[22] On this subject see Dr. Latham's excellent paper in the fourth vol. of the Linn. Society's Transactions, p. 90.
The river along which we had rowed for the space of almost three miles, and which had hitherto been easily navigable, now threatened us occasionally with interruption, from small shelves forming cascades, and at length we came to three of these, very near each other, which were absolutely impassable. One of them is called the waterfall of Tuken. My companion, after committing all my property to my own care, laid his knapsack on his back, and turning the boat bottom upwards, placed the two oars longitudinally, so as to cross the seats. These rested on his arms as he carried the boat over his head, and thus he scampered away over hills and valleys, so that the devil himself could not have come up with him.
Its length was twelve feet, breadth five, and depth two. The thickness of the edge not more than two lines. The four planks which formed each of its sides were of root of spruce fir, each about a span broad and four lines thick. The two transverse boards or seats were of the branches of the same tree. The seams were secured obliquely with cord as thick as a goosequill.
Ice was still to be seen here and there near the shore of the river, though not in any great quantity.
The trees of this neighbourhood are principally Common Fir (_Pinus sylvestris_), with a smaller proportion of Spruce (_P. Abies_), and Birch. Now and then some Poplars are to be seen. The shrubs are dwarf kinds of Willow and Dwarf Birch (_Betula nana_); both now in blossom.
The more humble and herbaceous plants are Ling, (_Erica vulgaris_ and _Tetralix_[23]), four kinds of _Vaccinium_, _Linnæa_[24], _Pyrola pyrifolia_ (_P. secunda_), _Epilobium_, Golden rod (_Solidago Virga aurea_), _Empetrum_ in flower, Dandelion, _Convallaria bifolia_, Sweet grass (_Holcus odoratus_) in flower, Small smooth Rush (_Juncus filiformis_), Jointed water Rush (_J. articulatus_), Water Horse-tail (_Hippuris vulgaris_), Marsh Marigold (_Caltha palustris_), a _Mnium_ not in fructification, four species of _Lycopodium_, _Andromeda polifolia_[25], Milfoil (_Achillea Millefolium_), and Small Sorrel (_Rumex Acetosella_).