MEMOIR OF LINNjEUS. 
79 
dread ; but though a fury in aspect, she addressed 
me with mingled pity and reserve. “ O thou poor 
man, what hard destiny can have brought thee 
hither, to a place never visited by any one be- 
fore ? This is the first time I ever beheld a 
stranger. Thou miserable creature ! how didst 
thou come, and whither wilt thou go ? Dost thou 
not perceive what houses and habitations we have, 
and with how much difficulty we go to church V 
I inquired how far it was to Sorsele. “ That we 
do not know (said she) ; but in the present state 
of the roads it is at least seven days’ journey from 
lienee." 
“ My health and strength being by this time ma- 
terially impaired, by wading through such an extent 
of marshes laden with my apparel and luggage,— 
by walking for whole nights together, — by not 
having for a long time tasted any boiled meat, — 
by drinking a great quantity of water, as nothing 
else was to be had, — and by eating nothing but fish 
unsalted and crawling with vermin ; I must have 
perished but for a piece of dried rein-deer’s flesh 
given me by my kind hostess, the clergyman’s wife, 
at Lycksele. How I longed once more to meet 
with people who feed on spoon-meat ! 
“ I inquired of this woman whether she could 
give me any thing to eat; she replied, “Nothing 
but fish.” I looked at the fresh fish, as it was 
called, but perceiving its mouth to be full of 
maggots, I had no great appetite to touch it ; but 
