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238 JOURNEY OF MAUPERTUIS.
bark is faftened by cylinders of fir, fixed to the ridge, declining on both fides
the roof. Thefe woods feemed only the ruins of forefts, of which the greater
part of the trees had perifhed; it was one of this defcription, and the moft
hideous of them that we had to pafs through on foot, followed by twelve foldiers who
carried our baggage. We came at length to the border of a lake of great fize, and of
the fineft water in the world, we found two boats on it, into which having put our in-
{truments and luggage, we waited their return at the fide. A heavy gale, and the bad
ftate of the boats made their voyage tedious; they came back at length, we went on
board, traverfed the lake, and got to the foot of Niemi at three o’clock in the afternoon.
This mountain, which the furrounding lakes, and the difficulties we had to furmount
in reaching it, made appear like the enchanted grounds of fairy tales, would be delight.
ful in any other part but Lapland: on one fide a clear wood, the walks of which were
as even as the alleys of a garden, in it the trees formed no impediment to our way, nor
prevented the view of a charming lake that wafhed the foot of the mountain ; on the
other fide were parlours and clofets feemingly cut out of the rock, and to which nothing
but the roof was wanting : thefe rocks were fo perpendicular, fo lofty, and fo even,
that they looked more like walls begun for fome palace, than a work of nature. Fre-
quently while there we faw thofe vapours rife out of the lake, which the inhabitants of
the country call Haltios, and which they conceive to be the {pirits to whom the guar-
dianfhip of the mountains is committed: this particular mountain was formidable by its
being the refidence of bears; however we faw none, and it had more the appearance of
the habitation of genii and fairies than the dwelling for bears.
The day following that of our arrival a fog prevented our obfervations ; on the tenth
they were interrupted by thunder and rain; the eleventh we completed them, and
leaving Niemi, after repafling three lakes, we arrived at Turtula, at nine o’clock in the
evening ; whence on the twelfth we again fet out for the houfe of the rector of Ofwer
Torneo, which we reached at three o’clock in the afternoon, and where we met with our
companions, leaving M. Le Monnier, and M. L’ Abbé Cuthier: on the thirteenth, I pro-
ceeded with Mefirs. Clairaut, Camus, and Celfius, for Horrilakero with four boats. We
entered the Tenglio, which has its cataracts, but is more inconvenient from its fhallow-
nefs, and the great number of ftones in it, than from the rapidity of its waters. I was
furprifed to find on its banks, fo near to the frozen zone, rofes of as lively crimfon as
thofe which grow with us. At nine o’clock in the evening we arrived at Horrilakero.
We did not complete our obfervations here until the feventeenth, and leaving it the
next day, we got to Ofwer Torneo by night, meeting with all our company.
The moft fuitable fpot for eftablifhing the bafe had been fixed upon: and Meffrs.
Clairaut and Camus, after having vifited the banks of the river, had determined its di-
rection, and fixed the length of it by fignals which they had caufed to be ereéted at its
two extremities.
Having afcended Avafaxa in the evening to obferve the angles which were to unite
this bafe to our triangles, we faw Horrilakero all on fire. This is an accident frequent
in thefe forefts, where there is no fubfifting during fummer except in the mid{t of fmoke,
and where the mofs and the firs are fo combutftible, that oftentimes the fire that is
lighted occafions the conflagration of thoufands of acres. ‘The fmoke of thefe fires has
frequently hindered usin our work as much as the thicknefs of the air. Seeing that’
was highly probable that the fire of Horrilakero arofe from the embers of that we b4
kindled, and which had been badly extinguifhed, we fent thirty men to cut awavtS
communication with the neighbouring woods. Our obfervations on Avafaxa were0t
completed before the twenty-firft, Horrilakero {till continued burning ; we faw- i
2 vere
“
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