GREAT RIVERS OF FINLAND. 203 



about June 22, in order to see the sun at midnight 

 from the summit; without, however, actually being 

 within that mystic circle, to which Ounasvaara is 

 closer and as easy to reach. 



With a nipping, eager air of unusual frigidity for 

 the time of year at Torvinen on the Kemi, as the 

 station is named, a good fire was found necessary in 

 the great Eussian stove, and a dish of the usual ex- 

 cellent Finnish veal formed our dinner. The cold north 

 wind calmed down during the night, which was a quiet 

 one. The road up the Kemi was much finer than the 

 somewhat monotonous drive along the coast, with the 

 swiftly rushing, immense river on the left-hand side. 

 But some twenty miles up, the effect of some travellers 

 ahead of us who it was hoped would have been 

 almost at their destination began to make itself felt, 

 and at the next keskievari nothing was obtainable 

 but a springless cart and an animal to match. No 

 boat could be procured, the river being too rapid at 

 this point to ascend. Nothing was left but to return 

 and fish for salmon and sea trout at the ferry, where 

 a farmer's family installed us in their house, which 

 contained but two rooms, one of which they reserved 

 for my use. Their own sleeping-places, a dozen in 

 all, were made pell-mell upon the floor. Before, 

 however, going to bed we succeeded in taking with 

 a phantom minnow in a short time, from the Kemi, 

 just in front of the house at the main ferry, four 

 salmon, a sea trout, and a pike, weighing respectively 

 11 lb., l()i lb., 7 lb., 61 lb., 5 lb., and 4 Ib. There was 



