Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 1Linné, Carl von
History
Lachesis Lapponica; Or, A Tour in Lapland, Volume 1
Linné, Carl von
Lapland -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Lapland
Here runs the river which divides the provinces of Upland and
Gestrickland. The soil hereabouts is for the most part clayey. In the
forests it is composed of sand (_Arena mobilis_ and _A. Glarea_). The
post-houses or inns are dreadfully bad. Very few hills or lakes are to
be met with in Upland. When I had passed the limits of these provinces,
I observed a few oak trees only in the district of Medelpad.
GESTRICKLAND.
The forests became more and more hilly and stony, and abounded with the
different species of Winter-green (_Pyrolæ_).
All along the road the stones were in general of a white and
dark-coloured granite.
I noticed great abundance of the Rose Willow (_Salix Helix_), which had
lost all its leaves of the preceding season, except such as composed
rosaceous excrescences at the summits of its branches, and which looked
like the calyx of the _Carthamus_ (_Safflower_), only their colour was
gone.
Near Gefle stands a Runic monumental stone, rather more legible than
usual, and on that account more taken care of.
I noticed a kind of stage to dry corn and pease on, formed of
perpendicular posts with transverse beams. It was eight ells in height.
Such are used throughout the northern provinces, as Helsingland,
Medelpad, Angermanland, and Westbothland.
_May 14._
I left Gefle after divine service, having previously obtained a proper
passport from the governor of the province and his secretary. I was well
received and entertained by the Comptroller of the Customs, Lönbom.
At this town is the last apothecary's shop and the last physician in the
province, neither the one nor the other being to be met with in any
place further north. The river is navigable through the town. The
surrounding country abounds with large red stones.
At the distance of three quarters of a mile stands Hille church. Here
begins a chain or ridge of hills extending to the next post-house, three
quarters of a mile further, and separating two lakes. On its summit, a
quarter of a mile from Gefle, a number of different sepulchral mounds
are observable, composed of stones.
The Fir trees here all appeared tall and slender, and were laden with
cones of three different stages of growth; some a year old, not larger
than large peas, and of a globular figure; others two years old, ovate
and pointed; and the remainder ripe, with their scales open and
reflexed, having been four years on the tree.
In the marshes on the left the note of the Snipe (_Scolopax Gallinago_)
was heard continually.
At the distance of a quarter of a mile before we come to Troye, on the
right, are the mineral springs of Hille.
Troye post-house, which Professor Rudbeck the elder used to call Troy,
is surrounded by a smooth hill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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