Part 6 (2/2)

The reindeer are not slaughtered in the same manner as cattle usually are either at Stockholm or in Smoland. The animal being secured with a halter, the Laplander takes his spear and sticks it into the thorax behind the shoulder, so as to pierce the heart. By this means the blood collects in the cavity of the thorax, none of it appearing externally.

After the skin is flayed off, the blood is found coagulated in the thorax, from whence it is extracted, and bruised into a soft ma.s.s. With this the poorer sort of people make a kind of soup, by boiling along with it the brains of the animal, which the rich do not eat. The t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es are never eaten by any sort of people. The _p.e.n.i.s_ serves to make a thong to draw the sledges.

Such of the Laplanders as inhabit the forests go to the alps at midsummer and return about St. Laurence's day (August 10th); and the mountain Laplanders descend into the lower country between the first of November and Christmas, and go back again about Lady-day.

All kinds of clothing made of skins are sewed with sinews of animals, as before described; but those of walmal cloth, with hempen thread purchased from the neighbouring countries.

_July 28._

To-day I found the _Pseudo-h.e.l.leborine_; (possibly _Cypripedium Calceolus_, not before mentioned in this journal.)

All the little rills and rivulets hereabouts produced a _Potamogeton_, which I was doubtful whether to distinguish from the common kind, as it varies excessively in appearance, but the leaves are more gra.s.sy. (_P.

gramineum_, as appears from the _Flora Lapponica_, yet nothing can be less like the ”common kind,” if by the latter be meant the _natans_, which, with the _perfoliatum_ and _gramineum_, compose the catalogue of species in _Fl. Lapp._)

Hereabouts grew the _Juncus_ with three seeds (_capsules_) at the top of the stem, which also I observed to be sometimes reflexed. (_J.

triglumis_; see _Fl. Lapp._ ed. 2. 90.)

Several days ago the forests had been set on fire by lightning, and the flames raged at this time with great violence, owing to the drought of the season. In many different places, perhaps in nine or ten that came under my notice, the devastation extended several miles' distance. I traversed a s.p.a.ce three quarters of a mile in extent which was entirely burnt, so that Flora, instead of appearing in her gay and verdant attire, was in deep sable, a spectacle more abhorrent to my feelings than to see her clad in the white livery of winter, for this, though it destroys the herbage, leaves the roots in safety, which the fire does not. The fire was nearly extinguished in most of the spots we visited, except in ant-hills, and dry trunks of trees. After we had travelled about half a quarter of a mile across one of these scenes of desolation, the wind began to blow with rather more force than it had done, upon which a sudden noise arose in the half-burnt forest, such as I can only compare to what may be imagined among a large army attacked by an enemy.

We knew not whither to turn our steps. The smoke would not suffer us to remain where we were, nor durst we turn back. It seemed best to hasten forward, in hopes of speedily reaching the outskirts of the wood; but in this we were disappointed. We ran as fast as we could, in order to avoid being crushed by the falling trees, some of which threatened us every minute. Sometimes the fall of a huge trunk was so sudden, that we stood aghast, not knowing whither to turn to escape destruction, and throwing ourselves entirely on the protection of Providence. In one instance a large tree fell exactly between me and my guide, who walked not more than a fathom from me, but, thanks to G.o.d! we both escaped in safety. We were not a little rejoiced when this perilous adventure terminated, for we had felt all the while like a couple of outlaws, in momentary fear of surprise.

I have long ago related my sufferings from gnats in the course of my Lapland expedition. In this place I was still more incommoded by some very small flies, about a line in length and very narrow. Their breast was of a blueish grey. Front of the head whitish, with black eyes.

Wings pellucid. Body greyish, oblong and narrow. A white scale was placed on each side at the insertion of the wings. The legs were black, with a white joint in the middle of each, the base being speckled. The hind part of the shoulders was whitish. _Antennae_ simple, minute, parallel, and pointing right forward. The wings lay one over the other so as to resemble a single one, notched at the extremity, when the insect was at rest. Each of us was beset by a whole legion of these flies towards sun-set. What rendered them peculiarly troublesome was their manner of running over the face, and flying into the nose, mouth and eyes. When they were approaching in order to inflict their bite, they were not to be driven away by our blowing ever so hard. The Laplanders call these insects _Mockere_, alluding to the smallness of their head; the Swedes _Knott_. (_Culex reptans._ Linnaeus mentions in the _Fauna Suecica_ the extremely tiresome noise made by these gnats in their approach.) They covered our linen so as to render it quite black.

