I had scarcely travelled a quarter of a mile beyond the river when I
observed a red earth close to the road, which promises to be very useful
in painting, if it should prove sufficiently plentiful, and capable of
being cleansed from its impurities. The people at the next post-house
informed me that the same earth, but of a much better quality, was found
in the parish of Norrbo.
The Common and Spruce Firs (_Pinus sylvestris_ and _P. Abies_) grow here
to a very large size. The inhabitants had stripped almost every tree of
its bark.
A number of small white bodies were hanging on the plants of Ling
(_Erica_), of a globular form, but cut off, as it were, though not open,
on the lower side, each about the size of a Bilberry (_Vaccinium
Myrtillus_), and consisting of a thin white silky membrane. A small
white insect was lodged within.
There were also affixed to some plants ovate white bodies of a silky
texture, apparently formed of innumerable silky threads. These contained
each a small insect.
A little further on I observed close to the road a rather lofty stone
containing in its substance large fragments of _mica_.
At last to my great satisfaction I found myself at the great river
Liusnan. From this part of the forest to the sea the distance is three
miles. Here and there in the woods lay blood-red stones, or rather
stones which appeared to have been partially stained with blood. On
rubbing them I found the red colour merely external, and perfectly
distinct from the stone itself. It was in fact a red Byssus (_B.
Jolithus_).
Many sepulchral mounds are in this neighbourhood.
Not far from Norrala, situated about a mile from the last post-house,
the water in the ditches deposits a thick sediment of ochre.
Several pair of semicircular baskets made of wicker work were placed in
the water, intended principally to catch Bream (_Cyprinus Brama_). Here
I observed the Lumme, or Black-throated Diver (_Colymbus arcticus_),
which uttered a melancholy note, especially in diving.
From Norrala I proceeded to En[:a]nger, through a heavy fog, as it had
rained violently while I rested at the former place. Towards evening it
thundered and lightened. In the course of this whole day's journey I
observed a great variety in the face of the country as well as in the
soil. Here are mountains, hills, marshes, lakes, forests, clay, sand,
and pebbles.
Cultivated fields indeed are rare. The greater part of the country
consists of uninhabitable mountainous tracts. In the valleys only are to
be seen small dwelling-houses, to each of which adjoins a little field.
Even in these there is no great proportion of fertile land, the
principal part being marshy.
The people seemed somewhat larger in stature than in other places,
especially the men. I inquired whether the children are kept longer at
the breast than is usual with us, and was answered in the affirmative.
They are allowed that nourishment more than twice as long as in other
places. I have a notion that Adam and Eve were giants, and that mankind
from one generation to another, owing to poverty and other causes, have
diminished in size. Hence perhaps the diminutive stature of the
Laplanders[6].
[6] The original is very obscure, and I have been obliged partly to
guess at the sense of the intermingled Latin and Swedish. I beg
leave to suggest that the deficiency of brandy among this
sequestered people is perhaps a more probable cause of their robust
stature, and even of their neatness and refinement, than that
assigned by Linnaeus.
Brandy is not always to be had here. The people are humane and
civilized. Their houses are handsome externally, as well as neat and
comfortable within; in which respects they have the advantage of most
other places.
The old tradition, that the inhabitants of Helsingland never have the
ague, is without foundation. In every parish where I made the inquiry I
found many persons who had had that disorder, which appears to be not
unfrequent among them.
Here were plenty of Mountain Finches (_Fringilla Montifringilla_); but,
what is remarkable, they were all males, known by the orange-coloured
spot on the breast.
_May 16._
Between Eksund post-house and Spange is the capital iron forge of
Eksund, which has two hammers and one blast furnace. The sons of Vulcan
were working in their shirts, and seemed masters of their business. The
ore used here is of three or four kinds. First, from Dannemora; second,
from Soderom; third, from Grusone, which contains beautiful cubical
pyrites; fourth, a black ore from the parish of Arbro, which lies at the
bottom of the sea, but in stormy weather is thrown upon the shore. At
this place, as well as further north in the same district, a kind of
blueish stone[7] is used for building the tunnels or chimneys, which is
considered as more compact and better able to resist heat than _Lapis
molaris_ or _Pipsten_ (_Cos molaris?_). The limestone placed between the
other stones was procured from the sea shore, and abounded with
petrified corals.
[7] Probably _Saxum fornacum_, _Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. 12. v. 3. 79_.
Granite, I believe of all the different kinds existing in the world,
abounds every where in the forests.
In every river a wheel is placed, contrived to lift up a hammer for the
purpose of bruising flax.
[Illustration]
When it is not wanted, a trap door is raised, to turn the stream aside.
Several butterflies were to be seen in the forest, as the common black,
and the large black and white. Here I noticed _Lichenoides terrestre
scutatum albicans_, (_Lichen arcticus_), which has larger fructification
than the common _L. caninus_, with which it agrees in other respects,
except colour. (See Linnaeus's opinion respecting this Lichen, in which
however he is certainly mistaken, in _Fl. Lapponica n. 442_.)
By the road side between Nieutaenger and Bringstad, a violet-coloured
clay, used in building bridges, is here and there to be met with.
On a wall at Iggsund I found a nondescript hemipterous insect. (What
this was cannot now be ascertained.)
Between the post-house of Iggsund and Hudwiksvall the abovementioned
violet-coloured clay is found in abundance, forming a regular stratum. I
observed it likewise in a hill near the water which was nine ells in
height.
The strata of this hill consisted of two or three fingers' breadths of
common vegetable mould; then from four to six inches of barren sand
(_Arena Glarea_); next about a span of the violet clay; and lastly
barren sand. The clay contained small and delicately smooth white
bivalve shells, quite entire, as well as some larger brown ones, of
which great quantities are to be found near the water side. I am
therefore convinced that all these valleys and marshes have formerly
been under water, and that the highest hills only then rose above it. At
this spot grows the _Anemone Hepatica_ with a purple flower; a variety
so very rare in other places, that I should almost be of the opinion of
the gardeners, who believe the colours of particular earths may be
communicated to flowers.
I observed that the mountains, after the trees and plants had been burnt
upon them, were quite barren, nothing but stones remaining.
The produce of the arable land here being but scanty, the inhabitants
mix herbs with their corn, and form it into cakes two feet broad, but
only a line in thickness, by which means the taste of the herbs is
rendered less perceptible.
Hudvikswall is a little town situated between a small lake and the sea.
Near this place the Arctic Bramble (_Rubus arcticus_) was beginning to
shoot forth, while _Lychnis dioica_ and _Arabis thaliana_ were in
flower.
The larger fields here are sown with flax, which is performed every
third year. The soil is turned up by a plough, and the seed sown on the
furrow; after which the ground is harrowed. The linen manufactory
furnishes the principal occupation of the inhabitants of this country.
Towards evening I reached Bringstad. The weather was fine, it having
rained but once in the course of the day.
_May 17._
Continuing my journey at sunrise, I saw some sepulchral mounds near the
church of J[:a]ttedahl. As soon as I had passed the forest, I overtook
seven Laplanders driving their reindeer, which were about sixty or
seventy in number followed by their young ones. Most of the herd had
lost their horns, and new ones were sprouting forth. I asked the drivers
what could have brought them so far down into the country. They replied
that they were born here near the sea coast, and intended to end their
lives here. They spoke good Swedish.
Near the post-house at Gnarp, to the westward, grows a birch tree, with
more than fifty or sixty of those singularly matted and twisted branches
which this tree sometimes produces.