543 
lubricus. The soil is sandy, but tolera- 
bly fertile. In the kitchen-garden may 
be seen potatoes and brown cole, besides 
which, the inhabitants sow nothing but 
rye. The pine and the birch are the 
most common trees. 
That part of the ocean which washes 
these shores, never freezes except in 
the interior of the gulphs, where its 
raters, otherwise extremely salt, are 
tempered by the fresh current of some 
river or stream that discharges itself into 
them. From the information I collected 
on the spot, it appears, that the floating c 
masses which are detached from the ever- 
lasting ice of the Pole are not to be seen 
till you have proceeded seventeen miles 
(one hundred and nineteen English) be- 
yond the North Cape, and then only with, 
a telescope. 
We soon made inquiries concerning 
the means of prosecuting our route to the 
North Cape, and were informed that the 
safest way was to take a small boat, as, in 
case of tempestuous weather, we might 
at any time go on shore; but that it 
would require some days to find good 
rowers. We accordingly dispatched a 
person to procure them. On the 15th 
of July we met with a suitable vessel and 
four good Norwegian rowers, one of whom 
was a very skilful old pilot. We imme- 
diately took on board provisions sufficient 
to last us several days on shore, im case 
of exigency, and set sail at two in the af 
ternoon, with a favourable breeze, and 
the finest weather imaginable. 
Our course was nortnerly, between pro- 
jecting necks of land which form a mul- 
titude of very narrow bays. The coasts 
are bordered with enormous. mountains, 
most of which are peaked. Almost all of 
them had patches of snow on the east and 
south sides, and the habitations of the 
fishermen were, in general, to the east- 
ward of the gul phi. Sometimes the wind, 
coming from the open sea, rushed through 
deep vallies, forming whirlwinds, which 
would have upset our vessel, had we not 
taken care to lower the sail at their ap- 
proach. After these moments of danger, 
we found ourselves all at once in a dead 
calm; under shelter of the mountains. 
The aspect of the sea varied every in- 
stant: sometimes resembling a polished 
mirror, it reflected the image of the hi- 
deous rocks that bordered it; now the 
surface, ruffied by a light breeze, appear- 
ed of a very dark azure colour; now agi- 
tated by the whirlwinds I have just men- 
tioned, the waves became quite black or 
were whitened with foam, The wind 
Account of a recent Voyage to the North Cape. 
[July 1, 
changed every moment, owing to the 
tortuous defiles through which it passed, 
so that there was no rest for those who 
‘guided the helm and managed the sail. 
The tide rises considerably for six hours, 
and falls in hke mainer, which produces 
a strong motion m the water, especially 
if the wind be contrary to the current 5 
in the straits we often had cataracts, 
as it were, to ascend, or descend. Ne- 
vertheless, the skill of the boatmen soon 
relieved us so far from all apprehensions, 
that we could resign ourselves to the 
contemplation of the gigantic scenes, © 
which, like dreams, passed in succession 
before us. 
The wind having subsided, and our boat- 
men being fatigued, we went on shore 
at the mouth of a little river, which falls 
likea cascade into the seas. Having rest- 
ed themselves, we again set sail about 
midnight. The mountains to the west- 
ward intercepted the view of the sun, 
whose rays illumined those on the oppo= 
site side. There was but very httle wind 
the rest of that night and the following 
day, so that we advanced but very slowly, 
being obliged to use the oars almost pear 
out internfission. 
Dering our voyage on the 16th we ob- 
served a Lapland fishing-but, seated on a 
little hsll between two enormous rocks, 
which towered to the very clouds. * rhe 
striking contrast formed by the rich ver= 
dure of the hill, and the dreary aspect of 
the rocks, the beauty of the sea gently 
agitated by a light breeze, the solitary 
and forlorn situation of the hut, cut off 
from all communication except with a 
sea more frequently terrific than beauti- 
ful, all together contributed to give an in= 
terest to this spectacle. 
There being little wind, the heat ins 
creased, and a vapour, absolutely sufio- 
cating, rose from the sea, a circumstance 
the more remarkable, as the water grows 
colder the farther we advance toward 
the north. At night we landed ata 
place where there were some fishermen’s - 
huts, and there spent a few hours. z 
’ In one of these huts, lighted by the 
faint glimmer of a perpetual fire, was an 
oldsick woman about ninety years of age. 
Her daughter-in-law, a young Laplander, 
very handsome, and wi ith a physiognomy 
uncommonly prepossessing, attended her 
with the “shes affectionate assiduity. At 
the sight of ihe pilot, the old woman burst 
into tears, while her dauehter-in law en- 
deavoured to console her. At length, 
having dried her tears, she fixed her eyes 
on the ground with an expression of deep 
distress, 
