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
On the roof and sides of this cave, near the entrance, the stones were
clothed with a fungous substance, like a sponge in texture, without any
regular form; or rather like the internal medullary part of the Agaric
of the Birch, when dressed for making tinder. It appeared to me quite
distinct from all plants hitherto described. (This is the _Byssus
cryptarum_; _Linn. Fl. Lapp. n. 527_, and _Fl. Suec. n. 1181_.
Succeeding travellers have gathered it here.)
Every where near the road lay spar full of talc, or Muscovy glass,
glittering in the sun.
Now we take leave of Medelpad and its sandy roads, as well as its Yellow
Aconite (_Aconitum lycoctonum_), both which it affords in common with
Helsingland.
ANGERMANLAND.
About a quarter of a mile from the next post-house is a small bridge,
over a rivulet which joins two little lakes. This water separates
Medelpad from Angermanland. We no sooner enter this district, than we
meet with lofty and very steep hills, scarcely to be descended with
safety on horseback.
Very near Hernosand, in the territories of the bishopric, I picked up a
number of Chrysomelas of a blueish green and gold. (These were the
beautiful _Chrysomela graminis_. See _Faun. Suec. n. 509_.)
The city of Hernosand is situated about half or three quarters of a mile
within the borders of the province, standing on an island, accessible to
ships on every side, except at Vaerbryggan, where they can scarcely
pass.
In the heart of the Angermannian forests trees with deciduous leaves,
_Betula alba_ and the hoary-leaved Alder (_Betula incana_), abound
equally with the Common and Spruce Firs (_Pinus sylvestris_ and
_Abies_), while among the humble shrubs the Heath (_Erica_) and the
Bilberry (_Vaccinium Myrtillus_) alternately predominate; the former
chiefly on the hills, the latter in the closer parts of the forest.
These hills might with great advantage be cleared of their wood; for
here is a good soil remaining wherever the trees are burnt down, not
barren stones as in Helsingland and Medelpad. The valleys between the
mountains, as in those countries, are cultivated with corn, or laid out
in meadows, but here are spacious plains besides.
Every house has near it one of those stages already described, on which
the rye, less plentiful here than barley, is laid to dry, as are the
peas likewise.
The woods abound with matted branches of the birch, I know not from what
cause.
Between Norsby and Veda, on the hill towards Mörtsiön, I had a very
extensive view of the surrounding country, which presented itself like
clouds of dense vapour rising one above another. The mountains looked
quite blue from the fog which rose from them; and this vapour gave them
the appearance of having each a more lofty summit than the hill before
it. This was the case in every part of the prospect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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