136 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



to-day was sandy as a beach. From Wamlingebo we 

 followed the shore north-westward by Burswik, a deep 

 fiord-like bight. From here comes the sandstone of 

 which Stockholm Palace is built. The only tree in 

 this neighbourhood is the service tree (Oxel). We 

 slept at Botweda in the house of a yeoman, Jons 

 Winter. 



' We saw no bees here in the country, notwith- 

 standing there are such swarms to be met with in 

 Oland. 1 There is no heather, for which reason the 

 honey would be very white. We were told a late 

 bishop (Esberg) had formerly brought bees over, which, 

 however, were lost by degrees. But such loss need 

 not prejudice their future introduction, for he lived in 

 Wisby, where the bees were exposed to a daily wind, 

 and the swarms had a good opportunity of hiding 

 themselves in so many old churches and towers. We 

 remarked no flax in Gothland. Our night-quarters 

 were in Livoistad (Loyfsta). We noticed in this coun- 

 try a great calmness in people's aims and objects in 

 life, especially in regard to public business transactions. 

 Newspapers come very seldom, and few persons seem 

 interested in public affairs. 



1 Eksta Churchyard contains two runic stones one 

 before the church door, one towards the east.' Were 

 these stones placed here anterior to the church, or 

 vice versa? Were the churches built because of the 



1 This is surprising, as the Gothland Flora is so rich. I also 

 saw no bees. 



