JET. 22.] AND SCANDINAVIA. 191 



tli ere a flock of six or eight came so close to the house 

 that the watch shot at them; and they constantly 

 destroy the dogs, &c., if they go any distance from 

 home. The elk is sometimes met with, a creature of 

 great size, though harmless. In the king's menagerie 

 they have one, twenty hands high to the back. 

 There are also lynxes of two sorts, both beasts of 

 prey, and valuable for their furs. Of game-birds we 

 have here cocdubois, a large and excellent bird ; the 

 snoripa, moor-game, and, above all (from the north), 

 the xerpar, a small bird about the size of a chicken, 

 quite white, and exceedingly delicate, sometimes car- 

 ried as far as Paris, and sold for two guineas apiece. 



At Ekolsund there is a runic stone with an inscrip- 

 tion, bearing that it had been erected by Gotho, 

 widow of an ancient hero, to his memory ; also that 

 the same hero had been the founder of Ekolsund, by 

 its old name of Harvista. Besides several runic re- 

 mains scattered up and down the country, they still 

 make in Norlad the runic sticks or almanacs, which 

 were formerly used, and which represent the proper- 

 ties, &c., of the months by hieroglyphics. 



Ekolsund was built by Count Jott, one of Gustavus 

 Adolphus's generals. 



From Ekolsund we went to Upsala in a carriage 

 lent us by Seton, and accompanied by Mr Halsted, 

 who was educated there, and knew everybody. After 

 travelling through a flat country, we arrived at Up- 

 sala, and sent our letters, waiting for that night in a 

 snug though poor inn enough, called the Cellar or 



