128 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



of plants here in Gothland, where many plants thrive 

 which will not grow on the mainland of either Sweden 

 or Russia. The Flora of Gothland is very tempting to 

 the botanist. We mounted the hills of rotten lime- 

 stone, like crumbling chalk-cliffs, and looked down on 

 the narrow-gauge railway-line, on which two trains a 

 day ply from Wisby to Hemse, a distance of thirty- 

 four English miles, taking nominally three hours about 

 the journey, virtually four or five hours, or so most 

 usually the 'or so ' answers to the Scotch c bittock,' 

 almost as long as the journey. The train stops at half 

 a dozen village stations. 



We returned to the Stadshotellet at eight sharp, and 

 dined comfortably ; while the military officers, as usual, 

 cruised about among the spread of salted delicacies, 

 appetizers at the sideboard, and drew little glasses of 

 spirits from the triple-spouted urn. They never put 

 drinking-water on the table : they have no notion of it. 

 They give one a noble breakfast ; and there, although 

 the natives, and the military, cruise round as usual, and 

 take little nips to wash down the snacks they eat from 

 their fingers before serious feeding, the attendants bring 

 us large jugs of cold milk to drink out of tumblers, and 

 abundant cream to take with the coffee. The prices are 

 very moderate, even for Sweden. It is well to remem- 

 ber that in Gothland no food is served on Sundays or 

 weekdays between the hours of four and eight; and 

 on Sundays even the bakers' shops are closely shut. 

 The ovens are brought here from Norway, Linnaeus says. 



