ii6 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LlA'N^US 



little animal moves its legs with astonishing rapidity 

 much quicker than the great horse.' l 



c Monday, June 15. This morning we set off at 

 4 A.M. to go to the island of BlSkulla. 2 The way lay 

 westward half a mile' [Swedish], ' through copses of 

 hazel and oak mingled with a few firs. The weather 

 was pleasant, the sky clear. There on the western 

 shore lay the boat in which we were to cross over. The 

 rudder was gone, and all the steering and other gear 

 out of order. As soon as this was somewhat repaired a 

 tempest arose which postponed our trip to BlSkulla till 

 evening, and we took our way to Horns Inn, lying not 

 far from the sea. The storm subsiding a little, we crossed 

 over to BISkulla (about noon, after all), which island lay 

 like a blue mountain, two miles ' [Swedish] < off from the 

 shore, in shape like a half globe or bowl. 3 



' Bl&kulla is a small island lying between Sm&land 

 and Gland's northern promontory. Old-wives' tales 

 have dedicated it to Pluto, but now it would seem that 

 Neptune has taken it in charge. There is some ground 

 for the fables concerning the difficulty of approaching 

 the island ; for if any place in the world appears truly 

 horrible and ghastly it is certainly this island, which I 

 will briefly describe. 



' It is surrounded by a precipitous mountain rampart, 



1 6'land was formerly celebrated for a breed of ponies, now 

 extinct, smaller than those of Shetland. Du CHAILLU. 



2 Or Jungfrun. 



3 Its appearance at a little distance reminds one much of a dark 

 plum-pudding ill turned out of a basin. 



