82 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



my way by long " portages " and by boat back to the 

 North Sea. 



I certainly expected splendid fishing at Terna, where 

 several great streams join the Umeo, and which looks 

 on the map as if it were situated in a perfect network 

 of lakes and rivers ; but, though I fished carefully for 

 a whole day, I only landed two fish, weighing 3J Ib. ; 

 both were taken with the phantom where the Umeo 

 enters the Geutashon Lake. Several Lapps came with 

 me, very small and dirty fellows, wearing queer red 

 caps, who were anxious to be told the price of every- 

 thing, especially of casts and flies, thinking they could 

 be employed without a rod. 



The next day's fishing, which was one of the best 

 I had in Scandinavia, was only obtained after several 

 uncomfortable nights and hard days of travel. Behold 

 me, then, just arrived, dripping from a long day's 

 march through heavy rain, in a log hut at Umefors, 

 on the highest of the great lakes of the Umeo, after 

 plunging through seas of mud, for it had long been 

 dark, and we had wandered from the track. 



Instead of the " midnight day," we were soon to 

 have the " midday night," for the light nights of the 

 northern summer had long ceased, and autumn had 

 come on apace. Long before the hut was reached its 

 solitary light for there was but one other hut within 

 twenty miles had been seen twinkling through the 

 rain. It boasted but one room, consisting of the 

 edifice itself. However, I was given the best bed 

 and some clean hay. The woman and children slept 

 on two other beds, and the men on hay upon the floor. 



