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FORTIa’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN .

3Sr

From Carlfcroon to Gottenburg is thirty-feven miles and a quarter; you return bvthe road you have already paffed as far as Runnehir, about half a league beyond, youturn to the right. There is another road by Killerid, but it is longer and lei's pleafant.Between Skiaurgue and Diuramola , you leave Bleking to enter Smaland : the roads areconftantly good, but hilly ; the country wild : water is rarely found at the port houfes,infteadyou muft be content with bad beer and brandy wine j.. there are many forefts offir and pine, which, however, are frequently of flunted growth, and here and therelakes. That near which the town of Vexioeu is fituated, is rather confiderable. Vexioeu.is a very fmall town : notwithftanding it be the refidence of the governor of the pro-vince, and a biftiop, nothing is to be had, and the neceflity of carrying your own provi-sions is as evident here as in the moll inconfiderable hamlet j one of the ftreets is linedwith trees, but this is far from being the cafe with all of them, as feme travellers relate..On leaving Vixioeu, you crofs over bridges, feveral times, a river which has its origin inthe lake, and empties itfelf into the Baltic about a mile from Carlfham; it is called theMorunfo : afterwards you coaft along the lake for feme time. Succeed a number ofWoods more flourifhing than thofe paffed before; the confequeiice doubtlefs of theirgreater diftance from the fea, which begins to be confiderable. The whole of this roadis mountainous; if your luggage be heavy, it will not be amiis to take the road for Jon-koeuping upon arriving at (Eurs, for although it be rather the fartheft way, it is bymuch the moft agreeable, and paffes through feveral towns to Gottenburg, whereas bythe former road you go through none. You traverfe the whole of Smaland, a pro-vince which gives title to the King’s fecond flon: its inhabitants are reputed to preferveall the frankneis with all the rudenefs of their ancellors; they confider themfelves muchfuperior to their neighbours, with whom they rarely intermarry, which circumftancehas not a little contributed to the prefervation of their ancient character. This provinceyields a confiderable quantity of hops. In its fouthern part, much iron is extractedfrom 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; itis fituated at a diftance from this road, but you go near it on palling from Calmar toEfkioeu. From Hqfieu to Bor there are many afeents and defeents, which during froftyWeather are fomewhat dangerous. As you leave Vernamo , you crofs the Laga over abridge, where you pay a toll of two fous for each wheel ; after which the road to Stock-holm is on the right, and beyond, a very fteepafeent; here it is that you crofs the highroad 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 greatreputation in the country; the ftalls are permanent as well here as at other places wherefairs are held, and are frequently confpicuous. From Gronhult to Tofstorp there arelarge forefts of pine and fir: on this ftage there is abundance of heath, with little or nocultivation. The four laft ftages are the worftj on the laft you travel over a greatfteep by a road cut through the rock, on the border of a fmall lake. Along all thisr oad you will find it frequently neceffary to apply the drag to the wheels. As we madethis journey about Chriftmas time, called in the northern languages Tout , and whichhas been kept in this country from time immeifrorable, we found provifion in everyhoufe; each individual had decorated the infide of his apartments with cloth, fluff, orwhatever 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-ln g any regard to their extinction, a neglect which will readily account for the frequency°f conflagrations. We did not remark, as is affirmed by Mr. Coxe, that the beds arecommonly one above the other $ but almoft every where did we obferve trunks ranged

around.