_Of the temperature of the Air, and soil of_ Lapland.
We have seen how _Lapland_ is situate; let us next proceed to other
particularities of it. That ’tis very near the Pole appears from its
latitude, insomuch that for some months in the Summer the Sun here
never sets, and on the contrary in the Winter it never rises; which
_Herbersten_ says is but forty days, and tho three hours in the night
the body of it is something darkned, so that his raies appear not, yet
there is so much light, that they continue their work all the while.
Indeed the same account is not to be taken of the whole Country, since
part of it lies nearer, and part further distant from the Pole; and of
these too some parts are more East, and some more to the West, from
whence ’tis that with some of them the Sun is scarce above the Horizon
for so many daies as he pretends. And altho in the Summer it never
sets and goes below the Earth, yet neither does it rise much above it,
but as it were kisses and gently glides along the Horizon for the most
part; as likewise in the Winter when lowest it is not much beneath it:
which is the reason that tho they have one continued night for some
months, yet every day the Sun comes so near, that it makes a kind of
twilight. _Joh. Magnus_ saies that in the absence of the Sun there
are two twilights, one in the morning, the other in the evening, in
which those poor remainders of day provide that the night should not
be utterly destructive. And by how much the Sun is farther absent, the
light of the Moon is clearer. Hence _Petr. Claud._ saies that when
the Moon shines they go a fishing, and dispatch all other necessaries
that are to be done without doors; and when it does not, if the air be
clear, even the light of the Stars so much abates the darkness, that
the horrour of the night is much lessened, and there is light enough
for the dispatch of severall businesses, which is farther assisted by
the whiteness of the Snow. The Air of _Lapland_ is cold, but fresh and
clear, and consequently very wholesome, being much purified by the
winds which are here very frequent and violent. It has bin attested to
me by eye-witnesses, that there rises a certain wind out of the Sea,
which beginning to blow raises presently such thick and dark clouds
even in the midst of Summer, that they utterly hinder the sight, and
in the Winter drives the snow with such force and quantity, that if
any person be surprised abroad, he hath no other remedy but to throw
himself on the ground with some garment over him, suffering himself to
be quite buried in snow till the storm is past, which don, he rises
up, and betakes himself to the next Cottage he can meet, all paths and
roads being hid in the snow. But the strongest and most irresistible
winds are upon the Mountains, where they throw down all things they
meet with, and carry them away by their violence into far distant
places, where they are never seen or heard of afterwards. Their only
help against these is to convey themselves into dens and caves. Here is
rain as in other places, sometimes more, and sometimes less, but in the
midst of Summer, this as likewise the neighbouring Countries have very
seldom any at all. Snow they have more often, and so much that in the
Winter it covers all the Country, of which they make this advantage,
that they can travel the more securely in the night; for the light of
the Moon reflected from the snow, enlightens all the fields, that they
can discern and avoid any pits, precipices and wild Beasts, that would
otherwise annoy them: so convenient are the wayes for any journy, that
two rein deer will draw a greater load over the trodden snow, then a
Cart and ten Horses can in the fields at other times. These snows in
some places, as on the tops of their highest hills, remain perpetually,
and are never melted by the strongest heat of the Sun. In the upper
part of _Lapland_ there are Mountains rising to such a vast hight, that
the snow continues upon them Summer and Winter, and is never dissolved,
but in other places the Land is every year over-flown with floods of
melted snow. They have also very great frosts and mists, and good store
of them, which sometimes so thicken the air, that the sight is quite
obstructed, and Passengers cann’t distinguish one man from another to
salute or avoid him, tho he be come close up to them. It is so extreme
cold here in the Winter, that ’tis not to be endured but by those who
have bin bred up in it. The swiftest Rivers are sometimes frozen so
hard, that the ice is more than three or four cubits thick; and their
greatest Lakes and deepest Seas bear any burdens whatever. Nor is the
Summer, which to some may seem incredible, more moderately hot. For
tho the Sun be very low, and his raies oblique, yet lying upon them so
long together, their force is strangely increast; the only allay being
from the vapors rising out of the neighbouring Sea, and from the snows,
which as well in Summer as Winter continue undissolv’d in hollow places
between the hills. As for Spring and Autumn they know neither, there
being so very little space between the extremity of cold in the Winter,
and heat in Summer, that by Strangers ’tis look’t upon as a miracle to
see every thing springing fresh and green, when but a week before all
things were overwhelm’d with frost and snow. _Ol. Petr. Nieuren._ has
observed it as a memorable thing, and which he would not have believ’d
from any one had he not seen it himself, that in the year 1616, June
24, going to the Church of _Thor_, he saw the trees budding, and the
grass coming up green out of the ground, and within a fortnight after
he saw the Plants full blown, and the leaves of the trees at their
perfection, as if they had known how short the Summer was to be, and
therefore made such hast to enjoy it. Their soil is generally neither
very fertile nor barren, but between both, full of flints, stones and
rocks, every where appearing high, by whose unevenness and roughness
the rest of the ground about is useless. The ground is generally very
soft and flabby, by reason of the many Lakes and Rivers overflowing,
yet would it be fit either for tillage or pasture if any would be at
the pains and charge of draining it. _Ol. Petrus_ saies of the Southern
part, lying under the same climate and influence of the Heavens with
_Bothnia_, that ’tis as apt to bear any grain as the Western _Bothnia_
it self, but this is not without a concurrence and aptitude likewise
of the soil: and he himself confesses in Chap. 12^{th}, that the
Land is stony, sandy, uneven, overrun in some places with briars and
thornes, and in others nothing but hills, moores, fennes and standing
waters, which are not the qualities that usually commend Land for
agriculture. Then as to his urging its verdant and rich pastures, it
doth not follow that all Land which yields much grass should be equally
capable of bearing good corn. Yet doth the Land afford plenty of grass,
and that so good that their Cattel are fatned much cheaper and sooner
with it than any other thing, as also divers hearbs, but particularly
’tis happy in all kind of pot-hearbs. There are many large Woods and
Forests, especially towards _Norway_, but not very thick; likewise
steep rocks and high mountaines called _Doffrini_; upon whose naked
tops, by reason of the violence of the winds to which they are exposed,
never yet grew tree. Below these hills lie most pleasant Vallies, in
which are clear fountaines and rivulets innumerable, which emtying
themselves into the rivers, at length are carried into the _Bothnic_
Sea. Their water is clear, sweet and wholesome, only their Forests
abound with stinking and standing Pools. This Country Winter and Summer
hath an incredible number of all kinds of wild beasts, especially the
lesser sorts, which suffice not only for their own use, but to drive a
great trade with their neighbours. They have Birds also of all sorts
very many, but Fish in such abundance that a great part of the Natives
are entirely fed by them. But of all these we shall speak in their
proper places, I will add no more here but this, that the Description
of old _Finland_ or _Scritofinnia_ by the Ancients is the same which
hath bin given here of _Lapland_; to confirm what I said before that
these Countries differ only in name, and not in nature and situation.
We come now to its Division.