The principal rivers of the country are, the Tana, which rises in the distant mountains of Lapland, and, after running through East Finmark in a north-east direction, empties itself into a bay, or rather sound, of the same name, in the North Sea ; the Alien, which runs through West Finmai k in a northwest direction, and empties itself into a bay, or rather sound, of the same name, which opens into the ocean ; the Pitca, which rises in the Lapland Alps towards the west, about 67° North Latitude, and running in a south-easterly direction, falls into the sea at Pitea, near the 65° of North Latitude ; the Lulea, which proceeds from a long succession of lakes in the Lapland Alps, and running nearly parallel to the Pitca, falls into the sea at Lulea, in 651° North Latitude ; the Tornea, which is formed by a number of streams uniting in one channel, and run ning neatly clue south through a long course, falls into the northern extremity of the 'Bothnian Gulf at Torneo. Alost of the rivers in Lapland are of small size during win ter ; but, when the snows melt in summer, they swell to an extraordinary height, and frequently inundate large tracts of country.
The lakes of Lapland are very numerous, and many of them of great extent. The most worthy of notice ate Virih-janr and Vastinjaur, to which no others within the alpine range can be compared, either in breadth or height, which amounts to 1862 feet. Hence these lakes may he considered as the centre of the alpine country of Lapland.
The climate of Lapland is singular, especially as it affects vegetation. The temperature of the air is regulated, not as in other parts of the world by the latitude of the place, but by the height above the level of the sea, and the dis tance from the Gulf of Bothnia. Hence the temperature is remarkably similar through the whole extent of country between the Bothnian :gulf and the alpine ridge of mountains, about 69° of North Latitude. But in those parts which lie between the Lapland Alps and the Northern Ocean, the heat, excepting in some of the rallies, is almost entirely regulated by the latitude. In point of temperature, therefore, Lapland may be divided into two regions, the inland and the maritime. In the former, the winter is very severe, and the summer very hot ; in the latter, the winter is comparatively mild, and the summer cold ; the one being influenced by the temperature of the Frozen Ocean, and the other screened from its action by the alpine ridge form ing a circle round it. The following Table furnishes a comparative view of the mean temperature in both by Fahrenheit's thermometer.
Though the mean temperature at Enontekis is nearly 6° lower than at the North Cape, yet is the former place bet ter calculated for vegetation than the latter, and even brings to maturity certain kinds of corn, which is quite out of the question at the Cape. The reason is, that the mean tem perature, during the summer months, is much higher at Enontekis than at the Cape ; and the power of vegetation is regulated more by the heat of summer, than the cold of winter. In those countries, also, where the ground is long covered with snow, the temperature of the earth is consi derably higher than that of the air, and this preserves it in a proper state for vegetation, in spite of the intense w in ter-cold of the atmosphere. Thus, at Enontekis the ground is constantly covered with snow, Ciotti the beginning of October to the beginning of May ; while at the Cape, in consequence of the vicinity of the sea, it is more frequently exposed to thaws. Sometimes it happens in the Lapland
Alps, that, when a colder summer than usual occurs, the snow lies during the whole year, and all kinds of vegctahles are completely destroyed, except a few lichens, polytricha, and peltidea crocea. This is an event which occurs more frequently in Norwegian Lapland, where there ate greater rains during summer, which reduce the temperature of the air, and prevent the dissolution of the snow, or even convert it into ice. The progress of the seasons may be readily perceived from the following Table of Observations, made at Utsjocki, upon the river Tana, in 69* 53 North Latitude.
During the winter solstice, when the son continues during seven weeks together below the norizon, instead of a clear day-light, :here is only a twilight of a few hours. It .s not so dark, however, but that a person might see to write, or do any ordinary business, from lu o'clock in the forenoon to 1 o'clock in the on ; while the superior brigh ness of the moon and stars at this season, with the aic , I the aurora borealis. anti the reflect:LAI of the snow, supply in a great measure, the absence of the sun. The cold, at this time of the year. is frequently so intense as to fre.ze brandy and spirits of wine. The lakes and rivers arc covered with ice of extraordinary thickne,s ; and the whole face of the country buried under snow to the dep. 11 at least of lour or five feet. In the alpine regions, the lakes have been known to be irozen to the depth of a fa thom on the 9th of July ; and the whole range of these mountains utterly impassable in winter, on account of the extreme cold, the total want of subsistence for the reindeer, and the violent gusts of wind which overturn both men and sledges. 'Tie drifting of the snow, when newly fallen, renders it impossible to go abroad till a par tial thaw has taken place, when a hard crust is formed on the surface by frost, and enables the natives to travel on their sledges with the utmost celerity. During a thaw the atmosphere is surcharged with vapours ; but when the not th wind blows, the air is clear and the sky beau tifully serene. Thunder storms are not uncommon even in the depth of winter. At the summer solstice, the sun is as many weeks continually above the horizon as below it in winter ; but his light during the night is paler, and less brilliant than during the day. The heat is then ex tremely oppressive, especially in the yanks ; and the air is darkened by clouds of troublesome insects, which the natives have no possibility of avoiding, except by covering their heads with a cloth, or smearing their faces with tar, or involving themselves in the smoke of a fire. " The degree of heat," says Acerbi, " was twenty-nine (on the thermometer of Celsius) in the shade, and forty-five in the sun. The ground burned under our feet; and the few shrubs we met with in our way afforded us little or no shelter. We were almost sta.. facated with heat ; and, to add to our sufferings, we were under the necessity of wearing a dress of thick woollen cloth as a security from the insects, and to cover our faces with a veil, which in a great measure pre vented our drawing breath." In many parts of Lapland, the days in summer are bright, serene, and warm, and the season, though short, remarkably healthy and de lightful. At Altengaard, as observed by Baron Von Buch, in 79° North Lat. the thermometer generally stood zit 70' or 72° in July ; arkl the mean temperature of the month was nearly 63°.