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BIOGRAPHY f)F LINNAKUS. 



After having visited Mt. Skula, Linnaeus kept on in a westerly direc- 

 tion, until he reached the DolTraleld mountains, the boundary of Nor- 

 way. From this point he proceeded north until he reached Lula. What 

 is called the Lapland disert was next to be crossed. This is inhabited 

 by a few straggling people, settlers of remote ages, descendants of the 

 Finlanders, a people entirely distinct from the Laplanders, and of such 

 diminutive stature that they stand to milk the reindeer. The country is 

 entirely destitute of villages, or any cultivation. He ascended the moun- 

 tain Wallerari, where he found the Andromeda teiragona, at midnight, 

 which was then as bright as noon. After crossing the Lapland Alps in- 

 to Finmark, he passed along the shore of the North sea as far as Sal- 

 lero, occupying the remainder of the summer in examining this part of 

 the country. Ten years after, Linnaeus, in a public address, declared 

 that he suffered more fatigue and privation in his journey across the de- 

 sert than he did in all his journeys afterwards. In this tour he had per- 

 formed, and chiefly on foot, a journey of ten degrees of latitude exclu- 

 sive of all the necessary deviations. 



Notwithstanding the honor which our naturalist received from his 

 successful northern travel, it contributed nothing to cheer his future 

 prospects. An old law of the University excluded any one, who had 

 not received a degree, from the honor of lecturing in public. Rosen, a 

 young student of Upsal, envious of the growing reputation of Linnaeus, 

 procured the passage of a decree preventing him from continuing the 

 course of lectures which he had already commenced. This was a 

 dreadful stroke, in fact depriving him of his only means of support, and 

 so completely did it paralize the principle of right, that he attacked Ro- 

 sen with his drawn sword and would probablv have run him through 

 the body, had he not been prevented by those around. Revengeful feel- 

 ings filled his breast, until, one nicht, suddenly awaking, he was horror- 

 struck at the sinful and rebellious state of his feelings. His penitence 

 was manifested by his efforts to bring back his heart to a right stale. 

 His worldly prospects were dark indeed, and might have crushed a man 

 of less nerve and buoyancy of spirits. 



In this state of things, several of his former pupils, who were 

 strongly attached to him, determined to undertake a mineralogical tour 

 and invited him to become the head of the party. During this delight- 

 ful tour they visited Fahlun, the capital of Delccarlia, where he became 

 acquainted with Baron Ilenterholm, the Governor of the province. The 

 Baron, struck by the uncommon talents of Linnaeus, provided employ- 

 ment for him soon after his engagement wiiii his Upsal friends had ler- 

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