JET. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 



first I ever saw. Continued to where we 



stopped to refresh ourselves with milk and the first 

 good beer we had seen. 



The baron forebotised for us, and was very civil, as 

 indeed we found everybody except the road people. 

 Stuart had a very rough ride from hence in a post- 

 waggon. I went thus too, after trying to get on in 

 the gig. The night was very fine, and the woods and 

 lakes thick as usual. Found the people growing 

 more imposing and insolent as we approached the 

 capital. 



Oct. 14. At the two next stations there were no 

 houses inhabited, so we had to wait in the cold for 

 the horses. Sodertelge, the most rascally kennel we 

 ever saw : all accounts agree in this. Left Ned to 

 follow, and went on slowly to Fitja, where we had 

 coffee, and were obliged to wait till eleven for bed. 

 Met with a clergyman and some officers who talked 

 bad French. Were much surprised at the demands 

 of the Sodertelgean for additional hire, but afterwards 

 found the case not peculiar to south Sweden. At 

 Fitja is a very fine piece of water on both sides the 

 road. It is finely wooded down to the very brink, 

 and has islands also wooded : we saw several sails on 

 it. It grows very wide in view, but is still quite 

 land-locked. All the stage between Fitja and Stock- 

 holm is absolutely barren nothing but woods and 

 rocks ; a house now and then looks like nothing less 

 than the approach to a capital. Stockholm appeared 

 at first like a village scattered among rocks and rising 



