Try Lapland. A fresh field for summer tourists, etc

Preface

. — ♦ — The difficulty of finding new ground for travel is increasing every year for those who, with but a limited time at their disposal, are yet tired of the beaten paths of Ramsgate or Scarborough, Switzer land or the Rhine, and pant after lands fresh and fair, of which they have never seen the photograph, where the gorgeous hotel with its elongated bills, and the pertinacious touter with his cringing greasy manners, are alike unknown. We do not forget that in a summer tour there are many things to be considered, and many tastes to be consulted. Some must have mountain air and scenery ; some fishing ; others shooting. Some must sketch, catch

PREFACE.

. VI butterflies, or botanize ; others collect eggs, or gather ferns. Besides, ladies may wish to be of the party ! Well, you may add all these together — plus the economy and cleanliness so dear to the English heart — and find the sum total in the land visited by the writer and his wife, during the months of June and July in 18G9 ; the incidents of whose journey the following pages attempt to describe. CONTENTS.

Chapter I. Page

Preparations for the journey. — Decide to go overland to Stockholm. — Dover and the Lord Warden. — Brussels and its joy. — Cologne and the Cathedral. — Hanover and what we saw there. — Hurried peep at Hamburg — The Duchy of Holstein. — Detained at Kiel. — Tossed to Corsoer over the Belts. — The Island of Zealand. — Arrive at Copenhagen . 1

Chapter II

Copenhagen — Elsinore and Hamlet. — First Impressions of Sweden after crossing the Sound.— The Swedish "Wolverton." — Jonkoping and Lake AVettern. — Stockholm. — Preparing for the North. — The " Arolontaire " and her cargo. — AVe roll in the Gulf of Bothnia. — Rathan. — Land again ......... 31

Chapter III

Our first Glimpse of Northern Scenery. — Traces of the last AVar between Sweden and Russia. — Shelleftea, its Bay. CONTENTS. VIII PAGE —Steam Saw Mills preparing Planks and Frames for the English Market.— An Arctic Evening. — The Dog under the Tarpaulin. — Old Gampo. — Pitea and its rocky Bay. — We attempt to be polite in Swedish, and fail horribly. — Lulea. — The Inn, the Church, the Funeral, the Churchyard. — The Professor .59

Chapter IV

The "Gellivara."— We start up the Country. — The great Lulea River. — A Forest Drive through the Sand. — Edefors, our first Mosquito. — Our Bond Street Anti- Mosquito Preservative. — The Flyflap. — Our first Canoe Journey. — Storbacken and the good-natured Settler. — An up-hill Road behind a Lapp Pony. — A burnt Forest. — We drive over the Arctic Circle with difficulty. — Mattissudden and its Cat . 77

Chapter V

Jockmock, with its curious Church and funny Houses. — Perilous crossing over a Bog. —The Falls of the River. — Our first real Lapp. — The Pearl-finder. — AVe buy Lapp Boots and wear them. — The flooded road. — Indian file through the Forest.— Mosquitoes again. — AVe cross Lake Parkijaur, and "push for it " on Lake Randijaur. — How our Boatmen left their Bed.— Our Resting-place, and Hostess at Bjorkholm. — Niavi (an empty house), its Rapids. — Quickjock at last CONTENTS. IX

Chapter VI. Page

Our hearty reception at Quickjock. — The Pastor's House. — Maguificent Scenery. — St. John's Day. — Birds' Eggs. — Washing for Gold. — Preparations for the Mosquitoes. — Lapp Dogs. — Up the Fells on to the Mountains. — AValdi Spiket. — Sending Forbud. — The Ants and their Nests. — Snipe shooting. — The Pastor writes a Letter in English. — Fishing at the Falls. — We leave Quickjock with regret 128

Chapter VII

The Fisherman vanquished by the Mosquitoes. — Reflected Objects on Lake Skalka. — Bjorkholm again. — Our Dog sees a Horse and Cart for the first time. —House building at Jockmock. — Attempted Suicide of Dog. — Rare Plants at Payerim. — We pass the tar on its way to the Coast. — Fishing at Edefors. — Return to Lulea. — Sale by Auction of our surplus Stores. — AVe part with our Dog aud take our passage to Stockholm by the " Berzelius " . 157

