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308 OUTHIZR’s JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
family celebrating the nuptials of his fon. Monday, the nineteenth, the fame mild wea-
ther continued, with a-violeut wind. Thurfday, the twenty-fecond, the interment of a
young girl, who died the fourth of the month, took place: ihe was expofed for fifteen
days at her mother’s, with her face uncovered ; all the inhabitants of the town and neigh-
bourhoed attended the funeral ; from all quarters people were flocking in fledges, the
ice having become firm again, and travelling fafe; there was only half a foot of fnow.
1 went with M. Camus over the ice to Matila on Friday, the twenty-third, to vifit M.
Piping, our firft holt; it was fearcely two o’clock when we faw the fun fet.
‘The fhips which were expected from Stockholm had arrived pretty near the fhore on
Saturday, the feventeenth of the month; but the ice had prevented their reaching it,
and was not {trong enough to bear on fledges the merchandize they brought ; many of
the men had got to the town over the ice; my hoft was one of the number, and had
arrived on Saturday laft. This day, the twenty-fourth, the ice was fufficiently firm, and
fome of the goods were brought on fhore: they confifted of grain, rye, rice, cabbages,
falt, apples, and fome oranges; till four days more they did not truft their heavier com-
modities to the ice, lefs capable of bearing, and more dangerous on the gulph than what
it was in the river.
Although the different obfervations made at Torneo and at Pello all agreed to two
or three feconds, and though there was no ground for fufpecting any injury to have
happened to the inftrument, in its paflage from Pello to Torneo, particularly as it was
tran{ported in a boat; M. de Maupertuis, always as {crupulous as he had been upon
the mountains with refpeét to the obfervations on the angles, thought of nothing but of
contriving means for verifying the obfervations made with the fextant. We talked of
taking it back to Pello; but it was refolved, inftead of this, which was a difficult expe-
dient, and would have taken a long time to tranfport it to Mattila, a quarter of a league
from Torneo, and obferve whether, after bringing it back and replacing it in the ob-
fervatory, {ubfequent obfervations made upon the fame {tar would have the fame refults,
fo proving no alteration in the inftrument. 7
Tuefday, the twenty-feventh, we got every thing ready in order to obferve as foon
as the weather would allow us. We began as well to prepare whatever might be ne-
ceflary to us for the meafure of our bale ; while M. Brunius got made at Ofwer Torneo
eight large rods, very ftraight, each five toifes long, with a good number of fupports,
according to the idea which we had given him, and which we had entreated him to at-
tend to.
We lived very comfortably at Torneo. M. Duriez, lieutenant-colonel, the reétor
named Proubft, that is to fay, prieft, anfwering to deans in our diocefes, our ancient
hoft M. Piping, M. Viguelius, the brother of M. Brunius, made up our general fociety ;
they were pleafant and fenfible men: as for the reft, our unanimity and gaicty were
fufhicient for making our mode of life agreeable. The inhabitants of the country had
conceived a friendfhip for us. M. Helant, our interpreter for the Finnith language, in-
formed us at dinner on Wednefday, the twenty-eighth, that feveral countrymen wifhed
to go to France with us, where they faid they would teach our fifhermen how to take
felmon.
Thurfday, the twenty-ninth, the weather became very mild, the thermometers ftood
at the freezing point : the wind was fouth, pretty ftrong, and drove the water of the
river over the edges of the ice. Saturday, the firlt of December, was fine, and an ob-
fervation was made with the fextant.
Sunday, the fecond, two Laplanders from Corpikyla came to Torneo, each drawn by
a rein-deer. We had never feen thefe fledges in motion before: the conf{truction of
a them
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