inebriation; but one taste from the icy goblet of the North is enough to
allay curiosity and quench all further desire. Yet the contrast between
these two extremes came home to me vividly but once during this journey.
A traveller's mind must never stray too far from the things about him,
and long habit has enabled me to throw myself entirely into the
conditions and circumstances of each separate phase of my wandering
life, thereby preserving distinct the sensations and experiences of
each, and preventing all later confusion in the memory. But one day, at
Muoniovara, as I sat before the fire in the afternoon darkness, there
flashed across my mind a vision of cloudless Egypt--trees rustling in
the hot wind, yellow mountain-walls rising beyond the emerald plain of
the Nile, the white pencils of minarets in the distance, the creamy
odour of bean-blossoms in the air--a world of glorious vitality, where
Death seemed an unaccountable accident. Here, Life existed only on
sufferance, and all Nature frowned with a robber's demand to give it up.
I flung my pipe across the room and very soon, behind a fast reindeer,
drove away from the disturbing reminiscence.

I went across the valley to the schoolmaster's house to make a sketch of
Kautokeino, but the frost was so thick on the windows that I was obliged
to take a chair in the open air and work with bare hands. I soon learned
the value of rapidity in such an employment. We spent the afternoon in
the Lansman's parlor, occasionally interrupted by the visits of Lapps,
who, having heard of our arrival, were very curious to behold the first
Americans who ever reached this part of the world. They came into the
room with the most perfect freedom, saluted the Lansman, and then turned
to stare at us until they were satisfied, when they retired to give
place to others who were waiting outside. We were obliged to hold quite
a levee during the whole evening. They had all heard of America, but
knew very little else about it, and many of them questioned us, through
Herr Berger, concerning our religion and laws. The fact of the three
Norwegian residents being able to converse with us astonished them
greatly. The Lapps of Kautokeino have hitherto exalted themselves over
the Lapps of Karasjok and Karessuando, because the Lansman, Berger, and
Pastor Hvoslef could speak with English and French travellers in their
own language, while the merchants and pastors of the latter places are
acquainted only wi