THROUGH LAPLAND. 87 
chain of mountains into which the river Alten infinuates itlelf, 
and flowing, by many windings, through its whole extent, breaks 
out and rufhes down in many places, and forms a number of ca¬ 
taracts. As our baggage appeared too heavy to our wary Lap¬ 
landers of Kautokeino, they engaged the two fifhers alfo to ac¬ 
company us, which lightened the burthen of each, by the divifion 
of five parts into feven. They drew the boats on land, and made 
them fall to fome trees. We then began to afcend the mountain 
on the left bank of the Alten, very near to a brook, or rather fmall 
river, called Kionos-joki, which defcends from the mountain Kulli- 
tunduri. This brook forms at one place a very fingular cafcade, 
by opening a paffage for itfelf under the furface of the rocks, and 
palling, where it begins to fall, under a natural bridge. 
We continued to afcend, for the fpace of four Englifh miles, 
through a thicket of dwarf birch (betula nanaj and birch-trees, 
and over ground uniformly covered with thick mofs, which ren¬ 
dered our journey extremely fatiguing. The day was overcall 
with clouds, but Hill there was a fuffocating heat, which occa- 
fioned a great depreffion and heavine-fs of fpirits. This was the 
moll favourable opportunity that could poffibly be imagined for 
the mufquetoes. The quantity of thofe terrible infedls lodged 
amongll the bullies and mofs was fo great, that at every ftep we 
raifed fuch a cloud of them, as covered us all over from head to 
foot. Imagine a number of putrid bacon hams expofed to the 
rays of a fummer’s fun, and all covered with flies: fuch was our 
condition, and the difgufting appearance of our perfons. After we 
had 
