1803.] 
ga; we had now only to pafs over a little 
hill, and then bid adieu to the metropolis. 
I looked back, but no longer was there 
any trace of the city to be feen—not an 
edifice that prefented itfelf to my view. 
On the right, acontinual foreft of fir trees 
joined to the road-fide, and which hid ma- 
ny parts of the Haga; onthe left was a 
continual mixture of fields, of orchards, 
and of pleafure-houfes, whofe {miling af- 
pect, and modern conftru&tion, indicated, 
more or lefs, the vicinisy and the influence 
of Stockholm. We were as yet on the 
high-road to Upfal, and we did not quit it 
till the moment before we arrived at the 
Chateau of Ulricttal, where we were to 
turn off for the left, on the road for Sala. 
Our carriage was one of thofe two-wheeled 
carrioles, which are here made ufe of for 
long journies, and which we had pur- 
chafed. It is true, that you may meet, 
at every polit, with a country-carriole to 
let pretty cheap, but you fit in it very ill 
at eale, and much jogged; you muft~ 
change continually, often fenda good way 
to feek for it, and, when it is too heavy, 
mult Jet it proceed flowly enough. Of 
courle,itis moft advifeable to procurea car- 
riage, like the above, for the whole jour- 
ney, but one that is light, folid, and com- 
modious. It may be ufually had from 
20 to 30 crownsofthecountry(or about 50 
French crowns). Good carriayes of this 
kind have two places or feats, and require 
only a fingle horfe, which can go with it at 
a great pace. Often the lightne(s of thefe 
carriages is fuch, that a young man might 
draw them; of courfe they would only 
fuit the well-fmoothed roads g Sweden, 
which roads are afort ofcauleways formed 
generally of hard ftones, and where heavy- 
rolling wains have not impreffed their deep 
ruts. On the road, and in the fields, we 
found but few people, although we tra- 
verfed a great tract of country, acrofs 
well cultivated lands. Here we met with 
none of thofe jovial bands of pealagts re- 
turning to their villages, and calculating 
the money they have received in exchange 
for their commodities, as we meet with in 
the vicinage of the great cities of Germa- 
ny. Many reafons contribute to renter 
the intercourfe of the Swedith villagers 
with the citizens lefs frequent than it is 
elfewhere. The country, although of a 
very great extent, has proportionably 
but a very fmall number of cities, and 
~ but thinly peopled; fo that the farmers, 
in bringing their commodities there, would 
lofe too much time, an inconvenience 
which would be doubly felt from the fcar- 
city of hands. The peafant muft, there- 
a 
Account of a late Tour in Sweden. 
19 
fore, endeavour to have but few wants, 
to be able to content himfelf with the pro- 
duétions of his land, and, in fliort, to con- 
fine himfelf to go only once or twice a 
year to the city to procure fuch things as 
are abfolutely neceffary. As to the coun- 
try about Stockholm, we may further re- 
mark, that it is moftly laid out into great 
eftates or Ggnories, the proprietors of which 
fend their productions to the capital, in 
large quantities, by water. Tne lords ufu- 
ally grant a {mall piece of ground to the 
peafants, who, being obliged to work for 
their mater, have hardly time to cultivate 
the allotted ground, on the fruits of which 
they live, but without any fuperfluity that 
they can fell. . 
Without entering into a detail of the 
caufes which militate againit the improve- 
ment of the lands in Sweden, we may ob- 
ferve here, with the author, that it is 
more elpecially owing to the want of 
hands. ‘1 havemade this remark (fays he) 
particularly inthe provinces where there are 
fewerlandsin tallow,and whicharethe mot 
productive, fuch as Upland and Weft- 
manland ; there I never found many peo- 
ple cither in the fields or inthe houfes, and 
moft of thofe that [ met in thé villages 
feemed to be only occupied with domettic 
labours. The feafon of fowing was 
patt; the horfes and horned cattle were 
left to graze in the woods; the fields 
feemed- abandoned to themfelves; at a 
time, too, when the German cultivator 
finds fo much occafion to exercife his ac- 
tivity. Every thing andounced, that 
the countryman here labours only for fub- 
fiftence, without being at the trouble to 
furnifh any thing for fale. This will be 
remarked at once, if attention be paid to 
their habitations, which only confift of a 
fingle houfe or cottage, rarely accompa- 
nied by other buildings. Neither does it 
appear that the peafants, however prefling 
their demands may be for hay, contrive to 
fupply the want of it by artificial mea- 
dows, fo advantageous, and fo common, in 
other countries ; they prefer fowing on a 
great deal of land, even in fallow, and 
they content themielves with a moderate 
crop, which manure would have very much 
augmented. Their care does not even ex- 
tend to the procuring for themfelves ail 
the hay whith is abfolutely neceffary. In 
winter the cattle are fed with ftraw, and, 
when that begins to fail, they fubftitute 
for it that which forms the roofs of their 
houfes. It muft be admitted, however, 
that the Swedith cultivator is often obliged 
to ftruggle againft a number of obftacles, 
as, for inftance, an enormous quantity of 
2 {tones 
