THROUGH LAPLAND. 
1i 
man of fixty-feven years of age, and his fon of twenty-fix. The 
old boatman had known thispaffage twenty years, and navigated it 
always with fuccefs, and in the courfe of that period he had taught 
his fon his own dangerous calling. It is impoffible to conceive 
any thing more ftriking and interefting than the collected and in¬ 
trepid expreffion of the old man’s countenance in the progrefs of 
the palfage. As our refoluticn to defcend this- cataracft was not 
adopted rafhly, but after a minute enquiry and cool reflection, we 
were prepared to obferve the detail of our adventure in its moft 
trifling circumftances. The old man never fat down, but flood 
upright, holding the rudder with both hands, which was tied on 
purpofe for the occafion to the ftern of the boat. In paffing the 
fmaller cataracts, they defcend with the rudder untied, which 
they hold betw r een their arms, and fit all the while. When we 
were in the moft critical moments of the paffage, we had only 
to call our eye on the old man’s countenance, and our fears al- 
moft inftantly vanifhed. In places of lefs difficulty he looked 
round to l]is fon, to obferve if he had proceeded with fafety. It 
was plain his thoughts were more occupied about his fon than him- 
felf; and indeed the young man grazed the rocks on two different 
occafions. As foon as all danger was over, we drew in to the fhore 
to repofe and enjoy the triumph of our fuccefs. It was then \\c 
remarked that the fon, who had piloted the fecond boat, looked 
extremely pale through terror; and my companion’s fervant, who 
had been, in his boat, informed us that they had received two vio¬ 
lent ffiocks, and that on both occafions he gave himfelf up for loft. 
C 2 CHAP- 
