THROUGH LAPLAND. 
99 
our legs fo benumbed that they were fcarcely able to fupport us 
on the beach. 
After dreffing ourfelves and {having our beards, which were of 
fix days growth, we were called to dinner ; and not a little fur- 
prifed to find fix different diflies, with a bottle of wine fet down 
for each perfon. This profped comforted us ftill more than the 
view of the Frozen Ocean, and after dinner we found ourfelves 
more refrefhed by the wine than we had been by the fea water. 
We thought ourfelves now in paradife, in elyfium, in an en¬ 
chanted palace. Every thing was good ; every thing was delici¬ 
ous ; and the keennefs of our appetite doubled the convivial and 
focial pleafure. The merchant was a married man, and his lady 
was an excellent practical cook, as well as a perfect houfewife. 
They had a boy who waited at table; and the fociety of the 
houfe was increafed by the refidence of the bailiff of that diftrid 
of Lapland, who after the death of his wife had come to live with 
the merchant, for the fake of company. The bailiff was a very 
worthy and pleafant man, and much efteemed in this family, and 
in all the diftrid. We found ourfelves fo comfortably fituated 
here, that it was not without regret we began to talk of proceed¬ 
ing in our expedition to the North Cape ; this, however, was in- 
difpenfible, for it was proper and neceffary to avail ourfelves of 
the favourable feafon. We inquired into the belt manner of per¬ 
forming this route ; how many days it would require by land, 
and how many by fea; if any one had made this journey before 
us; and what was the diltance between the North Cape and Al- 
O 2 ten ? 