Chapter VIII

We coast along the Gulf of Bothnia. — Fishing over the side ofthe Steamer. — Alarm of Fire on board. — The Aide-de- Catnp's Horse. — Ornosvick, a new town. — Sundesvall and the Overland Route to Norway. — Hudiksvall, an old town with a bad name. — The smoking ashes of Gefle. — A stroll amongst the Ruins. — English Convicts in Sweden. — Oregrund. — The Archipelago of Stockholm X CONTENTS. PAGE

Chapter IX

The Fortress of AVaxholm.— The Baltic Fiord.— Stockholm. —The Bridal Trousseau.— AVe walk through the Palace. —The Church of the Knight's Island.— "Moriens triumphavit." — The Fishwives and their living AVares. — Grand Concert in St. Katherine's Church. — The new Museum, its Paintings and Sculptures. — AVe thoroughly enjoy the historical Relics. — The Horse of Gustavus Adolphus.— An Evening in the King's Garden. — The Djiirgarden . . . . . . . . . 193

Chapter X

Grand Entrance of the Royal Bridegroom. — We start for the Gotha Canal with a crabby Captain. — We pass the iron Hat and reach the Sddertelge Canal. — Again in the Baltic. — Ascent from Lake Roxen. — Lake Wettern. — Want of Nuns at Wadstena. — Six hours of Lake AVenern. — Thrilling Adventure by our American Friend. Our Portraits are taken. — The Falls of Trollhattan. — Gothenburg. — The Kattegat and the Skagerack. — Home again once more ........ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. MAP ......... To /ace Title. Page MOSQUITO VEILS 4 CHIMNEY SWEEP AT WORK 25 A PIG IN ITS JACKET 38 OLD GAMPO 64 CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, "HOMEWARD EOUND " . . 99 THE PARISH CHURCH, JOCKMOCK, WITH BELPRY DETACHED 101 CROSSING THE BOG AT JOCKMOCK 107 TIIE FLOOD INVADES THE ROAD TO LAKE VANDIJAUR . 112 INTERIOR OF THE LAPP HUT AT PARKI.JAUR . . . . 118 VIEW FROM QUICKJOCK, LOOKING NORTHWARDS . .129 PORTRAIT OF A LAPP 135 LAKE TRAVELLING IN LAPLAND 161 TAR BARRELS ROLLING TO THE COAST

Chapter I

Preparations for the journey. — Decide to go overland to Stockholm. — Dover and the Lord Warden. — Brussels and its joy. — Cologne and the Cathedral. — Hanover and what we saw there. — Hurried peep at Hamburg. — The Duchy of Holstein. — Detained at Kiel. — Tossed to Corsoerover the Belts. — Tho Island of Zealand. — Arrive at Copenhagen. "Where are you going this year?" is the ques tion so often asked as the time draws near for the shaking off of harness. Happy the man whose mind is made up, and who, instead of wavering towards this or that direction, is able at once to reply, as / did on a similar occasion, " Lapland." Objections by the score are, of course, showered upon you at once ; such as, " Why ! where is Lap land ? somewhere in Russia ? near the North Pole 1 — and your wife is not strong, and you cannot speak B the language !

" etc., etc. Nothing daunted, as these and similar sentences tumble over each other from the astonished querist, we endeavour to reassure him by the answer, that we have gained some experience by roughing it in Norway, and that we prefer the clear, bracing air of the North, Avith its absence of night, to the short days and Swiss extortion of the South. We are also familiar with German, and can master a little Norwegian, and have already begun the Swedish grammar and dialogues. "But you'll be frozen to death in the Arctic Circle," says our friend, returning again to the charge. " Indeed ! we are more likely to be deterred by fear of the heat and mosquitoes than cold ! " Doubting our sanity, he adds, as he walks away, shaking his head, " All right ! if you will go, give my love to the North Pole."

