but we determined to push on to Haparanda the same night. I needed rest
and medical aid, my jaw by this time being so swollen that I had great
difficulty in eating--a state of things which threatened to diminish my
supply of fuel, and render me sensitive to the cold. We reached Nickala,
the last station, at seven o'clock. Beyond this, the road was
frightfully deep in places. We could scarcely make any headway, and were
frequently overturned headlong into the drifts. The driver was a Finn,
who did not understand a word of Swedish, and all our urging was of no
avail. We went on and on, in the moonlight, over arms of the gulf,
through forests, and then over ice again--a flat, monotonous country,
with the same dull features repeated again and again. At half-past nine,
a large white church announced our approach to Haparanda, and soon
afterwards we drove up to the inn, which was full of New-Year carousers.
The landlord gave us quarters in the same room with an old Norrlander,
who was very drunk, and annoyed us not a little until we got into bed
and pretended to sleep. It was pretence nearly the whole night, on my
part, for my torture was still kept up. The next morning I called upon
Dr. Wretholm, the physician of the place,--not without some
misgivings,--but his prescription of a poultice of mallow leaves, a
sudorific and an opiate, restored my confidence, and I cheerfully
resigned myself to a rest of two or three days, before proceeding
further northward.

CHAPTER VII.

CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

I was obliged to remain three days in Haparanda, applying poultices,
gargles, and liniments, according to the doctor's instructions. As my
Swedish was scarcely sufficient for the comprehension of prescriptions,
or medical technicalities in general, a written programme of my
treatment was furnished to Fredrika, the servant-maid, who was properly
impressed with the responsibility thereby devolving upon her. Fredrika,
no doubt, thought that my life was in her hands, and nothing could
exceed the energy with which she undertook its preservation. Punctually
to the minute appeared the prescribed application, and, if she perceived
or suspected any dereliction on my part, it was sure to be reported to
the doctor at his next visit. I had the taste of camomile and mallows in
my mouth from morning till night; the skin of my jaw blistered under the
scorching of ammonia; but the final result was, that I was cured, as the
doctor and