TRAGICAL EVENT. 335 



Svensson soon afterwards came to Brunberget, where 

 I was then sojourning, in the Wermeland Finn-Skogar* 

 (of which the Tio-Mil-Skog forms a portion), and offered 

 me the Ring for a certain pecuniary consideration, con- 

 tingent, of course, on the bear lying within it. I accepted 

 his proposal, and with Elg in company, started on Skidor 

 for the scene of action. But as we took a somewhat cir- 

 cuitous route to search for another bear, of which we had 

 intelligence, in the vicinity of Dyngsjon, it was not until 

 the evening of the fourth day that we reached Ytter-Malung 

 in Western Dalecarlia, near to which the Ring in question 

 was situated ; and here, after making preparations for the 

 morrow, we passed the night. 



Long before dawn of the next day, January 15th, 1835 

 a day that I shall painfully remember to the last moment of 

 my existence we started for the Ring, which was at seven 

 to eight miles distance. Our party consisted of myself, Elg, 

 Svensson, and the soldier Atter, who had assisted in ringing 

 the bear. We had a sledge, of the sort used by the peasants 

 for the conveyance of fuel, hay, &c., as well that we might 

 benefit by an occasional ride, as with the view of bringing 

 home the bear, which in imagination was already in our 



* During the reign of Charles IX. of Sweden now about two hundred and 

 fifty years ago considerable numbers of Finns, encouraged by certain privi- 

 leges and immunities offered them by that monarch, migrated from their 

 native country, and settled in the more uninhabited parts of Wermeland and 

 Dalecarlia. Hence the designation of Finn-Skogar, or Finn-forests. The 

 descendants of these people still retain in degree not only the features, 

 but the customs of their ancestors ; and some few of the older people, 

 indeed, still speak the Finnish language. As Chasseurs, and as regards a 

 knowledge of all forest craft, these Finnar, as they are to this day called, 

 are far superior to their neighbours located in the valleys of the Clara and 

 the Dal. 



