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360 TRAVELS OF EHRENMALM.
But if the boat can only carry two men, one man is fufficient to carry the boat.
When a Laplander meets with a water fall, which he cannot pafs by means of his oars ;
as he does not even poflefs any idea of fails, he puts the bowl of his little boat on his
head, paffes the oars into two wickers {trongly faftened to the fides of the boat, takes his
fack. of provifions on his back, and places the boat above the bowl; then by means of
the hatchet which he fixes to the ftern, he preferves his boat in equilibruim, and guides
it to the right and left through the trees. When he has paffed on land above the level
of the fall, he replaces his boat in the water and continues to row.
However frightful to the eye, be the rapidity of one of thefe little boats defcending a
fall between the rocks; the great calmnefs of the Laplanders amid{t thefe perils, in-
duced us to attempt thefe paffages with them, and when we had overcome feveral, we
no longer wifhed to land, as we did, before we had been inured to thefe dangerous
ways.
The lands watered by the Anghermanna, are more or lefs fertile, according to their
diftance or proximity with refpect to the river. But, as it overflows it fhores every
year, at the return of {pring ; it is difficult to fay whether it is more ufeful to them by
its waters, than hurtful by the fands with which it covers them. Yet, it may be af-
firmed that this river is to the country of Afehle, what the Nile is to Egypt. Its in-
undations which cover the fields fromthe month of May, when the fun begins to melt
the fnow of the north, to the month of July, preferve the plants and corn from thofe
backward frofts, which furprife the crops in the flower, and deftroy the harveft before
it has arrived at maturity. In like manner, the Nile by its periodical inundations, fe-
cures the plains of Egypt from the ardor of the fun, which would dry up the fruits and
cultures of that rich country. But this comparifon ftill admits of as much difference
between the objects compared, as nature has made in diftance between the tropic and
polar circle. Befides, in Egypt, art with all its inventions, aflifts the fertility of a prodi-
gal land. In the northern countries, induftry is as limited, as nature is fordid.
It might perhaps be imagined that in the immenfe forefts which overfpread Lapland,
there muft be found trees proper for the making of mafts; but it would be in vain to
feek for them. Nearly the whole of thefe woods has been deftroyed by fires, which
have been falfely attributed to thunder, but which only arofe from the imprudence of
the Laplanders. When they quit an habitation, they often leave fire through inatten-
tion. Sometimes, if they want to warm themfelves, they fet fire to a tree, to avoid the
trouble of cutting it down. Latftly they fet fire toa foreft, left the Swedes fhould feek
for mines in the neighbourhood, and diftrefs the inhabitants in order to procure iron
and copper.
The lake of Wolkfio, to the north receives a great river which derives its name from
the lake Hwoima, whence it proceeds to the diftance of fix or feven miles, and after
great windings difcharges itfelfinto a more fouthern lake. It would appear that lakes
in thefe countries, are only large refervoirs which empty themfelves into one another by
natural channels, forming as many rivers. ‘Chefe lakes indicate a land, rifing in plat-
forms difpofed one above another, in amphitheatres. They refemble large terraces,
where the rain and fnow form themfelves bafons, the waters of which flow out by
water-falls, rivulets, or ponds; according as the declivity of the land is fometimes fud-
den, fometimes gentle, or interrupted and broken off. The foil of the lake of
Wolkfio is ftony and fandy. ‘Towards the upper extremity of this lake, the fir woods
become rare, and thofe of the pine more numerous; fo that near the lake Malkomai
{carcely any firs are feen, ‘This was the laft lake on which we navigated; yet we did
5 not
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