THROUGH LAPLAND. 
81 
Imaginable, and under a temperature of climate approaching to 
that of Italy. The thermometer of Celfius indicated the 25th de¬ 
gree of heat at mid-day in the fhade ; expofed to the fun it role 
to forty ; on the water it fubfided to nineteen. The women of 
the village accompanied their hufbands to the fide of the river, and 
bade us farewell in the moft affectionate manner. The voyage we 
were about to undertake was long and painful, and which none of 
the people had ever performed in fummer. Our departure deprived 
the village of two-thirds of its population, and rendered for a time 
five-eighths of the married women widows. We were follow¬ 
ed by their looks till the winding of the river intercepted their 
view ; nor was the fchool-mafter’s wife, fb little and fo ugly, the 
lead: conflant or ardent in demo nitrations of fenfibility and re¬ 
gret at parting with fuch dear vilitors and friends. Our boats 
were juft of a fize fufficient to contain the whole of our company s 
with our luggage and tent. We were in all nine, diftributed in 
two boats, which could not have carried one perfon more without 
the danger of being overfet, or of finking to the bottom of the 
water. 
The river of Alten we found one of the moft beautiful we had 
yet viewed in the courfe of our travels. It is at its commence¬ 
ment a continued fucceffion of lakes of different fize and fhapes, 
and interfperfed with iflets that are covered with the birch-tree. 
Thefe prefented a feenery of landfcape, which far from having a 
wild and harlh appearance, was fuch as might befeem a gentler 
climate. Thofe lakes infpired us with an inclination for bathing : 
Vol. II. M their 
