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278 OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
Our foldiers went to the fide of the mountain to cut fome firs, and carried them to
the top, which is naked and craggy: moft of the rocks compofing it are foliated with
large leaves and fimall, all laying like beau-traps, and fupporting one another, fo that it
is difficult to walk on them. On the moft elevated part of thefe rocks we planted one
of our firs, which we fupported at foot by means of the other trees. Although we had
no need of warmth, we kindled a large fire to drive away the gnats, and to be enabled
to fleep a little, laying on the rocks. | obferved with the plane-table the angles made
by the Finnifh mountains. We luckily found abundance of excellent water, in a fort
of natural cifterns made by the rocks, and after eating of our provifions, we defcended
from the mountain at noon.
By different, but equally difficult roads, we proceeded to Mount Nieva. After paffing
a lake in a little boat, which came clofe to the fide, M. Sommereux, a fervant, and four
foldiers, went for the two boats which we had left at Karungi; and the fifth foldier con-
duéted M. Helant and me ftraight to Nieva, by tolerable roads.
We arrived at feven in the evening at the top of Nieva, where we found the tents
erected, as well asa fignal imagined by M. Maupertuis, of a moft advantageous defcrip-
tion. Inftead of a fingle tree to ferve as a fignal, as I had done at Kukama, M. de
Maupertuis conftruéted a pyramid of trees, {tripped of their branches, and placed one
again{t the other. Thefe trees, faftened together at the top, and {preading towards the
bottom, made at the fame time a fignal, the point of which could be diftinguifhed with
nicety, and an obfervatory, in the middle of which was placed the inftrument for ob-
ferving the angles, without any reduétion at the centre. This plan was afterwards adopted
for all the fignals which we conftructed, even for that of Kukama, which was rebuilt.
Shortly after, M. Helant and myfelf had arrived at the top of Nieva, M. Maupertuis,
with M. Camus, two fervants, and twelve foldiers, having M. Piping as interpreter with
them, departed to plant, fignals on fuch mountains towards the north as he fhould find
fufficiently high, and in fituations fuitable to forming good triangles.
Sunday, the eighth, we had a great deal of company; the Fin inhabitants of the
neighbourhood came in flocks to fee us. Our party, on reaching the mountain, found
two Lapland women feeding their rein-deer; their hut was at the foot of the mountain,
towards the north-eaft.
We fuffered greatly from the gnats on Nieva, and multitudes of other different flies.
To preferve us trom them, we covered our faces with a kind of gauze: if this veil hap-
pened to touch the face, or to have any vacancy, in an inftant the gnats covered us with
blood. While eating, when it was neceflary to uncover our faces, we kept in as thick
a fmoke as we were able, which we found to be the beft remedy againft the gnats and
flies. At night efpecial care was taken to drive them out of the tents, which were after-
wards clofed as exattly as poflible. ‘Their humming was heard continually about the
tent ; but as they could not get in, it ferved but to lull us to fleep. That in which I
was upon Nieva being exactly fhut, 1 could fcarcely fupport the heat it occafioned. On
Monday, the ninth, I caufed the foldiers to bring firs, which they hewed on the fide of
the mountain: I inclined them againft a rock, which was perpendicular, and about nine
or ten feet high, at the bottom of which was a large rock, very even and horizontal,
which ferved me for floor and bed, in the chamber which I made with thefe trees. Our
party having very hard beds in the tents, as well as myfelf, we made ourfelves mattraffes
with the little twigs of birch, which we covered with a rein-deer’s {kin ; this was the
extent of the fchemes for our accommodation. I had air fufficient in my new apart-
ment; but the flies and gnats were to be guarded again{t: my boots, which I never
pulled off, ferved to defend my legs, and fitting my veil over my face, I managed to
fleep pretty tranquilly.
5 Tuefday,
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