120 
TRAVELS 
effort to mount up the cataract of the river, though it feemed to 
mock our defign, and to be the ne plus ultra of our navigation. 
To facilitate our afcent, I placed the Laplanders in different fitu- 
ations with ropes in their hands, .faftened to the boat, and one 
• 
tied round my waift, in order to aid my efcape in cafe the boat 
fhould founder or be overfet. In fact, it was on the point of 
being funk, and had not the Laplander who held the rope faffc- 
ened to the poop drawn it back in good time, we muft have 
gone to the bottom. The dangers and hazards incurred on thefe 
cataracts were not the effect either of a fpirit of adventure or of 
neceffity, but, paradoxical as it may feem, of lazinefs. We found 
ourfelves feated tolerably at our eafe in the boats; but if the far¬ 
ther navigation of the river fhould, after our utmoft efforts, prove 
impracticable, then fhould we again be doomed to traverfe a 
dreary .chain of mountains, at the expence of an irkfome and fa¬ 
tiguing journey on foot, and at the hazard of lofmg ourfelves in 
the deferts. The farther we mounted up into the country by the 
river, the fhorter would be our route by land. Should we be able 
to overcome this cataract, the river was likely to be fmooth and 
even for a confiderable courfe, when we might make ufe of our 
oars. Thefe circumftances invited us to make the attempt: it 
w 7 as made, but proved fruitlefs. 
We therefore took again to the mountains, making new tra- 
verfes in order to avoid the lakes and rivers. It w T as not long be¬ 
fore we found ourfelves in another climate: the thermometer fell 
to four degrees of Celfius. Some clouds paffmg over our heads 
covered 
