RAVAGES OF WILD BEASTS. 273 



head of cattle, sheep, &c., had been destroyed by the noxious 

 animals in question. But it must be remembered that this 

 district, from the density of the forest, and the broken nature 

 of the ground, is quite a nursery for vermin of all kinds. 



In other parts of Sweden the ravages of wild beasts seem 

 to be equally great. A committee appointed by the Govern- 

 ment in 1828, to devise the best system of mitigating or 

 getting rid of the evil, reported and the number of casual- 

 ties is probably greatly underrated that " in the seventeen 

 provinces, whence the returns had been received, there had 

 been destroyed by beasts of prey during the preceding year 

 (1827) four hundred and sixty-five horses and colts, three 

 thousand one hundred and eight horned cattle, nineteen 

 thousand one hundred and four sheep and goats, and two 

 thousand five hundred and four pigs.'* It was furthermore 

 calculated, that " in the seven remaining provinces, the loss 

 had been one hundred and eighty-nine horses, one thousand 

 two hundred and eighty- one oxen, cows, and heifers, seven 

 thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight sheep and goats, and 

 one thousand and twenty-nine pigs, making a sum total of 

 thirty-five thousand five hundred and forty-eight head ; 

 which, estimating a horse, colt, ox, cow, or heifer, at the 

 low value of forty rix-dollars; a sheep or a goat at two rix- 

 dollars ; and a pig at five rix-dollars banco, would give a sum 

 total of at least one hundred and eighty-five thousand five 

 hundred and forty-nine rix-dollars banco," or some fifteen 

 thousand pounds of our money no inconsiderable sum for a 

 poor country like Sweden. 



" And this loss," the report goes on to state, " should be 

 looked upon as doubly severe, because it falls on the poorest 

 of the inhabitants ; instances, indeed, not being rare, of 



VOL. I. T 



