Sometimes making love to a Finland or a Russian girl

"Sometimes you would have found me in a Finland hut, conversing by means of an interpreter with the family; sometimes making love to a Finland or a Russian girl, which needed no interpreter. One day I got half seas over with a Russian, the next day with a Cossac; nothing can be done with the Scythians without the help of brandy.

"Whenever any traveller arrived at the post-house, I placed myself by his side; and having an interpreter at hand, I enquired of him whatever related to his journey, or to his country. I did not satisfy myself with this; I took my pencil and delineated his figure, physiognomy, and dress.

"You would have seen me sometimes sitting bv the highway; before me passed a variety of nations: sometimes walking with a band of gypsies; at other times journeying with a Russian boor upon a cart; sometimes examining into the houshold œconomy of a Finland matron; or seated with them at a feast upon their saint's day. Not a wedding, nor a christening, nor a burial occurred, that I did not attend as punctually as a clerk of the parish."

Letters from Scandinavia... (1796) P. 387. as quoted in
The British critic, Volume 7

The local Modernist and Functionalist and general Impossiblist

It was painful that while Jesse regarded him as an anarchist, the local Modernist and Functionalist and general Impossiblist, Mr. Kivi from Finland--DOCTOR Kivi--considered Hayden "a nize fella personal, but yoost anudder old-fashion architectural tailor, giffing the dumb bourgeois whateffer kind suitings dey tink dey vant."

"I need, in fact, a year off," reflected Hayden, "and I'm going to take that year off, and find out whether I can do anything more amusing than being batted over the net by Jesse and batted back by Kivi. I think that I would like to be a self-respecting human being, and even learn to read!"

Sinclair Lewis: World So Wide (1951)

Finland is an exceedingly poor country

Finland is an exceedingly poor country, chequered with lakes and inland waters; the soil is either sandy, or covered with broken rocks of red granite in those parts which are not wholly stony. The barrenness of the ground seems to have discouraged the agriculturist, and the sterility of his fields, joined to their negligent cultivation, is everywhere apparent in the slovenly tillage and the miserable crops of rye. A few districts of bog land which admit of draining, and which have found cultivators with sufficient capital and enterprise to undertake it in the village clergymen, form occasional exceptions to this uninviting picture. Some parts of the country are covered with large forests of the white and red fir. It is traversed in every direction by streams and rivers, on many of which the timber exported is floated down to the sea, but which form cascades and waterfalls amongst the rocks, and are thus rendered unnavigable. The falls of Imatra are, perhaps, the finest in Europe, and, if the mass of water poured down is less than at those of the Trollhatten, in Sweden, they are far more beautiful than the latter.

Charles Frederick Henningsen: Revelations of Russia in 1846, Volume 2

Simply a drunken Petersburg Finn

But this was too much for Katerina Ivanovna, and she at once declared, so that all could hear, that Amalia Ivanovna probably never had a father, but was simply a drunken Petersburg Finn, and had certainly once been a cook and probably something worse. Amalia Ivanovna turned as red as a lobster and squealed that perhaps Katerina Ivanovna never had a father, "but she had a Vater aus Berlin and that he wore a long coat and always said poof-poof-poof!"

Katerina Ivanovna observed contemptuously that all knew what her family was and that on that very certificate of honour it was stated in print that her father was a colonel, while Amalia Ivanovna's father--if she really had one--was probably some Finnish milkman, but that probably she never had a father at all, since it was still uncertain whether her name was Amalia Ivanovna or Amalia Ludwigovna.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Have had several very interesting conversations with a Finlander

June 14th. Yesterday the above mentioned young man was examined before the Church and received into fellowship. Had a very good Sabbath to my own soul, praise the Lord. Last week I met with a Captain on board of one of the coasting vessels, who appeared much interested in conversing with me on religious subjects. He said he loved to read and listen to the word of God, but that he felt that after all, all was not right with him. I had great liberty in directing him to Christ who said " come unto me all ye that labor;" and spent the time of two hours with him very pleasantly,which we concluded by both of us kneeling down on the cabin floor, imploring the spirit of truth, to lead us into his own saving truth. The Finlander I spoke of above I have found this week more humble and anxious. Have a good hope of him.

Sailor's magazine, September 1852. Naval journal, Volume 25

The Finlanders had tried variety of applications to no purpose

Nothing exemplifies this truth more than the history of a minute insect, or rather worm, of which we hive, in this dissertation, the first proper intelligence ; it is very curious, and worthy of notice. In Finland, Bothnia, and the northern provinces of Sweden, it was not unfrequently that people were seized with a pungent pain, confined to a point, in the hand, or other exposed part of the body, which presently increased to a most excruciating degree, and hath sometimes been suddenly fatal. This disorder was more particularly observed in Finland, especially about boggy and marshy places, and always in autumn. At length it was discovered, that this pain instantly succeeded somewhat that dropped out of the air, and in a moment penetrated and buried itself in the flesh. The Finlanders had tried variety of applications to no purpose, until at length a poultice of curds, or cheese, was found the most effectual in easing the pain ; and the event confirmed, that the insect was allured by this application to leave the flesh; as on its removal, this worm, no longer than the sixth of an inch, was found in it, and thus the cause of this painful disease explained.

Richard Pulteney: A general view of the writings of Linnæus

I turned over the Finlander

I uttered an exclamation of joy and surprise, which, however, no sooner escaped me than a second rush separated us again. Maddened and desperate, I threw off the market-woman, turned over the Finlander, kicked down the droschki-driver; and upsetting the whole posse, with the little chambermaid to boot, I most strenuously endeavoured to free myself from their fangs, and to dash forward and regain hold of Liesli; but all in vain. They clung to me like bees; and instead of herself, I succeeded only in gaining—her shawl. I called out her name; but my voice was completely lost amongst the multitude, and the charming apparition had vanished from my sight. My way was, in fact, so completely obstructed by the crowds of Calmucks, Wogulians, Barabinzelians, Tunguselians, Tschetschewzelians, &c. &c, that nothing further could be heard or seen of her; and I thanked Heaven that I had been happy enough even to catch the shawl.

Heun: Liesli