Evening star., 1935-08-25
$4,000 Lakes
Chief Lure
OF Finl
Modern Cities Await
Travellers, However,
in Wooded Land.
Y ELSINGFORS, Finland, August
24.-If the Indians had named
Finland they would have
Il called 1t "The Land Of Many


24.-If the Indians had named
Finland they would have
Il L called it "The Land Of Many
Waters" Sixty thousand lakes. one
Of them the largest in Europe, dot its
surface, mighty rivers roar over it to
sea, carrying with them hundreds of
thousands of logs, 10000 islands are
esprinkled along its seashore and
through its inland waters.
Add to this the fact that Finland
has deep forests. fine fishing. cities as
you make it a paradise for travellers
as we'll as for Indians. And Amer
leans are slowly becoming aware Of
this new land, for where 10 came to
Finland Is years ago, hundred come
today. eager to explore this virgin
country of Europe.
A trip through Finland properly be-
gins at Helsingfors, or Helsinki, the
capital. A chain of islands seems to
block the city off completely from the
- sea, but when the last channel Is ne
gotiated, the steamer swings into a
great harbor, around which the city
spreads in a semi-circle. No docks
are needed here, for the water Is so
deep that boats anchor at the quay
edges and passengers disembark right
on the streets.
INTERESTING as it Is, Helsingfors,
one of the most modern uties of
Europe, cannot compete in fascination
with Finland's lakes and waterways.
Small steamers cruise for hundreds Of
miles on them, now passing islands
covered with pine. spruce, birch, fir,
now stopping at crude docks to pick
up passenger or freight, now voyag-
ing through channel so narrow that
branches of trees on shore brush the
a boat. Occasionally the steamer stops
q short while for fuel-not coal, but
logs of wood for Finland is one of
the greatest timber producing coun-
tries in the world, and locomotives as
well as steamers are wood burning.
A thrill that travellers in Finland
never forget is shooting the rapids Of
the River Oulujoki in one of the boats
which once transported tar Sixteen
passengers take their places in the
boat, a steersman guides the craft
with a large paddle, and almost be-
fore one knows it, the boat is sucked
into the breakers Of the rapids. Great,
tumbling waves catch it up, it heads
for stone bank, only to be guided
aside by the adroit steersman, cas-
cades threaten to engulf it. and on
every side the waters roar deafen-
ingly. The descent is so breathless
that though 1t may last only few
minutes, it seems all eternity.
SUPERLATIVES are the only words
in which one can deal when one
describes Finland's waters. Imatra,
In the southeastern part of the coun-
try, Is the greatest cataract in the
world, narrow cut through which
roar the waters drained from thou
sands of square miles. Near Imatra
is the largest lake in Europe. Lake
Ladoga, forming part of the boundary
between Russia and Finland Thirty
miles out In it, on beautiful group
of islands. is the only Russian mo-
mastery now serving a religious pur-
pose.
Three times week boat manned
by monks in long hair, great boards,
high boots and flowing black coats
docks at Sortavala to pick up freight
and passengers for the monastery. A
hotel is kept for visitors to the islands,
but while it may seem luxurious to the
simple, hard-working monks, it hardly
comes up to American expectations
The beds are merely platforms of wood,
over which a thin mattress is laid. and
the pillows nothing more or less than
small wooden blocks!