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THROUGH FINLAND. 251
hooks, and we did not leave them till we had caught fome fifh
ourfelves. Afterwards, wifhing to try whether we could run on
the ice with their pattens, we afforded no {mall diverfion to thofe
good people by our awkward manner of ufing them, as well as
by feveral falls, which were more amufing to the fpectators than
agreeable to the performers. .
You meet often in thofe parts with what may be termed dif-
ruptions of the ice, which form a ftrange picturefque appearance,
fometimes refembling the ruins of an ancient caftle. The caufe
of thefe difruptions is the rocks, which happen to be at the depth
of fome feet under the furface of the water. During the preva-
lence of the intenfe cold, the water freezes frequently three feet
or more in thicknefs; the elevation of the fea is confequently di-
minifhed, and finks in proportion to the diameter of the ice that
is formed: then thofe fhelves and rocks overtop the furface, and
break the cohefion of the ice, while accident depofits the detached
maffes and fragments in a thoufand irregular forms. It 1s ex-
tremely dangerous to traverfe the ice in thofe parts during night,
~unlefs you have the compafs conftantly in your hand, and even
with it you are not always fafe. The traveller is frequently in-
terrupted by thofe obftacles; he often lofes fight of the coaft,
while the whitenefs of the fnow dazzles his eyes, and makes it
extremely difficult to difcern’ the traces of the fledges which have
pafled that way before: thus he is in no fmall danger of lofing
the road, and of going on in a different dire€tion, which may lead
Kk 2 Pi Anahi
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