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
Between Gnarp and the post-house of Dingersjö stands the boundary mark
between Helsingland and Medelpad or Medelpadia, consisting of two posts,
one on each side the road. Here I began to perceive the common Ling,
_Erica_, to grow more scarce, its place being supplied by a greater
quantity of the Bilberry (_Vaccinium Myrtillus_). Birch trees became
more abundant as I advanced. On the left of the road are large mountains
of granite. At the foot of those rocks the whole country was covered
with stones, about twice as large as a man's fist, of a greyish green
colour, lying in heaps, and covered with a fine coating of moss, seeming
never to have been disturbed.
I had scarcely passed the limits of Helsingland, when I perceived a
brace of Ptarmigans (_Tetrao Lagopus_) in the road, but could not get
near enough to fire at them. Viewed through my spying-glass, they
appeared for the most part of a reddish cast, but the wing feathers were
snow-white.
Close by the post-house of Dingersjö grew the large Yellow Aconite
(_Aconitum lycoctonum_), called by the peasants Giske or Gisk. All over
the country through which I passed this day, it is as common as heath or
ling. Not being eaten by any kind of cattle, it grows luxuriantly, and
increases abundantly, in proportion as other herbs are devoured. Thus
Nature teaches the brute creation to distinguish, without a preceptor,
what is useful from what is hurtful, while man is left to his own
inquiries.
To the north of Dingersjö, on the right hand of the road, stands a
considerable mountain called Nyæckers-berg, the south side of which is
very steep. The inhabitants had planted hop-grounds under it. As the hop
does not in general thrive well hereabouts, they designed that this
mountain should serve as a wall for the plants to run upon. They were
not disappointed as to the success of their plantations; for the hops
were very thriving, being sheltered from the cold north wind, and at the
same time exposed to the heat of the sun, whose rays are concentrated in
this spot as in a focus.
At the distance of a quarter of a mile from the post-house, on the left,
stands the highest mountain in Medelpad, according to the inhabitants,
which is called Norby Kullen, or more properly Norby Knylen. It is
indeed of a very considerable height; and being desirous of examining it
more minutely, I travelled to Norby, where I tied my horse to an ancient
Runic monumental stone, and, accompanied by a guide, climbed the
mountain on its left side. Here were many uncommon plants, as _Fumaria
bulbosa minima_, _Campanula serpyllifolia_ (_Linnæa borealis_), _Adoxa
moschatellina_, &c., all in greater perfection than ever I saw them
before. I found also a small rare moss, which I should call _Sphagnum
ramosum_, _capsulis globosis_, _petiolus_ (pedicellis) _longis
erectis_, if it may be presumed a _Sphagnum_, as I saw no calyptra. The
little heads or capsules were exactly spherical[8].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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