NOTES ON TRAVEL 265 



the way, the Deputy-Governor, were of the party. 

 The latter was the only Russian the Ramsays met 

 during their stay. Halfway the journey was broken 

 to see an intimate friend of the family, whose bad 

 health prevented him going to the capital to make the 

 acquaintance of the visitors. He was a large land- 

 owner and of great wealth. Ramsay said that the 

 preparations for their reception reminded him of the 

 old story of " Bring more curricles," for about seven 

 or eight carriages were in waiting at the station, so that 

 everyone should have a choice as to which kind of vehicle 

 he or she preferred. In going through the coach-houses 

 and stables later in the day the Ramsays saw that 

 these were only a very small proportion of the number 

 there. The house was large and roomy, but adjoining 

 it was a guest-house, with many bedrooms, where 

 visitors generally stayed so as to have no fear of dis- 

 turbing their invalid host if their hours and his did not 

 correspond. All these rooms were ready, but it was not 

 possible to prolong the visit beyond the late afternoon. 

 Their host had done a great deal in developing the 

 resources of the district and Ramsay saw there some- 

 thing of the difficulties and possibilities of food pro- 

 duction in these northern regions. It was night when 

 they reached Tammerfors, and to Ramsay's great 

 surprise he found that Swedish was now of no use, as 

 all the porters, cab-drivers, and most of the shopkeepers 

 spoke only Finnish. What he thought even more 

 remarkable was that Anders Ramsay did not know 



