LAPLAND JOURNEY 
77 
cheese? ' ‘ Yes, but about six miles off. 5 ‘ If you 
had some could I buy it?’ ‘Yes, I don't want you 
to die of hunger in my country.' On coming to their 
tent I found three cheeses lying under a roof without 
walls; I took the smallest, which I paid for. 
“ I was obliged to go back the way I came, which 
I never desired. At last we came to our boat again, 
and going downstream rapidly, I lay and dried myself 
in the sunshine. The next day our boat split in the 
force, my stuffed birds floated away, but my diary, 
happily, was in my belt. The Lapp fortunately came 
up, and waded to land; the axe had gone, but he got 
a pole and laid it over the chasm. Our clothes were 
first taken over, then I stripped and followed with 
the pole. We pursued our way hungry and tired, 
passing through dense forests. From another Lapp 
I obtained fish, and then reached a settler's house, 
where they broiled half-dried salmon over embers, 
which I found delicious.'' 
Finally Linnaeus reached the priest’s house, haying 
been without bread for four days, and allayed his 
hunger. His journey was continued to Umea, which 
he reached on the 8th and remained till the 12th June. 
His course was now set for Skelleftea and then to 
Pitea, which was gained late on the 15th. The only 
noteworthy thing which happened was that he suc¬ 
ceeded in shooting a hawk-owl, which hitherto 
unknown bird was described and sketched. The way 
was pleasant, through splendid forests; the inhabitants 
obtaining their chief income from firewood and tar. 
The discomforts endured by Linnaeus while on his 
unfortunate travels in Lycksele Lapland induced him 
to rest a little. He stayed in Pitea till the 21st June. 
That which surprised him most was that he found 
in the borgmaster’s little garden a specimen of 
Hyoscyamus carefully cherished and regarded as a 
rarity. Besides, he made excursions outside the 
town, and amongst the skerries, but the results were 
not great. It was the same with the Lulea new town, 
