120 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



below zero (14° Fahr.). The weather on the night 

 of April 24th, according to the calculation of these 

 Lap settler s, regulates that of the ensuing spring, 

 and as this was mild and warm they prophesied a 

 mild and warm spring. The thaw was now going 

 on rapidly but imperceptibly, for the sun began 

 to have great power, and the snow was now so 

 rotten that we could scarcely get into the woods 

 even on " skiddor ;" and if we went any distance 

 from home in the morning (the only time of the 

 day when the snow would bear), it was a great 

 chance if we could get back again till the night 

 frost set in. I once saw a horse standing in the 

 forest up to his belly in the snow. They had taken 

 him out at night to fetch home wood, but as soon 

 as the sun had power the snow melted and would 

 not bear, so they were obliged to leave him there 

 till the night frost again crusted the snow. We 

 could now see how deep the snow lay in the 

 forests, for we often sank in up to our very 

 arm-pits while trying to struggle through it. 

 However, spring was near at hand. By the 

 middle of the month most of the spring migrants 

 had arrived, and the clear, loud, wild, desultory 

 carol of the redwing might be heard throughout 

 the whole night, which was now as light as day. 

 We had at this time a migration of fell lemming, 

 which lasted about three weeks. We began to 



