WASTGOTA RESA ROUND LAKE VENERN 179 



sheltered nooks, are beautiful as seen against a back- 

 ground of the dark-eared waving rye; but beyond 

 Axevalla Heath, the Swedish Aldershot, standing on 

 the bleak moorland to the north, the high ground 

 between the Venern and the Vettern, the scenery again 

 alters to an aspect like that of the Scottish moors as 

 one looks across the thrift-bordered lake, the Hornbor- 

 gasjo, purple like the ink of the country, over high 

 ranges of domed hills, and broad reaches of distance 

 of ocean-like blueness. The small two-storeyed village 

 churches are scattered far apart, indicating a sparse 

 population, and Skofde, an old town with 2,600 inhabi- 

 tants, lies nestled at the foot of the Billingen Range. 

 From lofty Billingen one can look right across the pretty 

 Orlen Lake, and see the whole long coastline of the 

 Vettern. It is breezy up here ; the birches are blown 

 about like feathers in a Brighton bonnet. 



It is a pity Linnaeus did not explore a little farther 

 north of Skofde, as far as Karlsborg on the Vettern, 

 which was not Karlsborg then, but merely a landing- 

 place to a nameless hamlet by the lake. How he 

 would have revelled in the feast of wild flowers in 

 these woods, that stretch for miles beside the sandy 

 roads! An English botanist cannot go ten yards with- 

 out meeting some plant entirely new to him. Of course 

 to a Swede this would be different, but then he would 

 see deeper ; Linnaeus's keen sight and experience would 

 find countless treasures. 



Besides the dog-violet and the rest of the ten plants 



N 2 



