The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-05-14
Bayard Taylor in Lapland.

Bayard Taylor has returned from his NORTH
ern tour, to Stockholm, which he reached Feb
18th. The highest point he reached was Kau-
tokeiHo, at SO deg. He Travelled on sledges
drawn by reindeer, and found the excessive
cod easier to bear than he expected. For six
Days Of the journey they rode with the ;hermo.
meter at 40 deg. below zero
When he reached Df,nthe in Norway, De
cember .4sh. it was market day he says. and
hundreds Of Noriande-s throiged :he streets
and public square. They were all fresh, strong,
coarse, honest. healthy people-the men wit h
long yellow hair, large noses and blue eyes the
women with the rosiest Of cheeks ami the fti-
lest development OF body and limb Many Of
the latter u'ore basqies or jackets of sheepskin
with the wootinside striped petticots and bright
red stockings. The men were dressed in shag-
gy sheepskin coats, or gar reindeer
skin, with the hair outward. There was a
vast collection of low Norlani sleds, laden with
batter, cheese. hay, and with game. and drawn
by he rough and tough little horses of The
country. Here wa, still plenty Of life aud ami.
nation, alt' oigh We were already so far north
that the sun did not shine upon Sanisyal the
whole day, being hidden by low hill to the
south. The shewy ridges on ne north, how
ever, wore bright rosaate blush from bis rays,
from 10 until2. -
After getting as far ncrth as Lefwar, in Larp-
mark. he describes the people Of that region
as noble specimens of the, physical man-tall
broad-shou!dered, large iimbed, ruddy and
p Terf ii; aud they are mated with woman whn.
veniur to say, do n I even suspect the exist.
ence Of a nervous syssem. The natural con-
sequences Of such health are morality and
honesty-to say nothing of the quantities of
rosy and robust children which bless every
household. lfheaIth and virtue can ,ot secure
happiness, nothing can. aud these Northapders
appear to. be thoroughly happy and content
ed race.
With every day the couatry grows wilder
blacker and more rugged, with no change il
the general character Of the scenery. The
scenery also grew darker and wilder as we ad-
vanced. The 6r-trees were shorter and stun
ted, and Of a dark g,eeni.h- brown, which at a
little dis'ance appear completely black. No
thing could exceed the bleak, inhoepitibie
character of these landscapes. The inlets of
the Bothhian Gulf were hard, snow-c olored
plains, inclosed by bold, rugged headlands
covered with ink-black forests. The more
distant ridges faded into d IL indigo hue, flock.
edwith patches OF ghasty white, under the
lowering, sullen short.Iived daylight.
Our road was much rongher than hitherto.
We climbed long ridges, only to descend by as
steep declivities on the northern side. to eros.
the bed OF an inland stream. and then uscned
again. The valleys, however, were inhabited
and apparently well cultivated, for the houses
were large and comfortable. and the people had
thrifty, prosperous and satisfied air. Beside
farm houses were immense racks, twenty fee,
hist, for the purpose of drying fax and grain,
and at he station the people offered for sale
very fae and beautiful linen of their own man
ufachIre. This is the staple prodsction of
Norlanc, wnere the short summers are fire.
qaently insufficient to mature the grain crops.
The inns were all comfortable boildings, with
very fair ACCOMMODATIONS FOR travellers. Ffa