THE NORTH SWEDISH PROVINCES 155 



grow slowly and are of rare occurrence.' [One marvels 

 that tobacco grows at all. It shows that the sun shines 

 down very hot there, and brings an annual plant 

 quickly forward.] ' In the road I saw a cuckoo fed by a 

 Motacilla (water wagtail ?). Near the coast was a quick- 

 sand, caused here, as in SkSne, by the fine light sand 

 of the soil being taken up by the wind into the air and 

 then spread about upon the grass, which it destroys. 

 The road in several parts lies close to the seashore. 



( May 23. After having spent the night at Norma- 

 ling, I took a walk to examine the neighbourhood, and 

 met with a mineral spring, already observed by Mr. 

 Peter Artedi at this his native place. It appeared to 

 contain a great quantity of ochre, but seemed by the 

 taste too astringent to be wholesome. 



' I observed on the adjacent shore that an additional 

 quantity of sand is thrown up every year by the sea, which 

 thus makes a rampart against its own encroachments, 

 continually adding by little and little to the continent. 1 



' In proportion as I approached Westbothland, the 

 height of the mountains, the quantity of large stones, 

 and the extent of the forests gradually decreased. Fir- 

 trees, which of late had been of rare occurrence, became 

 more abundant. 



1 Angermanland is a beautiful province, and many of its valleys 

 are very productive. The Angermanelfven, running through its 

 whole territory, is the deepest river of Sweden, and may be ascended 

 by steamboats as far as Nyland, sixty [English] miles, and by small 

 craft to Holm thirty miles farther.' The river is two miles wide at 

 Wedga beyond Hernosand. Du CHAILLU. 



