122 KALM'S ENGLAND. 



which had come to grow in the hedges. In some places, 

 especially nearer to London, there were high earth-banks 

 cast up, about 4 feet high, instead of hedges round the 

 fields. They consisted of the usual brick-colored clay of 

 the district, with a quantity of gravel and pebblestones, 

 grus och sma slata flint-stenar. These fences 

 gardes-gardar, or earth-walls, mull-vallar, require 

 repairing yearly. 



The earth, mullen, had now slipped down in many 

 places and made an opening so that the cattle could go 

 through it. But they are not here so difficult to maintain, 

 because the winters here are seldom so sharp that there 



is any frost in the earth, at det blir nagon tjala i 



jorden, which otherwise is in a position to damage an 

 earth-wall sooner than anything else. The beautiful 

 appearance of the country must altogether be ascribed 

 to industry and labour. It resembles one continuous 

 pleasure garden, tra eller lustgard, from the many 

 living hedges there are everywhere. 



London's many towers appeared in the distance. 

 However clear the air may be, there seems always to be 

 a fog-like cloud standing over the town, which comes 

 from the coal-smoke which ascends in abundance from 

 the innumerable fireplaces, where fires are continually 

 burning. The roads are full of travellers, on foot and on 

 horseback, in wagons and carts, who travel backwards 

 and forwards, so that one often has, as it were, to steer 

 through them. In some places the Thames appears in 

 the distance with many ships and vessels sailing there 

 outwards and upwards. 



The River Lea. Here and there are river channels 

 and cuts, Canaler, some made expressly and artificially 

 from the Thames up country, for the purpose of con- 

 veniently carrying coals and other commodities. * 



* The river Lea is rendered navigable for barges up to Hertford, by 

 many artificial " cuts." [J. L.] 



