20 
flones, of which he muft clear the eround; 
and, in fpite of his labours, there alaays 
remain large maffes, about which, how- 
ever, grain appears to thrive wetderfully: 
‘Thefe maffes, fometimes» {cattered, fome- 
times covered with wocd, fometimes pre- 
fenting only the bare rock, fo ftiongly 
characterife the provinces of Upland and 
Wefmanland, that, in the longeft fpace, 
one cannot forpet’ an inftant that we are 
treading the foil of Sweden. 
‘© Tt was not very far from isine 
(continues the author) at about fourteca 
leagues from Stockholm, that I faw cher- 
_ ry-trees for the firft time in this kingdom 
on the grounds of the peafants; but to 
judge of them, at leaft, by the elegance of 
the houfe to which the parden appertained, 
it was not a peafant of the ordinary clafs. 
Thefe trees, which were all in bloom, 
were both the laff and the firft which I ob~ 
ferved in the gardens of that clafs of peo- 
ple during the ‘whole courle of my journey. 
‘© At every poft we meet with. an 
inn, commonly let out to a fraifeur, or 
to fome peafant who has thus the exclu- 
five privilege of keeping an inn ; a privi- 
. lege, inother places, alternate among the 
peafants. Every innkeeper is obliged 
to keep a particular chamber, with a bed, 
always at the difpofal of the traveller; 
and I can certify, that I never failed meet- 
- jng with both in very proper condition, 
and fometimes beyond my expectation. 
In the inns, at no great diftance from the 
capital, you can often make very good 
meals and even delicate repafs ; but, at a 
certain diltance from the metropolis, we 
can only procure the fimple viands which 
the country affords, to which fith is added 
in moft places. In general there is no rea- 
fon to complain of any want of cleanli- 
nefs in the cooking of victuals. How- 
ever, it is always advifeable to carry fome 
provifions with you, as well as to furnifh 
ourfelf with beverage. 
«You ought tofind at all the poftsa cer- 
tain number of horfes, amounting, in fome 
places, to ee ; as to the roads that are 
but little frequented, they are only bound 
to keep one invreadinefs. The peafants, 
who furnifh thefehorfes, cftenlivein houfes 
morethan anile diftant from the poR(about 
three French leagues). They are obliged 
to come and prefent their hories alternaie- 
ly, whether travellers arrive or no, and to 
leave them there for twenty-four hours. 
Tf, at the moment of their arrival, hories 
fhould be wanted, the poer animals are 
harneffed, however fatigued they may be. 
In order that the inakeepers may have no 
pretence to fend away the horfes, a re- 
' Account of a late Tour-in Sweden. 
[Feb.. 1, 
gifter is kept in every poft-hou‘e, ftating 
the number of horfes employed in the fer- 
vice of the poit, and in which every tra- 
veller is obliged to infert his name, his 
quality, the Tlaiber of horfes that he 
makes ufe of, and even the hour of his de- 
parture. The traveller may likewife write his 
complaints in this book, when he has been 
delayed, or ill-attended ; and, agreeably to 
a public ordinance, thefe regifters are to 
be re-placed every month by others, and 
fent to the chancery.” 
«< Although I had been advifed (fays 
the author) to ufe harth language and be- 
haviour to the poftillions, in order to be 
ferved with more readinefs, I can fafely af- 
firm, that, during our whcle tour, we ob- 
tained more by’ gentlenefs, than by ill 
words, and that we even proceeded quicker 
when compulfion was not applied to the 
horfes. It is to be obferved, that in Swe- 
den travellers may drive themielves, if 
they think proper: The guices, or'thofe 
who are ready at the poft-houfe with their 
horfes S are ufually boys ; fometimes, how- 
ever, they aremen grown. When there isna 
room for them in the carriage, the poftillion 
muft leave the horfes to the mercy of the 
travelle: syand d bee them on foot as wellas 
he can, although his horles are fometimes 
the moft valus ‘le part of his property. 
We admit that itis not without a feeling 
of the moft profound grief, and the mott 
poignant commifefation, that wenow pub- 
lifh this fa&t, which cther nations of Eu- 
rope may perhaps tax with barbarity, or, 
at leaf, with a culpable indifference to- 
wards firaanity, It is a faét which has 
often exc: 4d our indignaiion, but which 
we always refufed to infert in our journal, 
flattering ourfelves, doubtlefs with {ome 
foundation, that a practice to difgufting, 
and {o adapted to degrade Sweden in the 
eyes of the reft of our continent, would - 
affuredly be abolifhed; but, alas! huc 
_ufque malorum.—Here;, however, as in 
general, a moderate behaviour carries its 
own reward with it: befides the thanks 
which may be expected from the poftillion 
when his horfes are well treated, or that 
room is made for him in the vilinrel galt 
he is allowed to manage them; it is certain 
that they go quicker with him, becauie he 
has fimple and efficacious means to ftimu- 
late his horfes, and, moreover, you are 
‘moe readily ferved for it at the next 
pot. In many places, they afk of the 
ae lab! How do thefe gentlemen g0? 
and if the anfwer is fatistaétory, a relay is 
brought forward inftantly. It is gene- 
rally, however, pretended, that, in the 
fouthern provinces, where travellers — 
mo 
