LAPLAND JOURNEY 
81 
14th July, he started to reach the celebrated Mael¬ 
strom, and was received by Pastor Johan Rasch, a 
travelled man. The next day he proceeded to the 
entrance of the fjord, and met with an adventure. 
He was creeping along after strawberries, when he 
noticed a Lapp with a gun presumably after birds, but 
took no notice, till a musket-ball struck a stone in 
front of him, the Lapp vanishing when Linnaeus drew 
his hanger. This attempt on a peaceful stranger 
showed their fear of witchcraft and their distrust of 
all who were not known to them. Another specimen 
of this feeling is thus recounted by Linnaeus : “ I 
showed some sketches in my book to a Lapp; he 
seemed frightened, snatched off his cap, bowed his 
head, and struck his hands on his breast, mumbled 
some words, and seemed as if about to swoon.” 
Other instances are named by the diarist of the diffi¬ 
culties in keeping the Lapps to their work, and 
preventing them from deserting. 
The following day a return towards Lule Lapland 
was begun in summer heat. Up the steep fellsides 
they went, seeming never to gain the top, wet through 
with sweat, till they began to stiffen with frost. 
Linnaeus slipped into a stream which had made its 
way under the snow. 
The next day they traversed the glaciers on the 
Swedish side, but encountered a thick fog, which 
delayed progress, till they came upon the track of a 
reindeer which was followed, and they escaped from 
their dangerous position. 
It was four days later, on the 20th of July, that 
the travellers reached Qvickjock and there stayed 
three days; Linnaeus enquiring about the life of the 
Lapps, their habits, house-gear, care of reindeer, 
hunting, diseases and the like. On the 26th July, 
they reached the pearl-fishery of Purkijaur, which he 
wished to see close at hand. As no boat was avail¬ 
able, they made a raft, but the semi-darkness pre¬ 
vented a clear view of their course across the river. 
F 
