ne creatures they
were, taking us up the Kalix to Mansbyn, eight miles in one hour. The
road was hard as a rock and smooth as a table, from much ploughing and
rolling.

The next day was dark and lowering, threatening snow, with a raw wind
from the north-west, and an average temperature of 15 deg. below zero. We
turned the north-western corner of the Bothnian Gulf in the afternoon,
and pushed on to Old Lulea by supper-time. At Perso, on the journey
north, I had forgotten my cigar-case, an old, familiar friend of some
years' standing, and was overjoyed to find that the servant-girl had
carefully preserved it, thinking I might return some day. We drove
through the streets of empty stables and past the massive church of Old
Lulea, to the inn, where we had before met the surly landlord. There he
was again, and the house was full, as the first time. However we
obtained the promise of a bed in the large room, and meanwhile walked up
and down to keep ourselves warm. The guests' rooms were filled with
gentlemen of the neighborhood, smoking and carousing. After an hour had
passed, a tall, handsome, strong fellow came out of the rooms, and
informed us that as we were strangers he would give up the room to us
and seek lodgings elsewhere. He had drunk just enough to be mellow and
happy, and insisted on delaying his own supper to let us eat first. Who
should come along at this juncture but the young fellow we had seen in
company with Brother Horton at Mansbyn, who hailed us with: "Thank you
for the last time!" With him was a very gentlemanly man who spoke
English. They were both accompanied by ladies, and were returning from
the ball of Pitea. The guests all treated us with great courtesy and
respect, and the landlord retired and showed his surly face no more. Our
first friend informed me that he had been born and brought up in the
neighborhood, but could not recollect such a severe winter.

As we descended upon the Lulea River in the morning we met ten sleighs
coming from the ball. The horses were all in requisition at the various
stations, but an extra supply had been provided, and we were not
detained anywhere. The Norrland sleds are so long that a man may place
his baggage in the front part and lie down at full length behind it. A
high back shields the traveller from the wind, and upon a step in the
rear stands the driver, with a pair of reins as long as a
main-top-bowline, in order to reach the horse, who is at the opposite
en