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‘
34 JOURNEY OF MAUPERTUIS.
commodious countries. ‘There were but two modes of getting forward in thefe deferts,
to both of which we were obliged to have recourfe; the one by navigating a river full
of cataracts, the other by proceeding on foot through thick forefts, or deep marthes ;
and allowing we fhould get through the country after the moft tedious marches, we
had to fcale rugged mountains, clear the fummits of thefe mountains of the trees which
there impeded the fights, live in thefe deferts upon the coarfeft food, and ex-
pofed to flies fo tormenting, that they oblige the Laplanders and their rein-deer to
abandon the country during this feafon, to feek, on the fhores of the fea, a more tolerable
refidence.
To fum up all, the work was to be undertaken without knowing, or being able to
learn, whether it was practicable; without knowing whether after fo much pains, the
want of one mountain might not abfolutely ftop the courfe of our triangles ; and without
knowing whether we fhould be able to find upon the river a bafe that could be united
with our triangles. Should all thefe fucceed, we had afterwards to conitrué obferva-
tories on the moft northern of our mountains ; a train of inftruments more complete
than are to be found in many of the obfervatories of Europe were to be tranfported
there ; and aftronomical obfervations to be made the moft minutely exact.
If on one hand thefe different obftacles were fufficient to alarm us; on the other
the work had many attractions. Befides the difficulties we had to overcome, we had
to meafure a degree in all probability as far towards the north as is permitted man to
meafure, the degree which cuts the polar circle, and of which one part is in the frozen
zone. After all, giving up the hope of being able to make ufe of the iflands of the
gulph, this was our laft refource ; for we could not fatisfy ourfelves by defcending to
the more fouthern provinces of Sweden.
We left Torneo on Friday fixth July, with a company of Finnifh foldiers, and a
great number of boats laden with inftruments, and the moft indifpenfible neceflaries of
life; and began to afcend the great river, which proceeding, from the extremity of Lap-
land, empties itfelf into the Bothnick Sea, after dividing into two branches, which
form the little ifland Swintztar, on which the town is built in latitude 65° 51’. From
that day we lived in the deferts and on the tops of mountains, which we were de-
firous of uniting by triangles. After having afcended the river from nine o’clock in
the morning until nine at night, we arrived at Korpikyla, a hamlet on its banks, inha-
bited by Fins ; we landed there, and after marching a long time acrofs the foreft, we
arrived at the foot of Nirva, a fharp mountain, whofe fummit is compofed of rock
alone, which we afcended, and upon which we eftablifhed ourfelves. On the river we
had been grievoufly incommoded by large flies with green heads, which ‘drew blood
wherever they ftung; on Nirva we were plagued with feveral other kinds ftill more
tormenting.
Two young Lapland girls were keeping a little herd of rein-deer upon the fummit
of this mountain, and from them we learned an antidote againft the flies of the
country : thefe poor wenches were fo much hid by the fmoke of a great fire which they
had kindled, that we could fearcely feethem; and very foon we were furrounded by a
{moak as thick as theirs.
While our party was encamped on Nirva, J left it at eight in the morning with
Mr. Camus, to reconnoitre the mountains towards the north; we afcended the river
again as far as to the foot of Avafaxa, a high mountain, whofe fummit we {tripped of
its trees, and erected a fignal upon it. Our fignals were hollow cones made by a
number of great trees, which being deprived of their bark, were fo white as to be
eafily diflinguifhed at the diftance of ten or twelve leagues; their centre in cafe of
accident
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