25 chapters
10 hour read
Selected Chapters
25 chapters
THROUGH FINLAND IN CARTS
THROUGH FINLAND IN CARTS
Mrs. Alec Tweedie. BY MRS. ALEC TWEEDIE AUTHOR OF "MEXICO AS I SAW IT," ETC. THOMAS NELSON & SONS LONDON, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN AND NEW YORK TO MY HUSBAND ALEC TO MY DEAREST FRIEND SIR JOHN ERIC ERICHSEN, Bart. , F.R.S., LL.D. TO MY FATHER DR. GEORGE HARLEY, F.R.S., F.R.C.P. ALL OF WHOM DIED SUDDENLY WITHIN A SPACE OF FIVE MONTHS I DEDICATE THESE PAGES IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THEIR LOVING INTEREST IN MY WORK...
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
PREFACE
PREFACE
When I was first approached by Messrs. Nelson and Sons for permission to publish Through Finland in Carts in their shilling series, I felt surprised. So many books and papers have jostled one another along my path since my first journey to Finland, I had almost forgotten the volume. Turning to an old notebook, I see it was published in 1897 at sixteen shillings. It appeared in a second edition. The demand still continued, so a third edition, entirely revised and reprinted, was published at a che
1 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER I OUR FIRST PEEP AT FINLAND
CHAPTER I OUR FIRST PEEP AT FINLAND
It is worth the journey to Finland to enjoy a bath; then and not till then does one know what it is to be really clean. Finland is famous for its baths and its beauties; its sky effects and its waterways; its quaint customs and its poetry; its people and their pluck. Finland will repay a visit. Foreign travel fills the mind even if it empties the pocket. Amusement is absolutely essential for a healthy mind. Finland, or, as the natives call it in Finnish, Suomi , is a country of lakes and islands
41 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER II A FINNISH COUNTRY-HOUSE
CHAPTER II A FINNISH COUNTRY-HOUSE
A seventeen hours' trip in the Kaiser Wilhelm along the coast brought us from Helsingfors to Wiborg . The passage lay between innumerable islands, and every landing-place was thickly strewn with wood ready for export. Finland is a primitive country, and we could not help smiling at the spectacle of a family removal. When changing residences it is evidently not considered necessary to pack up anything, consequently the entire contents of a house were put on board and removed from the ship without
25 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER III FINNISH BATHS
CHAPTER III FINNISH BATHS
No one can be many days in Finland without hearing murmurs of the bath-house. A Finnish bath once taken by man or woman can never be forgotten! A real native bath is one of the specialities of the country. Even in the old songs of the Kalevala they speak of the "cleansing and healing vapours of the heated bath-room." Poets have described the bath in verse, artists have drawn it on canvas, and singers have warbled forth its charms; nevertheless, it is not every traveller who has penetrated the st
24 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IV A NIGHT IN A MONASTERY
CHAPTER IV A NIGHT IN A MONASTERY
Having torn ourselves away from our kind friends at Ilkeäsaari for a time, and digressed from our story to describe Finnish baths, we must now own that the prospect of a night in a monastery was very exciting—more especially when that monastery chanced to belong to Russia, and to stand alone on an island in the middle of the great Ladoga lake, which no doubt once joined together the White Sea and the Gulf of Finland. It is the largest lake in Europe, and celebrated also for the cold temperature
34 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER V SORDAVALA, OR A MUSICAL FESTIVAL
CHAPTER V SORDAVALA, OR A MUSICAL FESTIVAL
Terror had entered our souls when we read in the Nya Pressen , the day before leaving for the musical festival at Sordavala , the following: " Sordavala has only thirteen hundred inhabitants, and some ten thousand people have arrived for the Juhla . They are sleeping on floors and tables, and any one who can get even a share in a bed must be more than satisfied. Food cannot be procured, and general discomfort reigns." This was not cheerful; indeed the prospect seemed terrible, more especially wh
28 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VI "KALEVALA," AN EPIC POEM
CHAPTER VI "KALEVALA," AN EPIC POEM
Many strange customs still linger in East Finland, probably because the inhabitants, far removed from civilisation, cling tenaciously to the traditions and usages of their forefathers. As a fitting ending therefore to the Sordavala Festival, an accurate representation of a native wedding of a hundred years ago was given, perhaps for the reason that the performers were thus naturally enabled to introduce many of the bridal songs contained in their great epic poem, Kalevala , and their collection
55 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VII MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
CHAPTER VII MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
