72 
LINNAEUS 
It was, however, during his journey in 1734, two 
years afterwards, that he realized his error. 
On the 26th May he started from Umea to get 
to Lycksele Lapland. The journey now became 
different from its beginning, for it rained hard and con¬ 
tinued to do so till the following midday. This how¬ 
ever was, relatively, an inconsiderable discomfort, as 
also the circumstance that he could not hire a horse 
quite so easily. Still worse, the track became bad, 
and it was hazardous to life to sit his horse, which 
stumbled between the stones at each step. He was 
now travelling in byways, “ where no devil could find 
him again.” He began to lose heart for want of a 
companion and also tired of being shaken on horse¬ 
back. 
Such was the first day, the second being no better. 
He started at midday, but found the going so bad, 
that he never experienced its like, and all the elements 
seemed against him. The track lay over stones inter¬ 
laced with tree roots; there were holes full of water, 
added to by rain and springs rising out of the ground. 
Branches of trees sodden with rain hung down into 
his eyes. The small birches were bowed down; the 
ancient pines which had kept each other up for years 
now lay tumbled crosswise so that he rode with great 
difficulty over the path. The frequent streams were 
very deep and the bridges over them so rotten that 
Linnaeus kept his seat on a stumbling horse at his 
peril. To complete his troubles, he had to ride 
without a saddle, using a cushion instead; there was 
no bridle, but instead was a rope round the underjaw 
of the beast, and in this manner he travelled towards 
the fells. On the second day he reached Tecksnas. 
The third day he came to Grand, whence he 
should have gone by boat to Lycksele. This was 
made, however, impossible, partly because of strong 
winds, and partly because the watermen went to 
prayers till eleven a.m. This was so late in the day 
that he would not be able to reach Lycksele, more than 
