hension, for I could discover no distinguishable landmarks. After
two hours or more we struck upon a cluster of huts called Palajarvi,
seven miles from Lippajarvi, which proved that we were on the right
track.

The fog now became thicker than ever. We were upon the water-shed
between the Bothnian Gulf and the Northern Ocean, about 1400 feet above
the sea. The birches became mere shrubs, dotting the low mounds which
here and there arose out of the ocean of snow. The pulks all ran in the
same track and made a single furrow, so that our gunwales were generally
below the sea-level. The snow was packed so tight, however, that we
rarely shipped any. Two hours passed, and I was at length roused from a
half-sleep by the evidence of our having lost the way. Long Isaac and
the guide stopped and consulted every few minutes, striking sometimes
in one direction and sometimes in another, but without any result. We
ran over ridges of heavy, hard tussocks, blown bare of snow, which
pitched our pulks right and left, just as I have bumped over the coral
reefs of Loo-Choo in a ship's cutter. Then followed deep beds of
snow-drifts, which tasked the utmost strength of our deer, low birch
thickets and hard ridges again, over which we plunged in the wildest way
possible.

After wandering about for a considerable time, we suddenly heard the
barking of a dog at some distance on our left. Following the welcome
sound, we reached a scrubby ridge, where we were saluted with a whole
chorus of dogs, and soon saw the dark cone of a Lapp tent. Long Isaac
aroused the inmates, and the shrill cry of a baby proclaimed that there
was life and love, even here. Presently a clumsy form, enveloped in
skins, waddled out, and entered into conversation with our men. I
proposed at once to engage a Lapp to guide us as far as Eitajarvi, which
they informed us was two Norwegian (fourteen English) miles farther. The
man agreed, but must first go off to the woods for his deer, which would
detain us two hours. He put on his snow-skates and started, and I set
about turning the delay to profit by making acquaintance with the
inmates of the tents. We had now reached the middle of the village; the
lean, wolfish dogs were yelling on all sides, and the people began to
bestir themselves. Streams of sparks issued from the open tops of the
tents, and very soon we stood as if in the midst of a group of volcanic
cones.

The Lapps readily gave us permission to enter. We lifted th