Such are the manners and customs of the past; now let us take a look at the Suomi of to-day, that we may better understand the life of the people before we start on our trip in carts through the interior of that enchanting but far-away land. For some hundreds of years Finland belonged to Sweden, and the stamp of Sweden is to be found on its inhabitants; especially among the aristocracy, who still speak that language in their homes. But in 1808 Russia stepped across the frontier, seized Finland,
34 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER VIII IMATRA'S ROARING CATARACT
CHAPTER VIII IMATRA'S ROARING CATARACT
The scenery of Finland is, as a rule, neither grand nor impressive. It has not the mountains of Switzerland topped with everlasting snow, nor the rocky fjords of Norway; no dear little Tyrolese chalets, nor sweet English cottages set in fair gardens, no splendid stretches of emerald-green sward, and iron-bound coast scenery such as is the delight of the tourist in Ireland, nor purple-crowned hills as in Scotland; nevertheless, it has a charm of its own, and can boast more lakes, canals, and rive
15 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER IX "KOKKO" FIRES
CHAPTER IX "KOKKO" FIRES
As we stood on the little pier at Rättijärvi , waiting for the steamer which was to bear us down the beautiful Saimen Canal , we were somewhat horrified to find that the only other probable passengers were two men, both of whom were practically unable to keep on their feet. In honour of the day they had apparently been having a jollification, and it will ever remain a marvel to us that they did not tumble over the side of the pier—which had no railing—into the water beneath. It seemed almost imp
11 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER X WOMEN AND EDUCATION
CHAPTER X WOMEN AND EDUCATION
Before describing our own life in a haunted castle, with its joys and its fears, we must pause and reflect on two of the most important factors in Finnish life—the position of women, and the excellence of education. For it is the present advancement of both that will make a future for Suomi , and even to-day can teach us much. In 1890 the population of Finland numbered two and a half millions, which included— In 1908 the figures were— These figures show that there has been a large preponderance
23 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XI A HAUNTED CASTLE
CHAPTER XI A HAUNTED CASTLE
The bells rang! It was four A.M. when the ship Concordia , which had been our home for thirty-six hours, arrived at Nyslott , one of the small towns which are sparsely scattered over Finland. Nyslott is famous for two things: its very modern "bath cure" accompanied by a "kasino"—of which French watering-places need have no jealousy—and, by way of extreme from such modernity, its other attraction is an old ruined castle, built originally in 1475. The castle is the most perfect left in Finland, an
31 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XII PUNKAHARJU
CHAPTER XII PUNKAHARJU
Every one we met in Finland told us to make a point of seeing Punkaharju , just as strangers in London might be advised to visit the Tower, though in this case the great show was not a historical place, the work of men's hands, but a freak of Nature in one of her most charming moods. Punkaharju being only a short distance from Nyslott , we proceeded thither in a small steamer supposed to start at noon. By one of those lucky chances that sometimes occur in life, we happened to arrive at the steam
12 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIII THE LIFE OF A TREE
CHAPTER XIII THE LIFE OF A TREE
What different things are prized in different lands! When walking round a beautiful park on an island in Suomi , the whole of which and a lovely mansion belonged to our host, he pointed with great pride to three oak trees, and said— "Look at our oaks, are they not wonderful?" We almost smiled. They were oaks, certainly, perhaps as big in circumference as a soup plate, which to an English mind was nothing; but the oak, called in Finnish Jumalan Puu , or God's tree, is a great rarity in Suomi , an
14 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIV THROUGH SAVOLAX IN CARTS
CHAPTER XIV THROUGH SAVOLAX IN CARTS
We were in despair! By the kindness of the Governor of the district everything had been arranged for a drive of a couple hundred miles through some of the prettiest parts of the country from Kuopio to Iisalmi . We were to have a carriage with a hood (a rare honour) and two horses, to dawdle as we liked by the way, and just order our vehicle when and as we wanted it, so that we might really peep into the homes of the people, as well as avail ourselves of the Baron's many kind introductions. But l
26 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XV ON WE JOG
CHAPTER XV ON WE JOG
