Last
Sunday afternoon I left Polvila with the intention of being
an entire year away from home. I was accompanied by Mr. Ståhlberg
and secretary Elfving as far as Turunkorva. They came with
me another 3 km to Tahkosaari, where we parted. From there
we travelled 5 km to Muurahaissaari, a small, high, bare hill
of an island in Lake Nuasselkä. We went ashore and ate
lingonberries, which have been hard to find this year despite
a general belief to the contrary that a good year is followed
by an abundant berry crop.
They said Muurahaisaari was a burial ground in ancient times,
and you can still see several markers. "Don't you fear
that death might be contagious?" asked one of the rowers,
when I was eating lingonberries with gusto. In spite of his
remark, he followed my example and started eating himself.
There were signs of digging on many parts of the island, and
this had led to tales that treasure was buried there. We then
went on to Kärnälä and from there 17 ½
km to Juurikkalahti, where we spent the night. From there
we went on to Saviho 15 km and then a short 10 km to Maanselkä.
This village is partly in the district of Sotkamo, but mostly
in the district of Nurmes. We went another 10 km to Rumolampi
and then a further 20 km to Haapajärvi. It wasn't until
Rumolampi that I could get a carriage with a seat. They had
not had a chance to carry out the governor's order that all
inns, under threat of fine, had to acquire a carriage with
a seat. When one comes to Nurmes from Kajaani, one soon notices
the benefits that have come from land being reparcelled and
cannot help hoping that the general parcelling of land will
soon be implemented in the province of Kajaani as well.
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