126 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



five minutes' intermission, till tlie morning of the 

 4th, when, as there was a little break in the sky 

 to windward, I was determined to try and get 

 home, notwithstanding all the assurances of my 

 friend that I should never reach home that night. 



At noon it cleared, and the sun peeped out of 

 a leaden sky, but about four withdrew his angry 

 face behind as heavy a bank of snow-clouds as 

 ever I saw. I took a peasant's cart, for the roads 

 were not cleared for sledging, and though we 

 could only travel at a foot-pace (the snow up to 

 our axles), still I could have got home had I stuck 

 to the wheels and the high road; but in two 

 stages I came to a ferry, and, by crossing the 

 river there, I should save more than six English 

 miles. The ferry-boat was frozen in, and although 

 the ice would not bear a cart, I had no difficulty 

 in walking over ; and as I fancied I now knew 

 my way, I guessed I should reach home with 

 some little trouble. As long as my path lay on 

 the high road I got on pretty well ; for, although 

 the way was so blocked with snow that I could 

 not make much more than one English mile in the 

 hour, still I knew where I was, and if I was 

 obliged to camp up for the night, there were 

 plenty of cottages by the roadside. At last I 

 came to a farmhouse, beyond which lay a lake 

 about one and a half English miles in length, and 



