Northern Travel; summer and winter pictures of Sweden, Lapland and Norway

Front matter

NOETHEEN TEAVEL. London Pi mte-** by Spottis-wgcde & Co. New-street Square. NORTHERN TRAVEL. SUMMER AND WINTER PICTURES OP SWEDEN, LAPLAND, AND NORWAY. BY BAYARD TAYLOR. LONDON : SAMPSON LOW, SON, AND CO. 47 Ludgate Hill. 1858. PEEFACE. This book requires no further words of introduction than those with which I have prefaced former volumes — that my object in travel is neither scientific, statistical, nor politico-economical ; but simply artistic, pictorial, — if possible, panoramic. I have attempted to draw, with a hand which, I hope, has acquired a little steadiness from long practice, the people and the scenery of Northern Europe, to colour my sketches with tbe tints of the ori ginals, and to invest each one with its native and charac teristic atmosphere. In order to do this, I have adopted, as in other countries, a simple rule : to live, as near as possible, the life of the people among whom I travel.

The history of Sweden and Norway, their forms of Government, commerce, productive industry, political condition, geology, botany, and agriculture, can be found in other works, .ad I have only touched upon such subjects where it was necessary to give completeness to my pictures. I have A VI

Preface

. endeavoured to give photographs, instead of diagrams, or tables of figures ; and desire only that the untravelled reader, who is interested in the countries I visit, may find that he is able to see them by the aid of my eyes. BAYAED TAYLOR. London: November, 1S57. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

A WINTER VOTAGE ON THE BALTIC. Embarking at Lubeck. — Put into a Hut. — The Company on Board. — Night on the Baltic. —Ystad.— A Life Lost.— Stopped by Ice.— A Gale. — The Swedish Coast. — Arrival at Dalaro. — Conscientious Custom- House Officers ...... Page 1

Chapter II. Stockholm

— PREPARATIONS POR THE NORTH. Departure in Sleds. — A Meteor. — Winter Scenery. — Swedish Post-Stations. — View of Stockholm. — Arrival. — Stockholm Weather. — Swedish Ignorance of the North. — Funds Equipment . . .9 CHAPTER IH. FIRST EXPERIENCES OP NORTHERN TRAVEL. A Swedish Diligence. ■ — ■ Aspect of the Country. — Upsala. — A Fellow- Passenger. — The Northern Gods. — ■ Scenery. — Churches. — Peasants' Houses. — Arrival at Gefle. — Forbud Papers. — Speaking Swedish. — Daylight at Gefle. — A cold Italian. — Experience of Skjuts and Forbud. — We reach Snow. — Night Travel. — An Arabic Landlord. — A Midnight Chase. — Quarters at Bro. — The Second Day. — We reach Sundsvall 15 A CONTENTS.

Chapter IV

A SLEIGH RIDE THROUGH NORRLAND. Sundsvall and the Norrlanders.— Purchase Sleighs. — Start again. — Driving on the Ice. — Breakfast at Fjal. — Twilight Hymn. — Angermannland. — A bleak Day. — Scenery of Norrland. — Postillions. — Increase of Cold. — Dark Travel. — The Norrland People. — The Country and its Products. — Northern Thanks. — TJmeS The Inn at Innertafle . . Page 26

Chapter V. Progress Northwards

— A STORM. Christmas Temperature. — First Experience of intense Cold. — Phenomena thereof. — Arctic Travel. — Splendour of the Scenery. — The Northern Nature. — Gross Appetites. — My Nose and the Mercury Frozen. — Dreary Travel — SkellefteS and its Temple. — A Winter Storm. — The Landlady at Abyn. — Ploughing out. — Travelling in a Tempest. — Reach PiteS 36

Chapter VI. Journey From

PITe! TO HAPARANDA. Torment. — Under the Aurora Borealis. — A Dismal Night Around the Bothnian Gulf. — Forest Scenery. — Mansbyn. — The suspicious Iron- Master. — Brother Horton and the Cold A Trial of Languages. — Another Storm. — New- Year's Day. — Entrance into Finland. — The Finns.— Haparanda .... .47

Chapter VII. Crossing The Arctic Circle

Medical Treatment. —The kind Fredrika. — Morals in the North. — Onr Quarters at Haparanda.— Vain Questions. — Start for Lapland.— Arctic Daylight.— Campbell's TorneS.— A Finnish Inn. — Colours ofthe Arctic Sky.— Approach to Avasaxa.— Crossing the Arctic Circle.— An Afternoon Sunset. — Reception at Juoxengi CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER vrn. ADVENTURES AMONG THE FINNS. Journey up the Tornea. — Wonders of the Winter Woods. — Lapps and Reindeer. — My Finnish Vocabulary. — A Night Journey. — Reception at Kengis. — Continue the Journey. — Finnish Sleds. — A Hard Day. — The Inn at Jokijalka. — Its Inmates. — Life in a Finnish Hut. — An Arctic Picture. — A frozen Country. — Kihlangi. — A Polar Night. — Parkajoki We reach Muoniovara ..... Page 66

Chapter IX. Life In Lapland

Reception at Muoniovara. — Mr. Wolley. — Our Lapland Home. — A Finnish Bath. — Send for Reindeer A Finnish House. — Stables. — The Reindeer Pulk. — My first Attempt at driving Reindeer. — Failure and Success. — Muonioniska View from the Hill. — Fears of an old Finn. — The Discovery of America. — A Lapp Witch. — Reindeer Accident. 80

