160 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNALUS 



plucked, separated from the other parts of the bird, and 

 cleaned, a gash is cut longitudinally on each side of the 

 breast-bone quite through to the bottom, and two others 

 parallel to it a little farther off, so that the inside of the 

 flesh is laid open in order that it may be thoroughly 

 dressed. The whole is first salted with fine salt for 

 several days. Afterwards a small quantity of flour is 

 strewed on the under side to prevent its sticking, and 

 then it is put into an oven to be gradually dried. 

 When done it is hung up in the roof of the house, to 

 be kept till wanted, where it would continue perfectly 

 good even for three years if it were necessary to pre- 

 serve it so long. 



'It rained so violently that I could not continue 

 my journey that evening, and was therefore obliged to 

 pass the night at this place. The pillows of my bed 

 were stuffed with reindeer's hair instead of feathers. 

 Under the sheet was the hide of a reindeer with the 

 hair on, the hairy side uppermost, on which people told 

 me I should lie very soft. They use willow bark for 

 tanning the leather. 



1 May 27. At noon I pursued the same bad road as 

 yesterday the worst road I ever saw, made of stones 

 piled on stones among large entangled roots of trees. 

 The frost, which had just left the ground, made matters 

 worse. All the elements were against me. The 

 branches of the trees hung down before my eyes, loaded 

 with raindrops in every direction. Wherever any 

 young birches appeared they were bent down to the 



