SOME WANDEEINGS IN THE NORTH OF FINLAND. 97 



at the present time you can cross from Swedish into Russian 

 territory by a narrow wooden foot-bridge over a marsh 

 where the river used to flow. 



It has taken just a week to get from Hull to Tornea, 

 but now we intend to travel more slowly. Early in the 

 morning we start in a little cart, and are ferried across 

 the main stream of the river, and drive at a very slow 

 rate of little more than five miles an hour eastward to the 

 river Kemi. Travelling along these roads is done by 

 stages, averaging ten miles each, and at the inn at the 

 end of each stage, you get a horse and cart and boy to 

 take you the next stage. These carts are curious little 

 vehicles of two wheels, often without springs; and travel- 

 ling in them over very rough roads is the most uncomfortable 

 I have ever experienced. The horse does not pull by traces 

 fastened to the cart as in England, but by two small pieces 

 of leather pushed through holes in the ends of the shafts, 

 and held there by a stick w^hich is pushed through the 

 leather. Now and then the stick drops out, and you have 

 to stop and cut another ; once both sticks fell out at the 

 same time, and then the cart tipped up on end, with the 

 shafts in the air, and deposited us on the top of the driver, 

 who had been kneeling on the seat behind us ; but the 

 horse kindly waited till we had readjusted ourselves. The 

 horses are small, and start with such a flourish from the 

 yard that it is not always easy to avoid the gatepost ; but, 

 unfortunately, these exuberant spirits soon subside, and it 

 is only v/ith difficulty that the animal is persuaded to go 

 at all. 



Each inn, though small^ has a guest room, which is 

 certainl}'- most scrupulously clean ; the floor is painted 

 white and so polished that you hesitate to walk on it with 

 dirty boots. The houses are all of wood, raised off' the 



