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120 TRAVELS
effort to mount up the cataract of the river, though it feemed to
mock our defign, and to be the we f/us ultra of our navigation.
To facilitate our afcent, I placed the Laplanders in different fitu-
ations with ropes in their hands, faftened to the boat, and one
tied round my wart, in order to aid my efcape in cafe the boat
fhould founder or be overfet. In fa¢t, it was on the point of
being funk, and had not the Laplander who held the rope faft-
ened to the poop drawn it back in good time, we muft have
gone to the bottom. The dangers and hazards incurred on thefe
cataracts were not the effe@ either of a fpirit of adventure or of
neceffity, but, paradoxical as it may feem, of lazinefs. We found
ourfelves feated tolerably at our eafe in the boats; but if the far-
ther navigation of the river fhould, after ovr utmoft efforts, prove
impracticable, then fhould we again be doomed to traverfe a
dreary chain of mountains, at the expence of an irkfome and fa-
tiguing journey on foot, and at the hazard of lofing ourfelves in
the deferts. The farther we mounted up into the country by the
river, the fhorter would be our route by land. Should we be able
to overcome this cataract, the river was likely to be fmooth and
even for a confiderable courfe. when we might make ufe of our
oars. Thefe circumftances invited us to make the attempt: it
was made, but proved fruitlets.
We therefore took again to the mountains, making new tra-
verfes in order to avoid the lakes and rivers. It was not long be-
fore we found ourfelves in another climate: the thermometer fell
to four degrees of Celfius. Some clouds pafiing over our heads
covered
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