102 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



sails for Oland ; and the square building with four 

 turrets, which no one would guess to be a cathedral, 

 remains still longer in view through a veil of swarms of 

 gnats. The low green shores are fringed (upwards) 

 with masts of the numerous shipping. 



The steamer runs past the reef of low islands on 

 the right, with the bell-buoy curtseying close by ; and 

 now the white churches are fully visible on the hill at 

 Oland, and long white beeches stretch out. Now 

 appear dark fir plantations and light-coloured oak 

 woods, looking like willows at this distance ; now fields 

 and farms are distinguishable, and now comes into view 

 a large ruined castle on the highest point of the island. 

 The land stretches out in a low tongue below the imposing 

 ruin, and here is Borgholm, the capital of the island, a 

 place of 900 inhabitants, looking like a mite of a red- 

 roofed village, which it is, with a busy little pier all 

 bustling on the arrival of the steamer. The chilliness 

 of the evening breeze is forgotten in a brisk walk, and 

 while gathering cowslips and orchis on the turf-lands 

 near the shore, watching the sun sink crimson in the 

 sea, and going up by moonlight to the great castle ruins ; 

 the moon rising red like a paler sun. A good pathway 

 prevents one losing one's way down again in the 

 twilight. 



A more careful investigation of this wooded hill is 

 as delightful an employment on the following sunny 

 morning. 



A German ship's-captain in spectacles mounts the 



