BO 
JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 
to more than one hundred Swedijh platens , or to seven pounds ten 
shillings sterling at farthest. 
If there be a science which to raise its votary to celebrity requires 
the courage of enthusiasm, and the patience of labour and difficulty, 
that science is botany. The divine, the lawyer, the philosopher, the 
bel-esprit can become great men in their own closets; the astronomer 
by observing the spheres of the worlds from the observatory can gain 
an immortal name ; but it is not thus with the botanist and natural 
historian. Nature requires the personal contemplation and scrutiny of 
her secrets and curiosities. Hence the goddess of no science had ever 
so many zealous lovers, no science so many who fell vidims to their 
devotion of study, as that of natural history. 
Linnaeus accepted the proposal of the journey in autumn of 1731, 
and visited in winter professor St ob.e us, his late benefador at Lund i 
and his parents, who were now more reconciled to him, and smiled at 
his pi ogress. Thence he returned to Upsal in April, to prepare every 
thing for his peregrination in the Siberia of his country. 
Immediately on the return of spring, which seldom chears the year 
at Stockholm before May, he commenced his journey on horseback, on 
the second day of that month, that he might not be over-fatigued when 
he arrived at the place of his destination. He took his route to 
Gcvali , through the North-eastern province of Norland , along the 
gulph of Bothnia. From thence he was to proceed North-west to the 
Southernmost province of Lapland , called Umea Lapmark ; but spring 
had not visited this distridat the latter end of May. The country was 
replete with the dreary scenes of winter, and threatened the traveller 
with disappointment and destrudion. People persuaded Linn s . us not 
to 
