Shape of the Earth - Full Meridian of Glory - page 57

Fig. 22 Portable quadrant of 65 cm radius and a telescope, made by Claude Langlois about
1730, and similar to instruments used by Maupertuis in Lapland. © Observatoire de Paris
Out in the field, the astronomers endured the summer clouds of bloodsucking
flies (gnats, midges) that were so insufferable the Lapps habitually left the inland
regions and descended to the coast. The expedition members covered their faces
with veils to keep the insects off, but they found that the gnats quickly flew in
through the gaps when they passed bread under the veil to eat. The gnats swarmed
over any food that was put on the table, so many that it was difficult not to eat some
of the flies as well as the mutton. On the journey upstream they encountered native
Lapps (the Samis), migrating with their reindeer herds which they used for all their
needs and living in temporary camps of hide or rag tents. Maupertuis was not chari-
table toward the Lapps, describing them as ugly and their tents as wretched. Outhier
was not much more charitable - he noted their habit of continuous begging and that
“there is no harmony in their singing.” But the expedition learnt from two Lapland
girls to eat surrounded by dense clouds of insect-repeling smoke from a smouldering
fire. In order to avoid bites while asleep, they “were obliged, notwithstanding the
excessive heat, to wrap our heads in our Lappmudes (a sort of gown made of rein-deer
skins) and to cover ourselves over with branches of firs, and even whole trees.”