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V.

CHAP. support the weight of the peasant and sledge with the Ostero-Bothnia mail-bags, and of the guides who had gone before.

As we continued to advance across the more open sea, the ice became stronger: and being now at a considerable distance from any land, the prospect widened on all sides, and became at every instant more desolate and appalling. The wind had carried off every particle of snow; and we journeyed for many miles over a surface clear and transparent as glass. It was the last day of the eighteenth century; which made me push forward with spirit and vigour, that, at least, I might terminate the most extraordinary adventure of my life, together with the most remarkable period of it, in some place where I could lay my head, and not remain benighted upon the frozen surface of an inhospitable sea. At mid-day, I halted to distribute some slight refreshment among our guides. As I served out to them their allowance of biscuit and Swedish brandy, they all stood bare-headed, and said grace. What a scene, for such solemnity! While they were engaged in their brief and scanty meal, I surveyed the distant waste. Towards the East, all was bleak and open-a vast region of "thick-ribbed ice," wherein hardly a single object relieved the wandering eye. The

sun, scarce elevated above the horizon, put forth ungenial splendour; for although shining in cloudless majesty, his rays came across the chilling desert rather reminding one of what he wanted than of what he gave. The thermometer, when exposed to his full beams, scarcely acknowledged his presence. The mercury, according to Fahrenheit's scale, in the morning, had fallen to ten degrees above zero; and now, at noon-day, it only rose one degree higher. Towards the West the prospect was more varied; the numberless rocks, islands, and islets, which fill the Åland Sea, being here collected into in

numerable clusters.

We set out once more: and presently the Island of Kumlinge was hailed by our party, as being visible at the distance of fourteen English miles towards the North. It was immediately pointed out to me by one of our guides; and the sight of it, at that moment, filled me with joy. We pressed forward with all the speed we could muster, and met with little to impede or oppose our progress. About three o'clock we entered into a small bay belonging to the island and being very eager to land, I made the best of my way towards a low shore, with one of the most active and foremost of the guides: the rest of our retinue were a long way

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CHAP.

V.

in the rear, some of them at the distance of five or six miles; being retarded by their burdens and sledges. Here the marks of footsteps and sledges from the village of Kumlinge to the sea-side were very visible in the snow and as these served me for excellent land-marks in tracing the road thither, I set out alone; and had not proceeded above two English miles, before I distinguished, among a groupe of little wooden-boxes, which were so many dwellings belonging to the village, an upright pole, to which a vane was attached -the well-known sign of the Gästgifware-gård, or Inn, in Sweden. I hastened towards it; and entering, found my long-lost Friend and Companion-as much rejoiced to see me as I was to see him-sitting in a black and miserable dungeon, which he had used as his apartment; but in good health, after a week's confinement in a place where the combined action of fire and smoke could not prevent every thing around him from freezing.

Thus terminated the year ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED of our æra. And here I shall also terminate the account of this Expeditionthankful to Providence for the dangers I have escaped; and reserving for another Chapter, in the opening of a new century, the style of narrative which, being less personal, I had before adopted.

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The Party leave Kumlinge - Brief account of that islandBjorkö - Brandö - Extraordinary Congregation for Divine Service-Vattuskiftel-Bursting of the IceVarssala - Revolting manners of the Natives-Valedictory remarks upon the Swedes-Fahrenheit's Thermometer fifty-two degrees and a half below freezingTurvesi Passage-Accidents from the frost-HelsingHimois-Vinkela-Action of atmospheric air upon vapour -State of travelling in FINLAND-Laitis-TursanpareNiemenkyla-Nussis-Nummis-Arrival at Abo-Narrow escape from suffocation.

CHAP. THE next day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1800, we left

VI.

The Party leave Kumlinge.

Kumlinge, crossing part of the Lappvesi Passage with horses to our sledges: but we afterwards found that the ice would not bear their weight the whole way: our guides therefore left these poor animals exposed upon a bleak island, from which they said they would not attempt to stray; and themselves drew our sledge to Bjorkö, or the Birch Island. A painter would have found a curious subject for his pencil, in the figures of the two horses upon an ice-clad rock, when we abandoned them. Being heated by drawing the sledges, the drops of sweat had congealed into long icicles, sticking out, like bristles, all over their bodies, and hanging in such long and thick stalactites from the nostrils, that it seemed dangerous to attempt to break them off, for fear of tearing away the flesh with them: all their shaggy manes and tails and hair were thus covered by a white opake crust with pendent icicles, so that they seemed rather like some non-descript animals than horses. As soon as we quitted them, they turned their heads to leeward; and remained fixed, like marble statues, upon the rock; closing their eyes, and scarce shewing signs of animal life.

Account of Of Kumlinge, sometimes written Kumlinga, Kumlinge. the island we had now quitted, a very short

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