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288 OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
tula, to be of ufe to us on our return from Niemi, where Meffrs. de Maupertuis,
Celfius, and myfelf, went to make obfervations with the quadrant of two feet.
Niemi is the mountain on which the Swedifh officer erected a fignal; he went there
with us to ferve as an interpreter, underftanding the Finnifh, as well as the Swedifh
language.
Wednefday, at feven o’clock in the morning we left Turtula, and we went to fome
diftance to embark in three of thofe little boats which the inhabitants have in almoft
every part, for fetching fodder from the marfhes: ours we left on the banks of the
great river; they would have been too large to be any ways of ufe on the little river
Pamas, on which we had great trouble in pafling even the fmall boats which carried us
between the rocks; and from which we were frequently obliged to get out in order to
itep from ftone to ftone.. At length we entered Lake Pamas, which I had croffed
before with M. Helant. The water of it was not clear ; it was entirely filled with
fmall, round, yellowifh grains refembling millet; and which M. de Maupertuis took
to be the chryfalides of gnats, or of thofe little flies with which the air fwarmed, Our
failors toll us this was always the cafe during the autumn, and that at other feafons
from the time of the melting of the ice, the water of the lake was perfectly clear.
We leit the lake by the river Sika, which we went up in our boats, and afterwards
left.
After about an hour’s walking through the woods, we came to the little lake Kaffuri,
on which there was but a very [mall boat and a raft : we loaded them with our baggage
and quadrant, and went on foot round its fide, through the wood which was fo thick,
that we were obliged to cut our way. ‘There was befides a very high mofs, which
covered many trunks of trees blown down by the wind, in fuch fort that we never
knew where we placed our feet, and frequently thinking to be walking on higher ground
we ftepped into a hollow 3 we walked on this in manner for two hours, and arrived at
Jength at the fide of a great lake on which were two boats: we loaded them with our
baggage and inftrument to be tranfported to the foot of Mount Niemi, which is wafhed by
the other extremity of the lake, nearly a league long. Our failors brought the boat back
to take us over, and not having any fail they fubitituted branches of fir. At length
before four o’clock we had attained the fummit of Niemi.
‘The lake which we paffed is called Ajangi; it is at the N. of our mountain, and com-
municates with other lakes at the S. of the fame. We faw on this lake towards the
South fome vapours rife, which fome of the inhabitants take to be {pirits, and call them
baltios, ‘The foldiers who ferved us both as workmen and failors were not fo credu-
lous. ‘
M. de Maupertuis was delighted with Mount Niemi: I ought not to fay any thing
after the defcription he has given of it, in his work on the Figure of the Earth. Itis
true the objects feen there form a contraft, a variety, which prefent a fpectacle equally
agreeable and fingular. It might be thought nothing but bears and wild beafts fhould
be met with in a place fo diltant as four or “five leagues, from any habitation, and loft as
it were, amid woods and lakes; neverthelefs we faw there nothing but the haltios
which I have before mentioned.
The remainder of the day the horizon was much loaded with vapour. On Thurfday
the ninth, thunder and rain interrupted our obfervations during the whole day. Friday
the tenth, foggy allthe morning, and the remainder of the day rain, which prevented
our work.
‘Vhe weather was fine when we left Turtula. We reckoned upon its continuance, and.
that at the lateft our obfervations would be finifhed by Friday. Neither ourfelves nor
our
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