In this world, we generally find that the anti cipation of any enjoyment or pleasure is the best part of it; for, while we contemplate and dwell only upon that which we imagine will be amusing and agreeable, we slur hastily over the difficulties and dangers likely to beset our path. This, I suppose, makes the preparation for a holiday so pleasant. Did we not hunt the libraries for books on Sweden and Lapland ? did we not put together our rods, and throw imaginary flies all round the garden ? The old muzzle-loader, which had seen better days, was sent to be cleaned, and ammunition provided to feed him. Flies of all kinds, spinning-minnows and phantoms, were carefully selected : then came a good stock of travelling medicines, plaister, and insect-powder, which, thank God ! returned just as they went ; also, a bottle of Patent Lotion, which, when applied to the face, was said to be so deadly to the mosquito, that it could not breathe within a yard of you ; alas ! in real practice we found it only fatal when the insect itself was placed in the bottle, and well corked down.

There Avas also another bottle, of turpentine ointment, said to have a similar result, and recommended as infallible by a great living authority. Did we not use it for greasing our boots instead of our faces, and find it more useful in the former capacity ? Mosquito curtains were pronounced a requisite, so b they were added to our stores, besides nets or veils for the head ; these were made of the same material as the curtains, — a coarse bobbin net, — and had a string to tie round the top of the hat, (we found afterwards that the varmints would squeeze under, unless it was tied twice round), and a wire run in, about the level of your nose, to keep it well off the face, leaving at least a quarter of a yard of net below, to tuck into the waistcoat, or dress, — making all snug, as we thought.

Here we are trying them on, and glaring at each other through the bars ! We did not forget one of Mr. Soloman's (of Albe marle Street) compensated aneroids, with compass and thermometer attached (the most perfect com bination of portable instruments) ; and left the eatables, preserved meats, &c, till we arrived in Stockholm. Several magnificent brooches, rings, and pins, varying in value, went with us from the Lowther Arcade, as well as some gutta-percha heads, and jumping frogs, with which to amuse the natives. We also tried to procure some tracts in the Lapp language, but without success. Testa ments we could purchase at the Bible Society's Depot in Stockholm. For the tour we had in contemplation, two routes were open to us, — we might go either direct from the Millwall Docks by steamer to Gottenburg, and then by rail to Stockholm, or overland, via Hamburg and Copenhagen.

As we were to start on the 3rd of June, and had already experienced the playful movements of the Skagerack at that early season on our way to Norway, we thought it better to choose the land journey, and return by sea in August, when the weather would be more likely to be fine and settled. Our luggage consisted of two small hand portmanteaus, each weighing thirty pounds, a travelling bath some fifty pounds more, a bundle of rugs and another of rods and umbrellas, my wife's hand-bag, a gun case, and fishing-basket ; the latter has been a great traveller, though it has never held a single fish, it is so portable and convenient that we have always used it in preference for carrying guide-books, sherry and biscuits, or anything else we wanted handy ; being provided with a waterproof cover, the contents were safe from any injury by rain. j£50 in English money, and £100 in circular notes from Coutts' com pleted our kit.

All preparations concluded, we took our tickets, registered the luggage for Brussels, and started from the Cannon Street Station of the South Eastern Railway by the night mail, — that smoothest and most comfortable of trains, the engine of which is never thirsty or weary, but lands you at Dover in about ninety minutes without a stoppage. For two days previous to our departure the air had been warm, the weather calm, and the barometer steady, and we flattered ourselves that we should have a lovely passage ; but on nearing Dover, a thick fog of drizzling rain, and a decided movement in the tops of the trees, made us anxiously inquire < as the train came to a standstill at the town station, " How's the sea ? " " Calmish, but thick," was the answer of the porter, as Ave began to run down the incline to the Admiralty Pier ; and when at last we were disgorged in hasty confusion on the rails, with out shelter of any kind, the gusts of wind and thick, ■driving mist, joined to the shrieking of the travellers for porters, and the whistle of the steamers as they lay alongside, all tended to increase rather than mitigate our fears as we peered into the darkness.

