TRAVELS 
16 
that of Kengis, is under the fuperintendence of the minifter of 
Upper Tornea. The parifh of Muonionifca is about two hundred 
fquare miles in extent, and the parfon is to all appearance a pea- 
fant, like any of his flock ; having nothing vifible about him that 
refers to his clerical dignity, except a pair of black breeches. This 
poor man had the misfortune of being ruined by a fire, which con- 
fumed all his houfehold furniture with his library, from which he 
could not even fave his bible. This lofs however was not what he 
feemed to have felt moft feverely, as he obferved, that after this 
difafter, he found himfelf eafed of the burden of reading Latin, 
a language in which he fometimes attempted to converfe w’ith us, 
but which, in his mouth, formed fuch a jargon as made us laugh, 
though it did not promote the interchange of ideas. The honeft 
parfon was of great ufe to us during our flay at Muonionifca ; he 
attended us everywhere, was ready to explain on all occafions 
where w r e found difficulties; and as he was well acquainted with 
the Finlandifh and Swedifh languages, was able to give us the 
etymology of many words that we met with and wiflied to under- 
fland. He w r as the moft clownifh parfon I ever faw in my vari¬ 
ous travels ; and I believe that calamity and extreme diftrefs had 
contributed more than any thing to reduce him, in point of per- 
fonal confequence, to a level with the meaneft of his parifhioners. 
This man, however, poffefTed a large fliare of ftrong natural fenfe ; 
he reafoned with much juftnefs and fagacity on the fubje<5l of 
politics; and as he was a poor and humble being himfelf, he 
violently declaimed againft the manner in which the ariftocracy 
and 
