146 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



1 In the course of this day's journey I observed a 

 great variety in the face of the country as well as in the 

 soil. Here are mountains, hills, marshes, lakes, forests, 

 clay, sand, and pebbles. Cultivated fields indeed are 

 rare. The greater part of the country consists of un- 

 inhabitable mountainous tracts. In the valleys only 

 are to be seen small dwelling-houses, to each of which 

 adjoins a little field. The people seemed somewhat 

 larger in stature than elsewhere, especially the men. 

 The women suckle their children more than twice as 

 long as with us. Brandy is not always to be had here. 

 The people are humane and civilised. Their houses 

 are handsome externally, and neat and comfortable 

 within.' [Are not these advantages due to their having 

 less brandy than elsewhere ?] 



' The ore used at the capital iron forge of Eksund is 

 of several kinds : first, from Dannemora ; second, from 

 Soderom ; third, from Grusone, which contains beautiful 

 cubical pyrites ; fourth, a black ore from the parish of 

 Arbro, which lies at the bottom of the sea, but in stormy 

 weather is thrown up on the shore.' A kind of blueish 

 stone (Saxum fornacum ?) is used for building the tun- 

 nels and chimneys ; it is considered more compact and 

 better able to resist heat than other building-stones. 

 The limestone procured from the seashore abounds with 

 petrified corals. 



1 Of course he calls the workmen sons of Vulcan. Fashions have 

 hanged : we never laugh when modern tourists call them sons of 

 Thor, nor when we invoke all the Valkyrie. 



