places of far inferior accommodation, they feemed almoft
<— —, palaces. The traveller is able to procure many conveniences,
and particularly a feparate room from that inhabited by the
family, which could feldom be obtained in the Poliih and
• Ruffian villages. During my courfe through thofe two
countries, a bed was a phaenomenon which feldom occurred,
excepting in the large towns, and even then not always completely
.equipped; but the pooreft huts o f Sweden were
never deficient in this article o f comfort: an evident proof
that the Swediffi peafants are more civilized than thofe of
Poland and Ruffia.
After having witnefied the flavery o f the peafants in thofe
two countries, it was a pleating fat is faction to find myfelf
again among freemen, in a kingdom where there is a more
equal divifion o f property; where there is no vaffalage,
where the loweft order enjoy a fecurity o f their perfons
and property ; and where the advantages refulting from this
right are vifible to the commoneft obferver.
On the 18th at noon I quitted the province o f Smoland,
and entered that of Blekinge. As I approached the Ihores
o f the Baltick towards Carlfcrona, ridges o f granite again
made their appearance, fometimes bare, fometimes covered
with heath, or clothed with foreft. About half a mile from
Carlfcrona we came upon a fine view of that town, Branding
in an ifland.
During a fortnight’s progrefs from Stockholm to Carlfcrona,
through a tratfir o f about 500 Engliih miles, the weather
was fo clear, dry, and delightful, that I felt no inconvenience
from performing the journey in an open cart. There
was a gentle froft at night and morning 5 but the remaining
part o f the day .was cheered with a genial fun. The fpring,
indeed,
indeed, o f that year was remarkably forward and exceedingly c h a p .
mild. The port o f Carlfcrona, which is frequently clofed
with ice until the month o f April, was open early in March.
Ufually the peafants of Upland and Weftmanland feldom
till their lands before April * ; but I obferved, during my
paflage through thofe provinces in the beginning o f March,
that the huibandmen had already began to plough the fields,
and to fow their barley and oats. The rapid progrefs o f
vegetation in thefe northern regions was extremely vifible
from the quick ffiooting o f the pafture and young corn,
which, though the fnow had only been melted three weeks,
were in a flouriihing ftate-
I was greatly furprized to find that Sweden would produce
fufficient grain for the interior confumption o f the inhabitants,
i f fuch. large quantities were not employed in the
diftillation o f malt fpirits. T h e northern parts o f Sweden
and Finland produce excellent rye; and thefouthern provinces
yield wheat, oats, and barley. The wheat and rye are fown
in the middle of Auguft, and are reaped in the fame month
o f the following year. Barley and oats, are conligned to the
ground in Spring immediately upon the melting qf the fnow:
the former is cut down towards the end o f Auguft ; and the ..
oats about the middle o f September.
* Am . A c ad , p , 3 7 1 ; a lfo S t illin gfleet’ s T r a f l s , p . r j 3. M
C H A Po.