Chapter X: Spitzbergen--Bear Island--Jan Meyen

The west Coast of Spitzbergen.--Ascension of a Mountain by
Dr. Scoresby.--His Excursion along the Coast.--A stranded
Whale.--Magdalena Bay.--Multitudes of Sea-birds.--
Animal Life.--Midnight Silence.--Glaciers.--A dangerous
Neighborhood.--Interior Plateau.--Flora of Spitzbergen.--
Its Similarity with that of the Alps above the Snow-line.--
Reindeer.--The hyperborean Ptarmigan.--Fishes.--Coal.--
Drift-wood.--Discovery of Spitzbergen by Barentz, Heemskerk,
and Ryp.--Brilliant Period of the Whale-fishery.--Coffins.--
Eight English Sailors winter in Spitzbergen, 1630.--Melancholy
Death of some Dutch Volunteers.--Russian Hunters.--Their Mode
of wintering in Spitzbergen.--Scharostin.--Walrus-ships from
Hammerfest and Tromsö.--Bear or Cherie Island.--Bennet.--
Enormous Slaughter of Walruses.--Mildness of its Climate.--
Mount Misery.--Adventurous Boat-voyage of some Norwegian
Sailors.--Jan Meyen.--Beerenberg. 131

CHAPTER XI.

NOVA ZEMBLA.

The Sea of Kara.--Loschkin.--Rosmysslow.--Lütke.--Krotow.--
Pachtussow.--Sails along the eastern Coast of the Southern
Island to Matoschkin Schar.--His second Voyage and Death.--
Meteorological Observations of Ziwolka.--The cold Summer of
Nova Zembla.--Von Baer’s scientific Voyage to Nova Zembla.--
His Adventures in Matoschkin Schar.--Storm in Kostin Schar.--
Sea Bath and votive Cross.--Botanical Observations.--A
natural Garden.--Solitude and Silence.--A Bird Bazar.--
Hunting Expeditions of the Russians to Nova Zembla. 147

CHAPTER XII.

THE LAPPS.

Their ancient History and Conversion to Christianity.--
Self-denial and Poverty of the Lapland Clergy.--Their singular
Mode of Preaching.--Gross Superstition of the Lapps.--The
Evil Spirit of the Woods.--The Lapland Witches.--Physical
Constitution of the Lapps.--Their Dress.--The Fjälllappars.--
Their Dwellings.--Store-houses.--Reindeer Pens.--Milking
the Reindeer.--Migration.--The Lapland Dog.--Skiders,
or Skates.--The Sledge, or Pulka.--Natural Beauties of
Lapland.--Attachment of the Lapps to their Country.--
Bear-hunting.--Wolf-hunting.--Mode of Living of the wealthy
Lapps.--How they kill the Reindeer.--Visiting the Fair.--
Mammon Worship.--Treasure-hiding.--“Tabak, or Braende.”--
Affectionate Disposition of the Lapps.--The Skogslapp.--The
Fisherlapp. 156