An American, who, with another passenger, had been our companions from London, talking inces santly the whole way, informed us as he stepped out, " that he guessed it likely he would cascade ! " We turned towards the head of the gangway leading ■down to the unsteady-looking boat, and taking one long, lingering look at the yawning sea beneath, walked off in the opposite direction, where the friendly doors of the " Lord Warden," stood open to receive us, offering us, indeed, a more comfortable night's rest than we should have obtained en route for Brussels. June 4th. — Next morning the clouds had certainly lifted, but a fresh wind came blowing from the S.W., and the storm-flag was flying from the Castle Avails. There was, however, no help for it; and, paying our bill with a smile, here it is, — s. d. Apartments . . . . si 0 Attendance 3 0 1 Cup of Tea . . . .10 2 Cold meat Breakfasts . ..50 Total 15 0 we joined the [travellers by the day mail, at ten o'clock in the morning, and embarking in one of the most tossy boats, crossed the most kick-up-behind kind of seas, and arrived in two hours safely at the Calais pier.

Once more we are on the continent, and, like every other traveller are again struck by the clear ness of the atmosphere and the absence of mists and coalsmuts ; they do not seem to exist. Look at the paint on the houses — the caps of the women — and wherever you go it is the same. One is apt to wish it were hke this at home ; but, after all, our climate is the best for work; and though it may be asked Avhether we are really the happier for all our energy and labour under the sun, and whether the people abroad do not appear more tractable, better behaved, better clothed and fed, than the same class in England, no one would wish our English youths to give up their spirit and activity for the idle lounging-about pleasures of the continent. Our heaviest baggage had gone on to Brussels the night before, being registered through, and the Custom House officers did not look at any of our traps except the gun ; they were anxious to know whether it was a war or a chase gun, and having satisfied themselves, by ocular demonstration, that it was an ancient "chase," we were allowed to mount into the train that ran lazily into the station.

What is the use of the immense bustle and haste on our side of the water, if it be all lost again on the other ? We were anxious to reach Brussels as soon as possible, and, although our passage had not been a very short one, we were detained an hour and a half in the Calais station before we started. Time is certainly not money on the continent. And here I would advise all travellers to ask the price of things at the buffet before they eat them. Seeing some tempting-looking oranges, we Avere on the point of appropriating them, when we found on enquiry that they were 4<d. each ! rather more than we liked to give. Our train was very empty, and, after the usual flat, trumpeting journey, arrived some time after five o'clock at its destination. The examination of luggage on the frontier was a mere form.

We looked rather aghast on reaching Brussels, to find that our luggage could not be released from the Custom House until the next morning, and wishing to leave for Cologne at 9 .30 A.M. and the Douane not opening till 8 A.M. there was not much time for the long and laborious proceedings which we after wards found attended this process. We drove there fore to the Hotel de Saxe near the station ; everything very good, and the charges not quite so high as in the other hotels in the Place Royale. This prosperous city was bursting with joy in con sequence of the birth of an heir to the Throne. The happy infant had at least ten names which you could read if you liked in the proclamation posted up at the corners of the streets. A friendly native informed us that the child was son of the Comte de Flandres, brother of the King, and would succeed, unless the King had another son — or, as we remarked, in de fault of other grave contingencies coming to pass.

" Europe, and especially England, would not stand it," he protested vehemently. In the evening we strolled about the principal streets, supposed to be illuminated ; three or four shops with small gas stars, and a few others with half a dozen coloured oil-lamps in their windows. June 5th. — Drove the first thing to the Custom House, a large collection of buildings some way from our hotel. At the first office, I received a paper, paid half a franc and thought the affair was over ; but alas ! there Avas a good deal more circumlocu tion before our unfortunate luggage could be re covered. I had to visit at least five more different offices (all in the same building, fortunately), in each of which smart young clerks asked different questions and changed my bit of paper. One quite fancied oneself doing business in a well-known office at home.

Driving back with the now liberated luggage, we left Brussels without a sigh by the morning express to Cologne. The weather was warm, and they packed us up close, as they love to do abroad, especially in the first class ; not that there was much to complain of at first, as we had an English family in our carriage, loving fresh air as much as we did. Poor things ! they were suffering from the usual com plaint of too much luggage, and were bemoaning the payment of thirty-seven francs for its fare to Cologne. At Verviers, we took out all our traps, thinking we had to change trains as formerly, and so lost our seats ; on returning from the buffet, we were hurriedly pushed into a compartment with five foreigners, one very fat, who would keep the windows closed, do what we would, and thus rendered our journey as far as Aix la Chapelle most un comfortable.

