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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 203
the wind being wefterly, we fet fail. The wind continued very good the whole day, at
night it became Jefs violent; and next day, Wednefday, we were becalmed. On
Vhurfday the weather was equally unfavourable, and we remained motionlefs like
towers. We heaved the lead-feveral times to make foundings, but not being able to
find any, we continued our courfe in continual apprehenfions of running aground fome-
where. On Friday the mift having difperfed, we made a little way by means of an eaft
and north-eaft wind, and we pafled the little iflands of Querken ; but the wind being
contrary next day, we were obliged to turn back, and to reft ourfelves in a port called
Ratan. We {pent part of this day in a neighbouring ifland at the chace; and in the,
evening we went to church at about half a league’s diftance. he prieft gave us a
fupper ; but fearing that we had frefh young men returning from Lapmark, who would
be anxious to make fome attack upon-his honour, he anxioufly endeavoured, left we
fhould have {pent the night with him, to convince us that the wind was fair, although
it was completely contrary. We returned to our boat to pafs the night, after having
purchafed a hare at his houfe; and on Sunday morning the major of the regiment of
this province fent two foldiers to the boat to inquire after us: we waited on him, and
found all his officers prefent, befides a good dinner prepared for us. We were obliged
to drink in the Swedifh manner, that is to fay, to empty the bowls at one draught ; and
when we came to the health of the King, they brought upon a difh three glafles full of
liquor, which were completely emptied. I confefs that 1 had never before experienced
this triplicity of glafles full, and that I was as much aftonifhed at obferving that it did
not fuffice to drink the toaft out of one. It is alfo a part of the ceremony here to turn
the glafs upfide down on the difh, to fhew that the liquor has been faithfully drank.
We returned to our veflel; and next day, at fix o’clock of the morning, we went to fee
how the wind blew : it was eafterly ; and fuch was the ignorance of our captain and
our pilot, that they believed we could not go out of the port with this wind. Laflerted
the contrary, and I induced them to venture on departing from the harbour: we did
fo without any accident ; and at mid-day the wind became fo {trong at north-eaft, that
after continuing fo the whole night, and on Thurfday till mid-day, we made during
twenty-four hours more than a hundred leagues; but the wind having fallen all at
once, we remained at a diftance of eight leagues from Agbon, a place where it was ne-
ceflary for us to land, in order to travel by land to Coperberyt. We were unable to
do fo till next day; and having fortunately found on the fhore fome little boats
which were returning from the fair of Hernefautes, we flept at Withfeval, a little town
on the border of the Gulf of Bothnia, and the next day we took poft-horfes, and made
avery difagreeable journey, partly on account of the roughnefs of the roads, and partly
on account of our being {o little accuftomed of late to travel poft, for which reafon we
felt more acutely the fatigues of it. We loft our way during the night in the woods ;
and if it be at any time vexatious to wander in darknefs, it is much more fo in Sweden,
in a country full of eternal precipices and forefts, where we were totally ignorant of
every word of the language, and where it was impoflible to find one to inform us of the
road when we required it. Neverthelefs, after advancing a confiderable way on our
road, during a dreadful rain, with the afliftance of a little candle, a thoufand times more
agreeable in this dark night than the moft beautiful fun in one of the fineft days in fum-
mer, we arrived at the poft-houfe; and next Friday, being much fatigued with our
preceding day’s journey, we only travelied three leagues, dnd flept at Alta. We fet out
at fix o’clock in the morning, that we might be able tomake four Swedith miles, which
are equal to twelve French leagues ; and after having travelled till two o’clock of the
afternoon, we arrived at a wretched hut, which we could not believe was the place
where we were to change horfes, which however was the cafe; but finding no perfon
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