2 2 ANCIENT DIVISION OF SOUTH SWEDEN. [C h a p . 11.
Dalecarlia will be found in all the maps of Sweden. It is a large
and very beautiful province, and abounds in mines.
Vestmanland lies upon the south-side o f Dalecarlia, and comprehends
the modern province of Vesteros, and part of Örebro.
Upland lies upon the east-side of Vestmanland,, and comprehends
some valuable mines, particularly Danemora.
Sodermanland is upon the south-side of Stockholm. It contains in
it the mine of Tunaberg, famous for its cobalt, and some others.
-Nerike is a beautiful province, surrounding Örebro, and contains a
good many iron mines and some manufactures. It extends south to
the lake Vettern.
Vermeland lies upon the north-side o f the lake Vennern, and contains
many iron mines.
Dahlsland lies upon the north of Vermeland, and constitutes the
high ground upon the borders o f Norway.
Vestergothland is a large tract included between the sea, which
washes the west coast o f Sweden, the lakes Vennern and Vettern,
and a circle of latitude a little on the south-side of Gottenburg.
Oestergothland lies upon the east-side of the lake Vettern. Neither
of these extensive districts contain mines; but their mineralogy is
curious and important.
Smoland lies upon the south-side of the lake Vettern, and extends
a good way south. It is very thinly peopled, and in point of soil and
appearance is the worst part of Sweden which I saw.
Skone, or Scania, is the southernmost part of Sweden, the narrowest
part o f the peninsula. It is the greatest corn country in the
kingdom, and is very well inhabited.
Such are the names of the old provinces, with which it is proper to
be acquainted. The modern provinces, usually named from the principal
town in the district, will be seen in the map.
We set out from Gottenburg about one o’clock, in high spirits. The
day was fine, and we were not a little curious to survey the face o f a
country which promised to be so different from any which we had yet
seen. Before entering upon the particulars of our journey through West
Chap. //•] METHOD OF POSTING. 2 3
Gothland, it may be requisite to notice a few circumstances respecting;
the mode o f travelling in Sweden.
As there are no stage-coaches, it is necessary for every traveller to
be provided with a carriage of his own. It ought to be light, and in
summer an open carriage is much more useful and agreeable than any
other. The horses in Sweden are small but very active, and remarkably
sure footed. Notwithstanding the great number of horses which I
employed, in a journey of above 1200 miles, I never saw one o f them
stumble. Their harness consists of little else than common ropes,
which you supply yourself. In general about half an hour was requisite
to yoke a couple of horses to our carriage. Posting is under the
regulation o f government. Post-houses are provided at regular distances
all over the country. The person who keeps these houses is
called the gastgifvar, and he is obliged by law to keep a certain number
of horses for posting. These vary from one to twenty, but the
usual number is two, four, or six. Besides these, there is a certain
number which the peasants in the neighbourhood are obliged to furnish,
and to send once a day to the post-house; these are called hollhaster,
or relay horses; these vary from two to twenty-two. In some counties,
as Smoland, when the population is small, and the intercourse
not great, there are no hollhaster at all. In travelling through such
counties,' unless you take care to send a person before you, you are
quite sure to be detained several hours at each stage before horses can
be procured. There is a third class o f horses, called reserve horses,
and which in fact consist of all the horses in the district. These the
post-master is entitled to Call upon in case o f necessity ; but a considerable
time always elapses before they can be procured. I f you
wish to drive rapidly in Sweden, you must send a person before you,
to order horses by a particular hour. This person is called a forhod,
and by means o f him you may travel as rapidly in Sweden as in
England.
You pay for your horses at the rate of eighteen skillings, or ninepence
sterling, per horse, for the. Swedish mile, which is almost exactly equal
to 6|. English miles. But when you take horses from a town, how