New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-04
Bayard Taylor in Northern Europe.
No. XII.

CHRISTMAS WEATHER AND A STORM.
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
PrTEA Northern STedeD( Dec. %, 1856.
We arose besmes at Innertafe, but the grim and
deliberate landlsdy detained hsur In preparing
cur oOfte. was in the yard about i've minutes,
wearing only ny cloth overcoas and no gloves, and
found the ar truly shsrp and npping, but not pam
fully severe. Presently, Breasted came RAINING In
with she thermometer, eIclamiDg with yell OF
triumph: Thirty, by Jupiter" $50 deg. Of Beau
mur, equal IN 354 below zero Of Fshreabeit). We
were delighted with this sign Of our approach to
the Arctic Circle.
carefully, and set out. The dawn was just streak
ing the East, the sky was c3stal-clear and not
breath Of air stirring. My beard was soon a solid
mass of ice, from the moisture Of my breath, and
py nose required constant friction. The day pre-
vious the ice which had gathered on my far collar
lay sssiDst my face SO long that the flesh began 70
freeze over my cheek bones, and have slnoe then
been obliged to be particularly cautious. As it
grew lighter, We were surprised to bnd that our
pos,ilion was Q girl She had heavy sheeQshn
over her knees, muff fer her hands, and shawl
around her head, leaving only the eyes visible.
Thus accoutered, she drove on merrily, and except
that the red OF her cheeks becsme scarlet aud purple
sh,wed no signs of the weather. As weapproached
S6wj1le, the first station. We again had broad
view OF the frozen BOlhnlan GUT, over which how
cred low cloud Of white ice-smoke. Looking
down into tho snowy vsky of Sorlojoe, we saw the
straight pillars Of smoke rising from the houses
high INTO the air, not spreading, but gradually
breaking off into SOLID massss which sank again and
filed the hollow, almost ooncealng the houses.
Only the white, handsome church, with its tall
,pire seated on q mound rOse above this pale blue
6 M and shone softly in the growing flush Of day.
We ordered hortes At once, afer dunkiDg DO vi OF
lot mill, favored with cinnamon. This the favonse
Winter drink Of the people, sometimes with the sd'
di,ion Of brandy. But the Gnte, or common bran.
dy Of Sweden, 10 detestaoie beverage, resembling
mixture Of rurpeutiBe, ram oil and bad psols.ses,
and We take The mk uDniS ed, which serves to keep
no the animal heat admirably. The mercury BY
,h,s time had fallen to go below zero. We were
surprised aud delighted to find that we stood the
cold 90 easily, and prided ourselves not little on
our pOwers Of endurance. Our feet gradually b.
came benumbed, but, BY walking up the hills, we
prevented the circulation from coming 10 Q stand
still
The cold, however, played some gro e'que prsnks
with Us. My beard, mustache, cap and fur collar
were soon one undivided lump Of ice. Our eye
hthes became snow white and be,vy with frost,
AID 1t required cone ant motion 10 Keep ,hsm from
freezing together. We saw everything through
vis0rs barred with ivory. Oar eyebrows AID hair
were ss bOary as tho.e Of ootoeeDsrisu, and our
cheeks mixture of crimson and oraoge, 90 that va
we've scarcely recognizable BY each other Every
one We met bsi SLOW white locks, no mstser bow
youthful the face, snd, whatever was the color of
our horses at starting, we always drove muk-whlte
sfeeos a. the clote OF the post. The irritation Of
eur DosIrls occasioDed the greatest iecoovenesce,
and ~ The hsnokecches froze instantly, it sOon BE-
came matter Of pain sad difficulty 10 use them.
You might % veil attempt TO blow your nose With
ApOplar chip. We could not bare eur hands 3
minute, without feeling iron grasp Of cold watch
seemed 10 squeeze the fesh like vice. and turn
The very blood 10 ice. In other respects We wefc
warm and jolly, and have rarely been in higher
sPn's The air was exqasitey sweet sad pure,
and could open my mouth (as far ~ its icy graf
ng permitfed) and inhse full drsugh.s into the
hpgs With delicious ,eDsa aon Of r-ireshmeos and
e1h'Asss'sn. j bad DOS expected h End spob