CHAP.

I.

Fishery at

MENT SHEWETH HIS HANDY-WORK!" Before we arrived at Alaparkyla, where we rested during a part of the night, it became necessary to take the boats out of the water, and to haul them over the land for a short distance, owing to a dangerous cataract, called Tivan-koski, down which no man ever ventured to descend, excepting one unfortunate individual in a fit of intoxication, and he was drowned. It was midnight Midnight when, as we were walking by the side of the Tivanriver, we came to this cataract; where we found koski. thirty or forty peasants fishing in the midst of the torrent. The scene was such as can hardly be conceived. Some of these men were in boats with lighted fires in the prows, to attract the salmon for the harpooners; others had kindled fires upon rocks, in the midst of the waters, for the same purpose; others were up to their girdles, in the midst of the turbulent waves, with spoon-nets in their hands, watching the motions of the salmon as they endeavoured, with surprising leaps, to ascend the cataract: again, others wrapped in bear-skins, with fur caps upon their heads, were employed before large bonfires upon the shore, roasting fish, by holding them upon wooden spits over the glowing embers. We remained with them for some time, regretting only the want of a painter to represent a

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CHAP. sight so truly extraordinary: at length, subdued by fatigue, we endeavoured to get a few hours Alaparkyla. rest at Alaparkyla: but the boats not being arrived with our beds, we slept upon wooden benches placed against the wall of the room in which we passed the night.

Rovila.

Appearance of Kiemi Church.

August 11.-From this place to Kiemi the distance is only ten English miles and a half. We embarked at eight in the morning, and passed the church and village of Rovila. Soon afterwards, we came in sight of Kiemi Church; one of those magnificent buildings which the piety of the peasants has induced them to erect in many parts of Sweden and Finland. It presented a very striking object; having in front a portico of Doric pillars, surmounted by a dome, designed in good taste, but ill executed. With the appearance of a stone building, the whole of it is of wood. A circular range of Ionic pillars, with arches, support the cupola; the general appearance of which is not much improved by the faces of a clumsy clock: but it is still more disfigured by an enormous cock, placed upon the top of the crucifix above a gilded ball; serving as a pinnacle of the whole building. If one of the Athenian temples, like the Chapel of Loretto, were to take its flight through the air, and the traveller were to find it in the wilds of America,

CHAP.

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he would not be more surprised than at the anomaly of a stately Grecian structure upon the borders of Lapland. This church, together with that of Torneå, Skellefteå, and some others, were built by an architect of the name of Adelcrantz, Adelcrantz, a common peasant of Finland, whom we after- Architect. wards found upon the spot; and of whom we bought the plan and elevation of Kiemi Church; the latter of which has been engraved, upon a reduced scale, as a Vignette to this Chapter. Adelcrantz is a native of Nya Carleby in OsteroBothnia. The interior of the building not being quite finished, we found him, the day after our arrival, at work, like a common day-labouring carpenter, in a dark part of the cupola. He told us, that there was at present a rage for building churches among all the natives inhabiting the northern shores of the Gulph of Bothniå : that, by an order of Government, if the inhabitants of a particular parish wish to build a church, they are first required to send notice to Stockholm, giving an exact account of the sum they can raise for this purpose; when regular plans and architectural designs for the proposed struc, túre are, in consequence, returned to them. This, while it confirms the observations before made' respecting the church at Skellefteå, will

(1) See Chapter VII. of the former Volume.

CHAP.

I.

Dress of the Finlanders.

serve to explain the elegance of the churches, in many instances, in the north of Sweden. We could not call to mind a village in all Great Britain with so magnificent a church as this of Kiemi, and few of our towns are in this respect so well provided. Of Sweden in general it may be said, that, with few exceptions, its towns cannot boast of such stately churches as its villages. Opposite to this church we saw the stranded ship before mentioned, lying upon one of the shallows in the midst of the river.

The

pure costume of the Finland peasants is very elegant: we saw it here generally worn. It consists, among the men, of a jacket, with pantaloons, buskins, and a yellow sash worn as a girdle round the loins. The sash, although generally yellow, is sometimes red, and sometimes it is variegated with flowers. The buskins are bound about the ankles with scarlet garters, ending in a black tassel. The jacket and pantaloons are of the same colour, and generally white; but blue, black, and grey, are also used. Some of the men, but very few, appear in long white coats, bound with the same sort of sash, like the Don Cossacks. The dress of the women resembles the costume of the females of the Venetian territory, and is very beautiful. They appear in a short scarlet or striped vest, made as gaudy as possible, with large and loose shift

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sleeves of very white linen, and white hoods or СНАР. handkerchiefs upon their heads. The vests are often of silk or rich damask, embroidered with large brocade flowers. The name of this place, written Kiemi, is pronounced Chimmy, with the Ch, as in our word Chimney. We were fortunate enough to arrive in the very heyday of the fair, Kiemi Fair. which lasts during ten days, and brings hither all the principal merchants from Uleå and Torneå. This being the Sabbath, was considered as one of the days upon which the most business is done. The fair is held upon an island, where several log-houses, like those of Enontekis, are stationed as warehouses, ranged in the form of streets, for exposing the goods belonging to the traders; by much the greater part of whom come from Uleå. They sell linen and woollen cloths, rein-deer harness, handkerchiefs, hardware, caps, and trinkets. The Lapps and Finns come to this fair from the most distant provinces; and it amused us to see how the wives and daughters of the dealers had dressed themselves, to attract the notice of these people: the more remarkable and conspicuous their appearance, the more custom they gained; many being fantastically dressed, and painted, like the strange figures exhibited to attract notice at a