62 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



marsh-marigolds, the more elevated ground whitened 

 with wood-anemones. 



People are richer here at least they seem so to 

 Linnaeus, who judges by the houses, built of great stones 

 in cyclopean masonry, the fine pairs of horses browsing 

 in the grass patches (I, in speaking to Southerners, dare 

 not call them meadows), and oxen drawing huge stones 

 on timber trucks. Carl now came in sight of the pretty 

 Ringsjo, or Lake King, beech-fringed and beautiful, and 

 the timber station at Hor, with the chips built up 

 smoothly in large cone-shaped stacks. Here they would 

 have hospitably received him for the night. A child 

 winding blue yarn on a wheel by her cottage door 

 smiled a welcome to the youth ; it was very tempting, 

 but he had planned to get on to the Bosjokloster. He 

 took a draught of milk and trudged on. He soon 

 reached the peninsula on which stands the Bosjokloster, 

 once a monastery, as its name shows, and even in 

 Linnaeus' time ready to receive pilgrims, who used to 

 come to it from far and near. Monasteries were then 

 still numerous in these parts. Count Beckfries owns 

 the Bosjokloster now, and pilgrims never go there, and 

 tourists rarely. The famous oak tree, now forty feet in 

 circumference, and the oldest tree in Sweden, was even 

 then renowned ; but it was less remarkable th^n than now 

 that the best part of two centuries are added to its age. 

 Next day would be the last of Carl's journey: next 

 evening he would see Lund and be received into the 

 arms of his Alma Mater. 



