54 
TRAVELS 
with their underwood, and Lome firs, difperfed on the hill by the 
river fide. All thefe feemed to vegetate with difficulty, as if de¬ 
prived of their nourifhment by the mofs, and appeared withering 
and Runted. Some trees, indeed, which grow very near the 
water, had the appearance of being in a flouriffiing Rate, perhaps 
owing to the moiRure they derived from the river : but, in fhort, 
this mofs appeared to be the royal plant, which ruled abfolute 
over the vegetable kingdom of the country, and diRributed its 
bounty and influence amongfl a particular race of men and ani¬ 
mals. 
We arrived at Lappajervi in the evening, and our boatmen 
were glad to take fome reR after their wearifome voyage. When 
we arrived on the borders of the lake, we fell in with two Lap- 
land fiffiermen, who had returned from their day’s fifhing, and 
were preparing to pafs the night there. We were guided to the 
fpot where they were by a large column of fmoke, which mounted 
into the air. On approaching them we found that they had be- 
fmeared their faces with tar, and covered their heads and ffioulders 
with a cloth to protect themfelves from the mufquetoes. One of 
them was fmoking tobacco, and the other was fecuring the fifh 
they had taken from the depredations of the infe<fls. Their 
meagre and fqualid looks difcovered evident figns of wretchednefs. 
They were covered from head to foot by fwarms of mufquetoes, 
from whofe Rings their clothing fcarcely ffiielded them. They 
were melting with heat, yet they durR not throw off their cover¬ 
ing, much lefs remove from before the fire. Our arrival added 
millions 