Chapter X

A REINDEER JOURNEY ACROSS LAPLAND. Preparations for the Journey. — Departure. — A lazy Deer.—" Long Isaac" — An auroral Spectacle. — A Night at Palajoki. — The Table-Land of Lapland. — Sagacity of the Deer. — Driving a wild Reindeer. — Polar Poetry. — Lippajarvi. — Picture of a Lapp. — The Night. — A Phantom Journey. — The Track lost. — A Lapp Encampment. — Two Hours in a Lapp Tent. — We start again. — Descent into Norway. — Heavy Travel. — Lapp Hut at Siepe. — A fractious Reindeer. — Drive to Kautokeino. 91

Chapter XI. Kautokeino

A DAY "WITHOUT A SUN. Lapland Etiquette The Inn. — Quarters at the Liinsman's. — Situation of Kautokeino. — Climate. — Life. — Habits ofthe Population. — Approach of Sunrise. — Church Service in Lapland. — Cold Religion. — Noonday without Sunrise. — The North and the South. — A Vision. — Visits of the Lapps. — Lars Kaino A Field for Portrait-painting. — Character of X CONTENTS. the Lapp Race. —Their present Condition. — The religious Outbreak at Kautokeino. — Pastor Hvoslef. —A Piano in Lapland.— The Schools- Visit to a Gamme Paee 106 CHAPTER Xn. THE RETURN TO MUONIOVARA. Advantages of Lapp Costume.— Turning Southward. — Departure from Kautokeino. — A Lapp Hat.— Religion.— The Reindeer.— Their Qualities. Treatment by the Lapps. — Annoyances of Reindeer Travel. — Endurance of Northern Girls. — The Table-Land. — The "Roof of the World." — Journey to Lippajarvi. — Descent to the Muonio. — Female Curiosity. — The Return to Muoniovara. — Prosaic Life ofthe Lapps.— Modern Prudery . . . . • • .120

Chapter XIII. About The Finns

Change of Plans.— Winter in Lapland. — The Finns. —Their Physical Appearance. — Character. — Drunkenness. — A spiritual Epidemic. — Morality. — Contradictory Customs. — Family Names and Traditions. — Apathy of Northern Life. — The Polar Zone. — Good Qualities of the Race. — An English Naturalist ..... 131

Chapter XIV. Experiences Of Arctic Weather

Departure from Muoniovara. — 50° below Zero. — A terrible Day. — An Arctic Night. — Jokijalka again. — Travelling down the TorneiL — A Night at Kardis. — Increase ot* Daylight — Juoxengi. — A Struggle for Life. — Difficulty of keeping awake. — Frozen Noses. — The Norseman's Hell. — ■ Freezing Travellers. — Full Daylight again. — Safe Arrival at Haparanda. — Comfort. — The Doctor's Welcome. — Drive to Tornei. — The Weather . . . . . . .140 CHAPTER SV. INCIDENTS OF THE RETURN JOURNEY. Mild Weather! — Miraculous Scenery. — Nasby. — Swedish Honesty. — Adventures at LuleS. — Northern Sleds. — PiteS. — Accident at Skelleftea. — The Norrland Climate. — A damp Swede. — Travelling in a Tempest. — A Norrland Inn. — Character of the People. — Their Houses ,..•.... CONTENTS. XI

Chapter XVI. Conclusion Of The Arctic Trip

Warmth and Daylight. — Swedish Linen. — The Northern Women. — Progress Southwards. — Quarrel with a Postillion. — A Model Village Rough Roads — Scarcity of Snow. — Arrival at Stockholm. — Remarks on Arctic Travel — Scale of Temperature.— Record of Cold . Page 161

Chapter XVII. Life In Stockholm

Stockholm — Its Position aud Appearance. — The Streets and Houses. — Manner of Living Swedish Diet. — Stockholm in Spring. — Swedish Gymnastics. — A grotesque Spectacle. — Results of Gymnastics. — Ling's System. — The Swedish Language Character of the Prose and Poetry. — Songs. — Life in Stockholm .... 170 CHAPTER XYIH. MANNERS AND MORALS OF STOCKHOLM. Hospitality of the Swedes. — Northern Frenchmen. — Stockholm Manners. — Dress. — Conventionalism. — Taking off the Hat. — Courtesy of the Swedish. — An Anecdote. — King Oscar. — The royal Family. — Tendency to Detraction. — The King's Blness.— Morals of Stockholm. — Illegitimate Births. — Sham Morality Causes of Immorality. — Drunkenness. — An Incident . . . . . . . .182

Chapter XIX. Journey To Gottenburg And Copenhagen

Appearance of Spring. — Departure from Stockholm. — Tho Gotha Canal. — Vreta Kloster. — Scenery of the Wener. — European Ideas concerning America. — A democratic Nobleman. — The Gotha River. — Gottenburg. — The Giant's Pots. — ■ The Cattegat. — Elsinore. — The Sound Dues. — Copenhagen and its Inhabitants. — Thorwaldsen. — Interview with Hans Christian Andersen. — Goldschmidt. — Prof. Rafn . . .193 CONTENTS.