198 
TRAVELS 
The Tea which furrounds the ifle of Aland is very feldom frozen, 
and was lefs fo formerly than at the prefent time. In 154(5 it 
was remarked as an extraordinary event, that in that year the lea 
was fo frozen as to be croffed on the ice. It feems latterly that 
thefie fevere frofts happened once in ten years. The winter of 
the year 1/02 was remarkably mild, fo that barley was fown on 
the twenty-fifth of March, at which time there was plenty of 
pafture for cattle : confidering its high latitude, Aland enjoys a 
very favourable climate. 
In their manners and cuftoms the inhabitants of Aland do not 
differ greatly from the peafants of Upland. Their marriages and 
_ funerals are celebrated much in the fame manner. In Aland they 
ufually marry about the middle of fummer, and appear thereby 
to fliew that they have no need to wait for the time of harvefi: 
to enable them to fupport a family. 
The Alanders commonly ufe nourilhing food ; their bread is 
generally made of rye, even when the crops of that kind of corn 
have proved unfavourable. Frefh fifii, and fifh dried or falted, 
together with milk, butter, cheefe, and flefli-meat, are their ufual 
fare. They make ufe of the flefii of feals, and prepare a difh 
called Jkalkroppe , compofed of collops of the flefh mixed up with 
flour and lard, and this they reckon excellent. In their voyages 
by fea they lay in a good ftock of provifions, and at thofe times 
are not fparing of meat and butter. 
The drefs of the Alanders is becoming. The men wear, in 
general, Ihort jackets, which on holidays are commonly of blue 
cloth. 
