SOME WANDERINGS IN THE NORTH OF FINLAND. 99 



It was while sitting on a rock amongst these rapids that 

 we first watched Ospreys catch fish only a short distance 

 from us. Two of these splendid birds were fishing there, 

 sailing round and round high above our heads,' and then 

 hovering with their legs stretched out straight below them, 

 scanning carefully the broken water of the rapids, which 

 was glistening in the sunlight. Suddenly with marvellous 

 sight one of them sees a grayling, and down he comes with 

 a splash into the water ; there is a sharp struggle, and then 

 he flies away holding the fish below him in his talons, 

 lengthways, with its head in the direction of flight. They 

 carried the fish they caught far away over the forest, as 

 though they were feeding young. 



Again we went three more stages northwards, by the 

 side of the river to Takkunen, a small inn like that at 

 Pippola. The country now became much more hilly, and 

 was quite covered with thick forest of birch and pine, and 

 a few poplar trees. By the side of the river part was 

 cleared for growing hay and corn. Next day three more 

 stages brought us to Rovaniemi, a small town just on 

 the Arctic circle, where the river Kemi flowing from the 

 north-east is joined by the Ouras from the north-west. 

 It is a pretty spot, surrounded by hills of a few hundred 

 feet, from the tops of which 3;ou look over miles of undu- 

 lating forest, and see two glistening rivers meet below you. 

 Some of the hill-tops are of quite bare rock, showing clear 

 signs of having been scraped by ice, and it is from these 

 places that you can see the most glorious sunsets. The 

 colours on the trees of the forest and on the wide sheets 

 of calm water are beyond description. 



The people are very short, with pale hair and eyes, and 

 they all wear tall boots with curiously turned-up toes. 

 They are fond, too, of a red or blue shirt. The Lapps, 



