Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-03-02
LIFEIN THE NORTH.

nexed synopsis of lecture recently deH'e.eu
in that city by the great American Traveller,
| Bayard TAYLOR 1t is full of interest, and VIII
abundantly repay the reader for the time spent
| in its perusal:
| Mr.. TAYLOR commenced with beautiful PIC
| ture of the impression that journey IN Egypt
| had made upon him, depicting the eternal mar
vest that was ever visible, the light, beauty,
and redundant vitality. He said 1t seemed as
| though life was the language OF all creation,
and death could only happen as an unaccount-
able accident. He gave an account OF an IN
terview he had on the Nile with fellow coun-
! tryman, who had just returned from Iceland
and said that his description OF the lano OF
snow and ice melted him to extend his obser-
vations thither, and experience the contrast
| thus presented.
The lecturer remarked that the natural long
| ing of mankind was towards the tropics. The
ancients had an Arcadia in the North, but II
was an imaginary one. The great stream OF
| human emigration was towards the West and
South. A few lateral streams had been turn
| ed by chance obstacles towards the North.
No other Journey he had ever made, so fully
| convinced him as did this, that however full
| the knowledge received from the record OF the
| observations of others, Nature has fresh as
poets of many a varied form for him who will
use his eyes. The only misgivings he had In
undertaking the exploration, was OF the in
| tense depression Of mind which the climate
and the face of nature might produce upon
| him. He had thoroughly tested his physical
endurance in the torrd zone, and therefore
had no fear that it would fail him.
The lecturer described his journey from
Southern Sweden, and his impatie1ce to reach
the extreme cold of the arctic region, until he
was perfectly satisfied with temperature of
| forty degrees below zero.
On Christmas day he was quite satisfied TO
find his nose and the mercury frozen together
Day after day the described more de-
pressed arc. The hues of the sky were those
of the sunset and sunrise blended together.
The twilight colors of the sky detied descrlp-
ton, and nothing in the skies of Greece or OF
Italy could be compared with them. The fan
tastic dancing of light in the Aurora Borealis,
impressed him far less than the unclouded
splcndor of day. All the common objects of q
:, Lapland landscape were transmitted into mar
BILE. Not speck of green was visible. lie
had looked over twenty miles OF landscape
I which seemed like world carved into purest
alabaster. possessing richness OF detail that
confused the eye. The lotus, palm, and feath-
cry bamboo were nothing beside them. But
S to see through the peculiar atmosphere was 9
beauty. solemn and touching. ii was as i
. God had designed it in the absence of warmth
and life. But the sublimity and terror OF the
Northern winter equal to its beauty
Nothing could be more drearT. When the
cold crept over the limbs and sought the seat
, OF life the white landscape looked CHASTITY and
forbidding. Take off your mittens, and the
air seemed to crush the hand like a vice OF
iron. 1t was The breath of death, and you
must do energetic battle with 1t to save your
l life. Your breath deposits ice as soon as IL
i leaves the mouth. The hair becomes as white
, as snow, and you only can keep the eye from
i freezing by constant winking. Your horse
; though black as ebony, becomes as white a:
foam. Enter warm apartment and you art
;, | surrounded by cloud OF steam. This wealth
u er he endured for two days, travelling on al
Id ind forfU 1rnlV n hi
u back, or he could not have borne it. DIR. Kan
u had described to him that the effect of TEN
. perature of AZ degrees below zero was TO max
4 him and his men delirious. But he (Mr. Iay
: lori found that he and his companion endured
tho cold weather of the North about as vel
u | as the natives themselves, although he WOMB
y | not like to try it second winter.
In Norland, one of the ancient homes OF tht
;. Scandinavians, he struck with the splen
u u did animal health of the people. They were
Il very friendly and hospitablc, but possessed
; so much reserve that they might be thought
i cold. A word of affection was rarely heard II
:, . the North. Mild and quiet as they appeared
u they were no milksops, but warm and ener
u getc when aroused. They were cold onl!
through superior self control. They wer'
r true and faithful always. Love was silent VIII
II them, because it was eternal. The women
: without being beautiful, had clear and beauti
y full compilations. He didn't believe they knew
: there was such a thing in existence as ner
.. .. youS system.
Il In Finland there was difference of ply
:. sique and something of the oriental IN tn
v manners of the people. The Finnish languag
. was tar more rich and melodious than tn
IS . Swedish, which had been called the Spanis
Z of the North. He had beard no language S
full of melody. They were more picturesqu
people. They were more passionate, lmagl
= native, but there was singular absence OF lie
e gendary lore among them. They possesse
y the most extravagant forms and variety OF de
~ votional feelings. He found the Flnns q
~ moral and honest as the Swedes. While bot
y sexes use the vapor bath at the same time, an
!, y salute with an embrace of the right arm, the
IL yet regard kiss as indeicate in the extreme
>, One lady said il her husband should attemI
% such a thing she would box his ears.
But the Laps were the natural and appfopr
ate inhabitants of this region. Where the
u came from was not known. Seen in the
r SHOWS, it did not appear that they came fro
ID anywhere, but, in the language of Tops.
n growed there. sick Lap in foreign Ian
ig once said, ssGive me pillow of snow TO Ia
Ae my head on, and l shall be happy" He cou
find but little evidence of Mongolian blood
le mong them. 1t was the restless blood OF d
madic tribe that had retarded their civilization
O. Mr.. Taylor describes the reindeer as invai!
able to the inhabitants of that region, furnisi
ing him with food, clothing, etc., put Pi'
ct nouncing him to be the most provoking al
We NAL in existence. All he kne" was 10 Jun
IS. and run, when harnessed. ana turn rou'u an
W. stand as long as he chooses. ew oaSei iii'i
than fifteen miles an hour, anu , CT many tuah
I'd ono bpnd1ed and twenty miles In day. NAL
aatng n reindeer amid the Arctic SHOWS, W;
lie ending sturgeon in rough sea;
,phat you would, You could not prevent hi
IL from turning round and looking at you wit
Inn most provoking GOODNESS, as much as to sa