THROUGH LAPLAND. 
39 
world. ’The fun, which fhone upon us, never funk below our 
horizon; and we beheld almoft no colour but white intermixed 
with green. Thefe objects, joined to the habitation of the fiHier¬ 
ro cn, the novelty of the flowers which ornamented the ifle, that 
of the birds w ? hich made the woods refound with their notes, all 
contributed to aflonifli our fenfes, that had not anticipated fuch 
extraordinary fccnes. Our tent, when fct up, appeared to be the 
palace of the ifland, and was as ftrikingly fuperior to the hut of 
the Laplanders, as the refidence of fovereign princes to the dwell¬ 
ings of their fubjecfts. We got into our boat on purpofe to take a 
Purvey of our fltuation from the lake, and we pleafed ourfelves 
with the contemplation of the magnificent appearance of our new 
kingdom. The infide of our tent was carpetted with birchen- 
leaves ftrewed over the mofs, which afforded a delicious perfume. 
Our fifhermen feemed furprifed at the fplendour of our manfion, 
and, for the firft time, had a pattern of luxury exhibited before 
them of which they had conceived no idea. The three days we 
pafled on this ifland were fpent delightfully: the lake furnifhed 
our table with the finefl: full, we found plenty of game in the 
w'oods; we fifhed, we hunted, ve bathed in the lake ; we took 
views of the landfcapes furrounding us, and collected plants and 
infe&s. We followed thefe feveral amufements without the leafl 
I 
interruption from the mufquetoes, which, fortunately, had been 
driven off the ifland by the violent wind before mentioned, which 
likewife had contributed to cool the air, infomuch, as to make the 
thermometer fall feven degrees. 
We 