What would our English engine drivers and stokers say, if they had to work their engines in the royal livery as these Prussians do, buttoned up in blue coats with stocks and forage cap complete ? I did not notice any gloves. Leaving Aachen, we were fortunate in finding a coupe occupied by a kind-hearted German (living in London), who invited us in, and we had a very pleasant time of it for the remainder of our journey. He said his solitude was due to a silver coin adroitly slipped into the palm of the head-guard. We made a note of it. He was going to Wiesbaden, with which boiling and steaming town he seemed well acquainted. Conversing on various subjects, we touched on the increase of pauperism, and he told us that the Wiesbadeners had long worked the Blackheath system of relief, i. e., giving slips of paper only to all beggars at the house-doors, and that it had succeeded there as well as it had with us.

The plan of management seemed much the same, with the addition of a small brass plate being fixed to each house where the tenant subscribed annually to the general fund. These houses were of course avoided by the tramps in their peregrinations. The clock struck four as we caught sight of the well-known dome of Cologne. Here we had three hours to wait, before our train left for Hanover. There is a very good refreshment room at the station, with a place for washing, charge sixpence each ; if you do not bring your own soap, one penny extra. I tried the soap provided, and found it more ornamental than useful ; no wonder several of our companions looked as if they had not gone to this expense. We strolled into the town, and after two minutes' walk reached the Cathedral. Beautiful as it is, and noble as are the proportions, I still prefer the Cathe dral at Strasbourg ; nothing to my mind can equal the side view down those splendid Gothic arches.

Before ensconcing ourselves in the Hanoverian train, I had a private interview with the head-guard in a solitary part of the station, which terminated satisfactorily to both parties, and curiously enough, we had a compartment to ourselves nearly the whole of the way, a journey of six hours and a half. The scenery along the line was flat and uninteresting, and on nearing Dusseldorf it became coaly and grimy; darkness soon came to the rescue and prevented us from tiring our eyes any longer, vainly looking for the picturesque. This railway cannot pay for local traffic, as there is no town of any size after passing Dusseldorf, but then it is the main line from east to west — in fact, it is the road from London and Paris, to Berlin and St. Petersburg. Hanover possesses a fine station and a capital buffet crowded with travellers, though past midnight ; we hurried on to our hotel just over the square, which had been highly recommended to us ; the sleepy porter roused himself with difficulty and showed us into a room, but declared we could have nothing to eat, the only thing he could offer was wine and soda-water.

In vain we implored and explained we had had nothing since we left Cologne, it was very evident he was not trusted with the key of the larder ! I fortunately remembered the buffet, ran across and soon procured from the most obliging of Madchens a bottle of hot tea, some admirable " butter brod " with pieces of meat sandwiched in between, and other comestibles. As I told the landlord next^ morning, it was the first time I had ever been obliged to go out and buy food to bring in to a first-class hotel ; he only shrugged his shoulders and said we had arrived so late. Of all flat towns none can be flatter than Hanover, not a hill or even a rise in any of its streets, (what a paradise for a bicycle ! ) and, in walking round the ramparts on the following day, we perceived the distant country was no better — just as flat as the town.

There was already, early in June, a Cologne savour about the place, what would it have been in August ? The next day being Sunday, we remained here. AA'ent to the English service in the morning, wdiich was held in an old Lutheran church, and in the afternoon took a stroll to see the place. It is a fine town, taken as a whole, but we were told that it is not what it used to be ; the absence of the court, and the withdrawal of the nobility, have a depressing effect upon trade, not in anywise made up by the garrison of 16,000 Prussians. The town contains 80,000 inhabitants, and looks eaten up by the military ; tough, soldier-like young men, tall and well-made. The officers swagger about as if the place belonged to them, buttoned up to the throat in their blue double-breasted frock coats, however hot the weather is, and never without their swords and gloves ; they appear to have nothing to do but return the salutes of their numerous soldiery.

