that throughout Norwegian
Lapland the Lapps are universally called _Finns_, and the Finns,
_Quans_. As the change of names, however, might occasion some confusion,
I shall adhere to the more correct Swedish manner of designating them,
which I have used hitherto.

Kautokeino is situated in a shallow valley, or rather basin, opening
towards the north-east, whither its river flows to join the Alten.
Although only 835 feet above the sea, and consequently below the limits
of the birch and the fir in this latitude, the country has been stripped
entirely bare for miles around, and nothing but the scattering groups of
low, dark huts, breaks the snowy monotony. It is with great difficulty
that vegetables of any kind can be raised. Potatoes have once or twice
been made to yield eight-fold, but they are generally killed by the
early autumn frosts before maturity. On the southern bank of the river,
the ground remains frozen the whole year round, at a depth of only nine
feet. The country furnishes nothing except reindeer meat, milk, and
cheese. Grain, and other supplies of all kinds, must be hauled up from
the Alten Fjord, a distance of 112 miles. The carriage is usually
performed in winter, when, of course, everything reaches its destination
in a frozen state. The potatoes are as hard as quartz pebbles, sugar and
salt become stony masses, and even wine assumes a solid form. In this
state they are kept until wanted for use, rapidly thawed, and
immediately consumed, whereby their flavour is but little impaired. The
potatoes, cabbage, and preserved berries on the Lansman's table were
almost as fresh as if they had never been frozen.

Formerly, the place was almost entirely deserted during the summer
months, and the resident missionary and Lansman returned to Alten until
the Lapps came back to their winter huts; but, for some years past, the
stationary population has increased, and the church is kept open the
whole year. Winter, however, is the season when the Lapps are found at
home, and when their life and habits are most characteristic and
interesting. The population of Kautokeino is then, perhaps, about 800;
in summer it is scarcely one-tenth of this number. Many of the
families--especially those of mixed Finnish blood--live in wooden huts,
with the luxury of a fireplace and chimney, and a window or two; but
the greater part of them burrow in low habitations of earth, which
resemble large mole hills raised in the crust of the soil