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The sides of the village-well are partially coated with ice, even in
summer. A few hirches thrive here, hut no pines are to he seen.
(L. v. Buch, vol. ii.; Ch. Martins, ‘Du Spitzberg au Sahara’, vol. i.)
From Kautokeino to Karesuando (100 Kil. or 62 Engl. M.),
a journey of two days. The traveller may ascend the Alten-Elv by
boat, or ride along its bank, to (14 Kil.) Mortas. Thence to —
Syvajärviin Finland (Russia), 55 Kil. more. The frontier, which
we cross 11 Kil. before reaching this place, was declared by the
Danish-Swedish treaty of 1751 to be formed by the watershed
between the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Bothnia. A ride of 28 Kil.
more, traversing the watershed (about 1850 ft.) and presenting
little interest, brings us to —
Karesuando (Din; 1060ft.), the first village in Sweden. The
church was formerly at Enontekis, hut when that place was
annexed to Finland in 1826 it was transferred to Karesuando. The
Muonio-Elf is here nearly 400 ft. wide. Barley is cultivated at
Karesuando with tolerable success. Petrus Lästadius, the author of the
Lapland ‘Journal’ (Stockholm, 1831), was once the clergyman here.
From Karesuando to Nedre Muoniovara, 100 Kil. (about
62 Engl. M.J a journey which may he accomplished in one day
by boat on the Muonio-Elf, which forms the boundary between
Sweden and Finland. The trip is an interesting one, the passage
of the cataracts here being unattended with danger. It is usual
to hire a boat and rowers as far as Muonioniska (‘beginning of
the Muonio’) on the Finland side, or to Muoniovara (good
quarter’s at Rostrums’) on the Swedish side; but a fresh boat may be
engaged at each of the following stations: (20 Kil.) Kuttainen,
(20 Kil.) Palajokko, (30 Kil.) Ketkisuando, (20 Kil.) Öfvre
Muonioniska, and (10 Kil.) Muoniovara (760 ft.) About 12 Kil. below
Ketkisuando are seen the first pines (Abies excelsa). An
interesting description of the salmon-spearing in the Muonio by
torchlight is given hy L. v. Buch in his second volume. Muoniovara is
picturesquely situated, and boasts of a few corn-fields.
From Muoniovara to Håparånda (365 Kil. or 226 Engl. M.)
the journey is also performed by boat, first on the Muonio, and
then on the Torneå- Elf. The rushing of the Muoniokoski, a
tremendous cataract, upwards of 1 Engl. M. long, is already audible
here, though nearly 1 Engl. M. distant. The descent is a most
exciting trip, unsuited for nervous persons. The foaming river
careers wildly through a rocky gully and over sunken rocks, lashing
the sides of the boat and half filling it with water. At one point
there are two falls, each about 6 ft. in height, and near each
other, between which the stream has to be crossed in order to
reach another narrow channel where the descent is less sudden.
‘You cannot perform this passage by simply following the stream,
hut the boat must go with an accelerated quickness, which should he at
least double to that of the current. Two boatmen, the most active and
robust that can be found, must use I heir utmost exertions in rowing the
I’.akokkkk’s Norway and Sweden. 1th Kdit. 18
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