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TRAVELS OF EHRENMALM. 349
A dock for building of hips has lately been eftablifhed. It might alfo ferve for the
provifion of the falt of all Nordland. A manufactory of wool is alfo feen there, which
is only in its infancy, but happily enough begun, to increafe and profper. The fheep
of the country have a coarfe fleece. If the peafant were aflifted by the advances of the
rich proprietors, he would foon have flocks with fine wool. For this purpofe it would
only be required to improve the forages by culture.
The church of Sundfwal is of wood and very ancient, as are all the houfes. Oppo-
fite to the cuftom-houfe, a church has been conftruéted of free-ftone, ona fandy hill.
Its form is oval ; the walls and roof are finifhed ; but the dome, which is but half made,
is every where cracked. The architect is a peafant of the vallies. But the workman
is lefs to blame than thofe who have employed him. A good architect would fay, that
that the dome has cracked, becaufe the arch is too elevated, or too flat; or becaufe the
foundation lies ina moving and little {table foil; or that the building itfelf, without
pillars, is too wide for its length. But I dare affirm that all thefe defects are there
united. Befides, the walls are too thick and the windows {mall.
The country to the north of Sundfwal, appears to bea little better cultivated than that
towards the fouth. In general, it rather wants cultivators than fertility. The banks of
the river Jnda//, on the right and left, for the fpace of a league and a half, are deep
fands, but fertile and covered with a thin bed of black. earth. Between two large
neighbouring mountains are found many cultivable lands, compofed of fand and
argil. In this profpeét we obferved a great number of alders thriving on the heights ;
they refemble nut teees, in their leaves, bark, and wood ; but they are a little larger.
We imagined we faw beds of argil, fometimes thick, fometimes thin, underneath the
fand of the heaths we traverfed. In feveral places we met with people who aflured us
they had found beds of argil, fometimes of the thicknefs of three fathoms, and fome-
time of only a foot. ‘The bank of the rivulets and rivers of the whole ofthis diftria,
are very much elevated, and the bed of argil lying under the fand may be diftinétly feen.
The fands appear to be the effect of a very ancient inundation. Mboft of the hills of
fand are fteep, and increafe in height from S.E. to N. W.; while the rivers defcend
from the N. W. to the S.E., towards the fea, which probably has formed the hills and
rivers. Add to this obfervation, that there is feldom found in the vallies a pure fand
without a mixture ofargil. The latter no doubt muft belong to the nature of the foil ;
they former may have been caft there by the fea.
‘The woods of Medelpad, efpecially thofe through which the road lies, are nearly all
cut or burnt.’ Few firs are feen, but many {mall pines and other fhrubs. ‘The country of
this province refembles that of Helfingheland; with this difference that we meet with
more inclofed fields, and a richer foil. Does this advantage arife from the monntains
with which the country is furrounded ? We know that vallies and plains are enriched
at the expence of the mountains, which are thinned by the torrents. Is not this land
indebted for its abundant moifture to the number of Jakes which water it? The paf-
turages are more fertile ; the fields more multiplied, remain unemployed fora longer
pags the flocks are not Jed there, nor is there is fo much flax fown as in Helfinghe-
Themen at Medelpad are large andathletic, more able, lively, adroit, and more addict.
ed:to commerce than in that province. The cattle are larger, give more milk, aflume
a whitith colour. which gradually augments, fo that there are very few at Afehle, which
are not white. Js thisa quality of the fame fpecies of cattl®? Is it owing to the climate,
to. the,natureof the pafture lands? Or have the peafants chofen in preference, ante
animals !
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