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THROUGH LAPLAND. 9
over the land through a thick wood in a boat. We were not in-
human enough, however, to take advantage of Simon’s magnani-
mity, and to place ourfelves in the boat, for its continual friction
againft the mofs and trees rendered it fo weighty, that it required
the whole force of our four boatmen to draw a fingle boat at once
without any thing in it. At length we got to the end of two
miles, and we were very glad to repofe while our men returned
for our baggage and the other boat. In the courfe of this journey,
being invited by an uncommon noife of the river, we drew near
to have a view of the famous cataract of Muonio-kofki; and
though we judged it impoffible to defcend with fuch a current,
we were, neverthelefs, bold enough to attempt and accomplifh it
on our return. As this cataract is the moft dangerous that we
paffed in the whole courfe of our river navigation, I fhall pases
vour to give the reader a defcription, as near as I can, of the man-
ner in which the paflage is performed.
Let him imagine a place where the river is fo hemmed in by
narrow banks, and fo compreffed with rugged and fhelving rocks,
that the current is doubled in its rapidity; let him moreover re-
prefent to his mind the formidable inequalities in the bed of the
river, occafioned by thofe rocks, which can only be paffed by a fort
of leap, and confequently make the water extremely turbulent ;
let him conceive that, for the fpace of an Englifh mile, this river
continues in the fame ftate: and let him, after all this, confider
the hazard to which a boat muft be expofed that ventures itfelf
on fuch a furface, where both the nature of the channel, and the
WoL. IP Cc
amazing
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