It was to no purpose to attempt to drive them away. (See _v._ 1. 208.)

I visited the Laxholms, islands so called from the salmon fishery. Here the Common Salmon (_Salmo Salar_, named _Lax_ by the Swedes,) is found with the under jaw occasionally hooked, which variety is termed _Kroklax_, or Hooked Salmon. I inquired whether this hooked kind was esteemed a distinct species, or whether a difference arising from age; to both which questions I was answered in the negative. I was shown fish of the smallest size, which had in proportion as large a hook to the lower jaw as the largest. Bonge has therefore fallen into an error in his dissertation upon salmon. (_Daniel Bonge_, _Dissertatio de Salmonum natura_, _corumque apud Ostrobothnienses piscatione_, _Upsal._ 1730.

4to. under the presidency of Professor Roberg, with wooden cuts.) I inquired whether the hooked salmon were furnished with roe or with milt.

I was answered that they had always milt. On opening seven of them I found this verified, whereas four salmon which were not hooked had all of them roes. The hooked (or male) salmon is so called, because the point of its lower jaw is bent inward, and has a taper form, resembling a finger; while on the contrary the upper is furnished with a cavity to receive that point, embracing it like a sheath, for about half its length. The female fish has a more obtuse lower jaw, but not less inflexed, there being only a very slight furrow in the upper one; so that the two s.e.xes may be distinguished from each other by these marks from the earliest age.

Those who fish for salmon come to this place about a fortnight before midsummer, and remain till St. Bartholomew's day, August 24th, as during that s.p.a.ce of time the salmon keep ascending the river. After the day last mentioned none of the fishermen remain. Few of the fish escape being taken, so as to return down the river. At Michaelmas the fishermen come here again, when they catch a smaller sort of salmon.

This day I observed the harvest beginning. The corn now cutting, though sown but a few days before midsummer, was nevertheless quite ripe. The lent rye was not yet ripe enough to be cut, but the winter rye ripens some time before the other corn. Thus it appears that corn (barley) springs up and ripens at this place in the s.p.a.ce of sixty days.

In my walks I gathered the berries of the Strawberry-leaved Bramble (_Rubus arcticus_), which proved delicious. They have somewhat of the flavour of Blackberries (_Rubus fruticosus_), but are more agreeable.

This fruit does not separate from its calyx like other specie of its genus. It is a compound berry, in size and structure somewhat between what the Smolanders call _Kodden_ (_Rubus saxatilis_), and Raspberries (_R. idaeus_). Its colour is a brownish crimson.

The (_Pedicularis_) _Sceptrum Carolinum_ is perennial, with scales, not a fibrous tuft or beard, at the root[7]. The stem is round, not quadrangular. Calyx five-cleft[8]. Lower lip regular, divided into three equal segments.

_Pedicularis_ with a purple head (_Bartsia alpina._ _Linn. Sp. Pl._ 839.

_Engl. Bot. t._ 361. _Euphrasia._ _Fl. Lapp. n._ 246.) shows an affinity to the _Crista Galli_ (_Rhinanthus_) in its calyx, which is divided into four equal acute segments. The fruit is ovate and acute, compressed at the point. Lower lip straight. All the other _Pediculares_, except _Sceptrum Carolinum_, have an oblique fruit.

Here and there grew specimens of Heath (_Erica vulgaris_) with tufted branches, looking like a pruned spruce fir, and very beautiful.

The water of the river now began to decrease, in consequence of which it became clearer, and it was more difficult to catch any fish.

Scarcely any species of _Carex_ was to be found this season but what had some degree of s.m.u.t or _ustilago_ about its spikes, consisting of little globular black bodies, changing to dust.

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