HELSINGLAND. 29 



The old tradition, that the inhabitants 

 of Helsingland never have the ague, is 

 without foundation. In every parish where 

 I made the inquiry I found many persons 

 who had had that disorder, which appears 

 to be not unfrequent among them. 



Here were plenty of Mountain Finches 

 (Fringilla MontifringiUa) ; but, what is 

 remarkable, they were all males, known 

 by the orange-coloured spot on the breast. 



May 16. 



Between Eksund post-house and Spange 

 is the capital iron forge of Eksund, 

 which has two hammers and one blast 

 furnace. The sons of Vulcan were work- 

 ing in their shirts, and seemed masters of 

 their business. The ore used here is of 

 three or four kinds. First, from Daniie- 

 mora ; 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 

 upon the shore. At this place, as well as 



