STUDENT YEARS 
43 
Humble, in order to teach him botany. He had good 
reason to be gratified with the result, as he discovered 
there many plants, which he had not before seen 
living, and many of which had not been known 
previously in Uppland. These discoveries gave 
great joy to Celsius. Of cultivated plants, the 
garden and orangery at Leufsta, which were also 
visited, showed a few rarities. In the animal world, 
a few things of interest were observed, particularly 
the shrew mice down in the Dannemora mines, which 
were as gentle and tame as dogs, coming and feeding 
out of people’s hands. They were held as sacred, 
and no one harmed them. A harvest also was 
gathered of rare minerals. He wrote to Stobaeus : “ I 
was a hundred yards down in the mines, and searched 
for stones, of which I had so many, I could easily 
have brought away a portmanteau full.” He noted 
also the iron workings and the great depth, with ores 
and instruments. Here, too, he saw as the greatest 
rarity, the fire-machine which Marten Triewald had 
introduced, driven by water and air pressure, the only 
one at work in Sweden. A short distance farther he 
saw Asterby ironworks with tilt hammers; the workmen 
being only in their shirts, with socks and slippers on 
their feet. 
Excursions were, however, principally made in the 
company of Celsius. Such a trip took place on the 
24th June to Borje parish, about seven English 
miles from Uppsala. Celsius betook himself thither 
for the single purpose of “ showing ‘ Sceptrum 
Carolinum ’ [Pediculans\ to me, but it was not then 
in flower; we went over the stoniest place without 
doubt in Sweden.” On the 7th September the same 
locality was again visited, and the desired plant then 
had fully ripe capsules. 
Another, and in a botanic sense, particularly 
successful jaunt which the two made took place in 
June and July when they went to the islands off the 
coast, to find out what plants grew there, gathering 
