JET. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 137 



generally a movable plank, tied to a string which is 

 pulled and fixed to a nail by the chimney, and as 

 soon as the fire is half burnt out it is let down. 

 In many houses the damper is fixed on a pole, which 

 moves round on a prop between two uprights, and is 

 pulled up or let down by another pole. All this is 

 on the outside, and has a singular appearance enough. 

 The consequences of letting down the damper too 

 soon are often dangerous, both in these houses and 



O ' 



the ones heated by stoves. 



4. The food of the peasants is chiefly a soup of 

 gruel made of meal, beans, peas, and turnips chopped 

 small ; to this meat is sometimes added. But oftener 

 their food is hog puddings, either made of the blood 

 or of meat and the inside, like a haggis. They don't 

 seem to feed so much on the flesh, at least the pea- 

 sants and servants ; they eat a great deal of cold 

 boiled potatoes and boiled milk. Their bread is of rye 

 and barley, made either in hard cakes or in thin flat 

 loaves, with a hole in the middle for hanging them 

 up. They are baked twice a-year, but keep quite well, 

 and the beams in the roof of the houses are studded 

 with them ; they have them also thick, but not for 

 keeping. They preserve blueberries and cranberries 

 for sauce, and stew apples and pears. Their meal is 

 very good, and they use it for porridge. They make 

 a drink of warm milk, of which they are very fond ; 

 and the better people use beer and eggs. Their brand- 

 wein is extremely fiery, and resembles gin or whisky ; 

 but they can make it very good, and season it with 



