as surprised to notice that the snow diminished rapidly. I had
left the great "Snow Land," or snow belt, which seemed to be between 62
and 64 degrees north, behind me.

After changing horses at several post stations I came to the little
towns of Skelleftea, Pitea, and Lulea, and at last I reached Haparanda,
situated at the extreme northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, at the
mouth of the Torne river, the most northern town in Sweden.

At Haparanda I had driven about seven hundred and forty miles from
Stockholm, and over twenty-five hundred miles since I had left the
mountains of Norway. I was only forty-one miles south of the Arctic
Circle, which is the most southerly part of "The Land of the Long
Night."

CHAPTER IV

GOOD ADVICE FROM THE PEOPLE OF HAPARANDA.--WARNED AGAINST STILL COLDER
WEATHER.--DIFFERENT COSTUME NEEDED.--DRESSED AS A LAPLANDER.--LAPP
GRASS FOR FEET PROTECTION.

I had hardly arrived in Haparanda, when the leading people of the place
came to welcome me. I was not unknown to several of them, on account of
some of my books which have been translated into Swedish; and they were
my friends at once.

They heard with astonishment that I intended to go further north. They
looked serious and remained silent for a while. "We will give you
letters of introduction to our friends," they said; "but after a time
you will be too far north, where we do not know anybody. You will find
only Finlanders and Laplanders until you come to the Arctic shores of
Norway."

After saying this they began to fill their big meerschaum pipes with
tobacco and lighted them, and smoke came out as if from a small funnel.
They gave puff after puff and were again silent; the wrinkles over their
foreheads showed that they were thoughtful and anxious.

One friend said: "The country which lies between the head of the Gulf
of Bothnia and Nordkyn, the most northern part of the mainland in
Europe, is very stormy in winter, the winds blow with terrific force,
and midway between the shores of the Baltic and the extremity of the
land snow is also very deep. It is a roadless land."

When I heard this, I said to myself: "Is 'The Land of the Long Night'
'Snow Land' as well?" Then I thought of the great "Snow Land" I had left
behind me, and how hard travelling had been, and I wondered if it would
be worse in this second "Snow Land." If it was, then I had a hard task
ahead of me.

Another friend said, "This big overcoat of