LAPLAND JOURNEY 
71 
from death. Directly afterwards another stone came 
tumbling down, whether by design or accident 
Linnaeus knew not. At last they reached the vaulted 
cavern, which was fourteen feet high, eighteen broad, 
and twenty-two deep. 
The ride on the main road was continued. Im¬ 
mediately Schulaskog was reached winter was 
encountered for the third time, and when he passed 
over the boundary into Vesterbotten, hardly a flower 
was to be seen. The dwarf birch was abundant but 
showed no sign of leafing. 
On the 24th May he reached Umea, a little town, 
well rebuilt after being burnt by the enemy. Governor 
Grundel was visited at his house, where Linnaeus was 
received with great politeness. He was fond of 
natural curiosities and had many to talk about; his 
garden was shown to be well furnished, though 
potatoes only grew here as small as walnuts, and 
tobacco seeded only under the greatest care. When 
Linnaeus left Hernosand, he had with him a general 
order to officials commanding them to help him on his 
way, and to allow him to pass unhindered through 
their country and forests, accompanied by Lapp guides 
who spoke Swedish. 
Until now Linnaeus had followed the road without 
special difficulties (if one exclude heavy rain, squalls 
and cold, with weariness resulting from a fortnight of 
constant riding). At Umea he was obliged to seek 
the quickest way to Lapland. It was in vain that the 
natives tried to dissuade him, stating that it was 
impossible for him to get to Lycksele in the spring, 
in consequence of the floods in the extensive marshes, 
which then form rivers too formidable to be crossed. 
Linnaeus stood firm in his resolution and comforted 
himself with Solomon’s word, that nothing was 
impossible under the sun. He admitted that he 
wished to explore Lapland’s southern parts, having 
the impression that the southern fells ought to possess 
a greater number of rare plants than the northern. 
