158 THE SNARGANG. 



not slow to avail themselves. This is more particularly 

 the case in Norrland — the most northern of the four 

 grand divisions into which Sweden is divided — w^here 

 shooting and trapping, the latter especially, are made 

 a sort of profession. 



"Every TIemman* in the province of Herjeadalen " 

 (a part of Norrland), so M. Albin informs us, " has its 

 own >S'«flfr-^ff»<^, or locality, where traps and snares are set ; 

 and there is not a single proprietor who has less than 

 500 of these devices ; the greater part 2,000, and many 

 3,000. The parish of Sveg, for instance, contains about 

 300,000 Tunnland (some 307,000 English acres), the 

 owners of which are about 170 in number. Now if it be 

 assumed that each of these men sets on an average 1,765 

 scares, it will therefore be one for every Tunnland. In this 

 parish," he adds, " no single path-way, or other suitable 

 spot for the purpose, is without traps or snares, and it is 

 a common saying with the people that, ' hara fogeln gar 



* The wliole of Sweden is divided into Hemmans, signifying liome- 

 stead.s ; and tliese again, very generally, into smaller farms. Eacli Hem- 

 man is Luithencd with one and the same imposts. This institution took 

 place years and years ago for military purposes. At the time, it was 

 probably an equitable division of the land in regard to its money value, 

 witliout reference to its area. The size of the Hemman, as a consequence, 

 varies very greatly in the several provinces. To give a better idea of tliis, 

 I may mention, that in that of Malmo — about the richest and best cultivated 

 in Sweden — the Hemman contains the one-hundredtli jiart of a square 

 mile, whilst in that of Pitea, which is very scantily populated and overrun 

 with forests (formerly neai-ly valueless, but now of great worth), it contains 

 one square mile and a quarter ; that ls, a Hemman in the province of 

 Pitea is one hundred and twenty-five times larger than one in the province 

 of Malmij. 



When speaking of the size of an estate in Sweden, it is customary 

 to say, it consists of so many Hemmans, not Tuunlands, or acres, 

 as with us. But this description, as will be gathered from what is above 

 stated, gives very little idea of the real extent of tlje property. 



