'LACHESIS LAPPONICA* 169 



grease to be had. A hundred and fifty years ago, 

 when Linnaeus travelled, the country was not known at 

 all ; Rudbeck's memorials were destroyed and his son's 

 memory was failing. The utmost that was known of 

 Lapland had been learnt by Linnaeus sitting at the feet of 

 the younger Rudbeck before his memory failed him alto- 

 gether. It was a Robinson-Crusoe-like form of journey ; 

 for not only did Carl travel alone, but he met with the 

 scantiest of population, in miles and miles of loneliness 

 studded with here and there a cottage. Excepting in 

 the larger towns and on board the steamers, the popula- 

 tion of Sweden is still everywhere ' understood but not 

 exprest.' Here in Lapmark it is not even understood : 

 the country is one vast emptiness, like the rest of the 

 world in the days of Paradise; peopled only by the 

 1 lovely phantoms of the waterfalls.' 



The intrepid hardy-bred Linnaeus, with his un- 

 tiring energy, was the very man to undertake a journey 

 of discovery like this. He observed everything : had 

 an eager appetite for all forms of nature. His indomit- 

 able industry was well suited to that interminable Lap- 

 land day 'in which one loses all hope that the stars 

 and quiet will ever come.' It only enlarged his oppor- 

 tunities to see 'the dawn shine through the whole 

 night till it be morning.' To be out and away into the 

 wide open, was his longing desire. He had studied 

 books enough ; now for the mind's liberty, now to range 

 through broad nature. To educate is to set free the 

 mind, new sculptured, from its marble block. Truly this 



