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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 384
From Carlferoon to Gottenburg is thirty-feven miles and a quarter; you return by
the road you have already pafled as far as Runneba; about halt a league beyond, you
turn tothe right. ‘There is another road by Killerid, but it is longer and lefs pleafant.
Between Skieurgue and Diuramola, you leave Bleking to enter Smaland: the roads are
conftantly good, but hilly; the country wild: water is rarely found at the poft-houles,
inftead you muft be content with bad beer and brandy wine; there are many forefts of
fir and pine, which, however, are frequently of ftunted growth, and here and there
lakes. ‘That near which the town of Vexiceu is fituated, is rather confiderable. Vexiceu
is a very fmall town: notwithftanding it be the refidence of the governor of the pro-
vince, and a bifhop, nothing is to be had, and the neceflity of carrying your own provi-
fions is as evident here as in the molt inconfiderable hamlet; one of the ftreets is lined
with trees, but this is far from being the cafe with all of them, as fome travellers relate.
On leaving Vixiceu, you crofs over bridges, feveral times, a river which has its origin in
the lake, and empties itfelf into the Baltic about a mile from Carlfham; it is called the
Morunfo: afterwards you coaft along the lake for fome time. Succeed a number of
woods more flourifhing than thofe pafled before; the confequence doubtlefs of their
greater diftance from the fea, which begins to be confiderable.- The whole of this road
is mountainous; if your luggage be heavy, it will not be amifs to take the road for Jon-
koeuping upon arriving at Ceurs, for although it be rather the fartheft way, itis by
much the moft agreeable, and paffes through feveral towns to Gottenburg, whereas by
the former road you go through none. You traverfe the whole of Smaland, a pro-
vince which gives title to the King’s fecond fon: its inhabitants are reputed to preferve
all the franknefs with all the rudenefs of their anceftors; they confider themfelves much
fuperior to their neighbours, with whom they rarely intermarry, which circumftance
has not a little contributed to the prefervation of their ancient charaéter. This province
yields a confiderable quantity of hops. In its fouthern part, nich iron is extra¢ted
from the lakes and marfhes. The gold mine of Adelfers, the only one in the kingdom,
is in Smaland ; it is little productive, fo little, as not to pay the charges of working ; it
is fituated at a diftance from this road, but you go near it on pafling from Calmar to
Efkicu. From Hefieu to Bor there are many afcents and defcents, which during frofty
weather are fomewhat dangerous. As you leave Vernamo, you crofs the Laga over a
bridge, where you pay a toll of two fous for each wheel; after which the road to Stock-
holm is on the night, and beyond, a very fteep afcent; here it is that you crofs the high
road to Helfinburg. On this ftage the eye is treated with nothing but fandy plains,
heath, and ftone, with here and there fome ftreams. The fair of Vernamo has great
reputationin the country ; the ftalls are permanentas well here as at other places where
fairs are held, and are frequently confpicuous. From Gronhult to Tofstorp there are
large forefts of pine and fir: on this ftage there is abundance of heath, with little or no
cultivation. ‘The four laft ftages are the worft; on the laft you travel over a great
fteep by a road cut through the rock, on the border of a {mall lake. Along all this
road you will find it frequently neceflary to apply the drag to the wheels. As we made
this journey about Chriftmas time, called in the northern languages Youl, and which
has been kept in this country from time immemorable, we found provifion in every
houfe; each individual had decorated the infide of his apartments with cloth, ftuff, or
whatever moft valuable he poffeffed, and the floor was covered with ftraw, which never-
thelefs did not prevent the inhabitants letting lighted fire-brands fall on it without pay-
ing any regard to their extinction, aneglect which will readily account for the frequency
of conflagrations. We did not remark, as is affirmed by Mr. Coxe, that the beds are
commonly one above the other ; but almo{t every where did we obferve trunks ranged
around
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