cumbrance to us, but the period was approaching when we should find its use. In the progress of our navigation as far as Kollare, we encountered many cataracts, but we became so accustomed to them, that what at first was a cause of terror, became at length an object of amusement. Once it happened that we got aground upon a rock in the middle of the river. Our Finlanders pushed the boat on a large round stone, so that it hung on its surface, while we remained suspended by our own equilibrium. Instead of trembling at this singular situation, in which we could not continue a moment without imminent danger of falling into the water, it excited in us an immoderate fit of laughter; a circumstance which seemed greatly to surprize and divert our boatmen.

The village of Kollare is inhabited by Finlandish peasants, who seem to be very much at their case. The first favour the women conferred upon us was to fill our room so full of smoke, that it brought tears in our eyes. Their intention was good, they wished to deliver us from the molestation of the gnats; and as a mean of very effectual prevention, they made a second fire near the entrance of the apartment to stop the fresh myriads of those insects which were ready to rush in upon us from without. A thick smoke is an object of great luxury in this part of the world. Those insects, which are the scourge of that country, became indeed very troublesome to us; and our gauze veils and gloves could give us no protection against their singing in our ears, and interrupting our sleep. Here our own resolution, as that of our servants formerly, for the first time, began to be shaken."

Our travellers proceeded with great difficulty and descended a rapid in the river Muonio, where the current carried them a mile in the space of three or four minutes. In this distant part of Lapland he came to a small colony of Finlanders, whose priest was a great politician. On the first of July they left this place, and found the atmosphere heated to a degree nearly suffocating. In the evening, at Lappajervi, says our author, our boatmen were glad to take some rest after their wearisome voyage. When we arrived on the borders of the lake, we fell in with two Lapland fishermen, who had return