The natives swarmed into the public gardens in the afternoon, hid themselves from the sun under the trees, drank beer copiously, and listened to the music of the military bands ; nearly every shop was open nevertheless ; how the poor shopkeepers must have wished for an English Sunday ! so must the cab-driver ! We were greatly amused at one of these vehicles going, say, three miles an hour, the horses trying how not to trot, in spite of being tickled up now and then by the whip of the sleepy driver. We longed to recommend him to shorten the traces and bring the wheels of his carriage nearer together. Many little bronze angels may be seen on the wrayside on pedestals, holding in their hands a money-box, with the words " For the Poor " written upon it. These artistic productions are an agreeable substitute for beggars, and it was pleasing to observe that the latter had retired in their favour. c One of the churches we passed had a curious high brick tower, the top of which was perforated with holes, and occupied by numerous jackdaws ; it was evidently a veiy safe place for their nests, where neither cats nor boys were likely to disturb them.

Some of the houses struck us as peculiar with regard to their roofs ; one at the corner of a street, had attics six stories high, and each one inhabited. As we continued our walk we came out by one of the gates, where was an unpretending stone column dedicated to a noblehero. It was erected by the citizens of Hanover to their late head bathing master, who, during his long lifetime had been the means of saving 560 lives from drowning. Close by were some public gardens, and on asking the money-taker at the wicket what there was to see, he replied, (literally translated) " That these gardens were grand, immensely artistic, and would make you ' bare of wonder,' and all for three halfpence,"— we passed on nevertheless. The Hanoverians are certainly imbibino- English tastes, and are building numbers of pretty villas, just outside the town, with little gardens and lawns in front, the grass looking as if each blade had been planted by itself and left uncut to hide the bare appearance of the ground.

The table d'hote was at three, and we were happily reminded of it by a native, who entering into conversation, congra tulated us on the weather being warm, as it would make the cucumbers grow ! Poor fellow ! I suppose that indigestible vegetable was a prominent feature in his dinner. Thinking how well life could be supported without them, we hurried back to the hotel just in time for the important table d'hote, where, as usual, we found " great cry and very little wool." However, we thought our bill moderate. Our journey to Hamburg was very hot, very dusty, very monotonous, and very sandy, and as the railway bridges across the two arms of the Elbe are not yet finished, we had to stop at Har burg, where we arrived about noon, and not fancying the huge omnibus, (capable of holding thirty per sons) we drove off in a carriage and pair, traversing the Elbe branches by two ferries, the last a steam one.

It was an eight-mile drive to the Hotel de c l'Europe ; here we rested till 4 '30, when we left by train for Kiel. Hamburg may be a fine town, but a more un interesting-looking one for its size and importance I do not well remember ; the Alster basin is, how ever, very handsome, and the picturesque costume of the girls selling fruit makes the streets look bright and cheerful. We had crowds of passengers to Altona. All the railway stations on this line had cafes attached, where the people sat, smoked, and stared. Altona is about an hour by train from Hamburg, and being on the frontier, there was an examination of luggage. Fortunately, our heavy baggage was registered through to Kiel, and this they never looked at ; but the hand-bag, fishing-rods, &c, were sub jected to the most minute search.

They pinched the rods, hauled over my wife's hand-bag at least three or four times, poked their noses into the rugs, and at last, in the fishing-basket, were rewarded for their trouble. I was ordered to march off into a little room adjoining for further examination, and trembling at what was going to happen, found myself in the presence of an important official, who seized the contraband article and handed me over to a clerk; he, provided with a paper document, took down my name in full, the description of my poor self, and other particulars. After much anxiety and doubt, instead of being led off to jail, I was ordered to pay the mighty sum of one penny ! which I did, and was free. I breathed again, and silently wondered what Bismarck would do with the money. The reason given for this barbarity is, that Ham burg will not join the Zollverein, and Prussia is determined to bully her till she does ; still, it is rather hard upon mere travellers like ourselves, to be subjected to such annoyance.