THE NORTH SWEDISH PROVINCES 153 



toil, we reached the object of our pursuit, which is a 

 cavity in the middle of the mountain a mere cavern. 

 The stones that compose it are of very hard quality, or 

 spar ; yet the sides of the cavern are in many places 

 as even as if they had been cut artificially. Several 

 different strata are distinguishable, particularly in the 

 roof, which is concave like an arch. In that part a hole 

 appears, intended, I was told, for a chimney. Several 

 sorts of ferns grow on the adjacent parts of the moun- 

 tain. We descended with much greater ease. Laying 

 hold of the tops of spruce firs which grew close to the 

 rocks, we slid down upon them, dragging them after us 

 down the precipices. 



c I had scarcely continued my journey a quarter of a 

 mile before I found a great part of the country covered 

 with snow, in patches some inches deep. The pretty 

 spring flowers had gradually disappeared. The buds of 

 the birch, which so greatly contribute to the beauty 

 of the forests, were not yet put forth. The high moun- 

 tains which surround this track and screen it from the 

 genial southern and western breezes may account for 

 the long duration of the snow. 



' The cornfields afford a crop two years successively, 

 and lie fallow the third. Rye is seldom or never sown 

 here, being too slow in coming to perfection ; so that the 

 land, which must next receive the barley, would be too 

 much exhausted. 



4 May 21. After going to church at Natra I re- 

 marked some cornfields, which the curate had caused to 