It is difficult for strangers to travel through the heart of Finland, for every person may not be so lucky as to be passed on from one charming friend to another equally delightful, as we were; and, therefore, we would like to suggest the formation of a guides' bureau at Helsingfors , where men and women teachers from the schools—who are thoroughly well educated and always hold excellent social positions in Finland—could be engaged as couriers. These teachers speak English, French, and German, a
32 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVI A "TORP" AND "TORPPARI" WEDDING
CHAPTER XVI A "TORP" AND "TORPPARI" WEDDING
Like most Finnish towns, Iisalmi proved somewhat disappointing. We waited a day or two, to rest, to collect letters and answer them, to bathe and mend our clothes, and then gladly jogged on again. Our start from Iisalmi for Kajana was somewhat remarkable. Having dined and enjoyed our coffee, we had ordered the kärra for five o'clock, when it was cooler, well knowing that, in consequence of the Finns' slowness, it would take at least an hour to pack our luggage away. The queer little two-wheeled
37 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVII TAR-BOATS
CHAPTER XVII TAR-BOATS
Tar hardly sounds exciting; but the transport of tar can be thrilling. We were worn out and weary when we reached Kajana , where we were the only visitors in the hotel, and, as the beds very rapidly proved impossible, we women-folk confiscated the large—and I suppose only—sitting-room as our bed-chamber. A horsehair sofa, of a hard old-fashioned type, formed a downy couch for one; the dining-table, covered by one of the travelling-rugs, answered as a bed—rather of the prison plank-bed order—for
20 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XVIII DESCENDING THE RAPIDS
CHAPTER XVIII DESCENDING THE RAPIDS
In our case it took twenty-nine hours without sleep to descend the rapids, for we left Kajana at seven A.M. on Thursday morning, and only reached Uleåborg at mid-day on Friday. The journey is perfectly wonderful, but should only be undertaken by people blessed with strong nerves and possessed of iron constitutions. From Kajana to Uleåborg one travels down the splendid Oulu river and across the Oulujärvi lake, joining the river again on the other side of Waala . It was indeed an experience, in mo
30 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XIX SALMON—ULEÅBORG
CHAPTER XIX SALMON—ULEÅBORG
To say we were tired hardly describes the situation. We were absolutely exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, were we, after our late experiences, that when—twenty-eight hours after leaving Kajana , twenty-eight hours of constant strain—we got into the little steamer at Muhos which was to convey us the last part of our journey to Uleåborg , we were literally worn out. This steamer plied to and fro on a wide stretch of the famous Uleå river, where the stream was quick and yet not a cataract. It was o
34 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
CHAPTER XX A FASHIONABLE WATERING-PLACE.
CHAPTER XX A FASHIONABLE WATERING-PLACE.
One cannot be long in Finland during the summer without being asked "Are you going to Hangö ?" "See Rome and die" seems there to be transformed into "See Hangö and live." "Where is Hangö , what is Hangö —why Hangö ?" we at last inquired in desperation. The Finlander to whom we spoke looked aghast, and explained that "not to have heard of Hangö was a crime, not to have been to Hangö a misfortune." Accordingly, desiring to do the correct thing before leaving the land of thousands of lakes, we took
17 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
APPENDIX
APPENDIX
Finland has suffered. Finland is suffering under Russian rule, but surely Russia will soon realise what a valuable people the Finlanders are, and bring the banner of reconciliation instead of further antagonism into their land. Finland is a wonderful little country and her people are strong. The conquest of Finland by Sweden (1157-1323) placed the former country within the limits of European culture. From that time the Finnish nation has been included within the ranks of the civilised countries
32 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
THE NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS.
THE NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS.
Uniform with this Volume and same Price. FORTHCOMING VOLUMES. FELICITY IN FRANCE. Constance Maud. Miss Maud has written a fascinating guide book to the French countryside. A pleasant thread of narrative is woven into the book, but it is primarily a description of travels in different parts of France. The perfect sympathy with and understanding of French life, and the humour and grace of the style make it an ideal travelling companion. ( July 2. ) MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAUCASUS. A. F. Mummery
52 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter
NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS
NELSON LIBRARY OF NOTABLE BOOKS
CONDENSED LIST. Others in Preparation. THOMAS NELSON AND SONS....
4 minute read
Read Chapter
Read Chapter