHENTIC FACTS OF THE + THIRD AND FOURTH CENTURIES + + 12mo, $1.50 + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers + + * * * * * + +The Nation. + +"'Ivar the Viking' is to be thoroughly recommended. The story is +characteristically spirited, and the romantic part leaves nothing to be +desired." + + +Chicago Tribune. + +"It is full of vigor, and seems to bear internal evidence of +truthfulness as regards its historic side. Ivar was a Viking whose +adventures the juvenile reader, and particularly the boy juvenile, will +follow with eager interest." + + +Philadelphia Press. + +"Of the subsequent adventures of Ivar and his foster-brothers the +interested reader must gain knowledge in the pages of the delightful +narrative itself. Suffice it to say that there is no lack of romantic +incident at any stage of the story. The prowess of the four Vikings is +always potent; they fall in love; Ivar fights a duel, and then wins the +loveliest of brides. There is throughout the volume the stimulating air +which blows through the Sagas, the nipping salt air of the sea." + + +Richard Henry Stoddard. + +"There is that in Mr. Paul Du Chaillu's 'Ivar the Viking' which not only +satisfies the lover of romantic adventure, but carries the scholar back +into the remotest period of Scandinavian history. Beyond all living +writers this traveller in and explorer of many countries has collected +the documents and discovered the secrets of the Norselands." + + +New York Times. + +"The reader who has begun with a blank mind closes the volume with a +tolerably clear impression of a very energetic, powerful, and wealthy +young Viking, capable of strong affections and disaffections, foremost +in games and fights requiring physical force, and with a vast number of +habits and customs. It is a history that interests through its +simplicity." + + +Boston Transcript. + +"For the splendor of the materials and the range and variety of the +information imparted concerning the misty dawn of our Northern +civilization, its religious ideas, its moral conceptions, and its social +conditions, 'Ivar' will have high esteem among the growing number of +students turning to the Northern folk-lore and chronicles for the true +classic period of our modern races." + + +Philadelphia Public Ledger. + +"He has rendered a double service, for not only does he instruct the +reader in a most graphic and vivid manner, but he also develops a story +of adventure and daring which will be followed with breathless +interest." + + * * * * * + + CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, Publishers + 153-157 Fifth Avenue, New York + + + + +Transcriber's Note + +Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without +note. + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Land of the Long Night, by Paul du Chaillu + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAND OF THE LONG NIGHT *** + +***** This file should be named 22727.txt or 22727.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/2/7/2/22727/ + +Produced by Peter Vachuska, Chuck Greif, Stephen Blundell +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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