J84 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



and the meadows of Upland in early spring, did not 

 occur during my whole journey till after I had ascended 

 the Lapland Alps ' here it was as the face of a friend. 

 < The time passed unperceived away, and my inter- 

 preter was obliged to remind me that we had still five or 

 six miles ' [Swedish] ' to go to the nearest Laplander, 

 and that if we had a mind for any reindeer meat we 

 ought to bestir ourselves quickly.' They had been re- 

 freshed by the snow-water running down in streams. 

 They hastened on and reached the summit of the ridge, 

 standing on the brow of Vallivari, ' from hence the ver- 

 dant appearance of Norway, lying far beneath us, was 

 very delightful. The whole country was perfectly green, 

 and, notwithstanding its vast extent, looked like a garden 

 in miniature, for the tallest trees appeared not above a 

 span high. Our calculations were very inadequate to 

 what we found its actual distance. At length, however, 

 we reached the plains of which we had enjoyed so 

 stupendous a prospect. Nothing could be more de- 

 lightful to my feelings than this transition from all 

 the severity of winter to the warmth and beauty of 

 summer. The verdant herbage, the sweet-scented 

 clover, the tall grass, reaching up to my arms, the 

 grateful flavour of the wild fruits, and the fine weather 

 which welcomed me to the foot of the alps, refreshed me 

 both in mind and body.' 



