ever small, the rate o f posting for that stage is increased SO per cent, or
instead of eighteen skillings you pay twenty-seven skillings, or thirteen-
pence halfpenny per mile. The boy that goes with you to bring back
the horses expects something: he is very well satisfied with about twopence
sterling. When you go to a stage, you must inquire for the
hollenkar, a boy kept by the post-master for the purpose o f getting
horses for travellers. When he brings the horses, he generally expects
something for his trouble, though he does not always get it. In every
post-house, there is a day-book kept, in which you write down your
name, where you are going, where you came from, how many horses
you take; and i f you have met with any grievance, there is a place for
noting down your complaint. These day-books are carried once a
month to the Governor o f the district to be inspected : so that i f any
irregularity happens it cannot remain unknown. I observed many
complaints in these day-books, but they were never made by Swedes,
always by foreigners. Hence I concluded that most of them were
imaginary, and arose from ignorance o f the laws and customs o f the
country.
Our first object was to go to Trollhatte (pronounced Trollhettd), a
celebrated fall of the river Gotha, not very far from the place where it
issues from the lake V ennern. This place lies about. S 3 miles north
from Gottenburg, and from the lateness of the hour at which we set
out, we could not expect to reach it till next day. The following
are the names of the stages, and the distances between Gottenburg
and Trollhatte
Lahall.............
Swedish miles. English miles.
Kattleberg . . . 81
K a rra .............. 81
Forss................
Trollhatte . . . .
8 53*
The road lay partly along the banks of the Gotha, a river which
struck my eye as pretty much o f a size with the river Forth, at Stirling,
and partly at some distance from that river. The face of the country
for some time was exactly similar to the neighbourhood o f Gottenburg
; that is to say, it consisted of ridges of naked rocks running in
various directions, and separated by narrow valleys; but as we advanced
northwards the rocks became lower, and by the time we
reached Trollhatte, we found the mscarcely elevated above the surface
of the ground, though still as naked as ever. Indeed nearly one-half
o f the last stage between Forss and Trollhatte consists o f a natural
pavement o f gneiss, as level and smooth as i f it had been made by art,
extending every way for several miles, and perfectly destitute of
vegetation,
For some distance the country was bare o f wood, but trees began
gradually to make their appearance; they increased in number as we
advanced north, and at last spread over the greatest part o f the country.
These trees consisted chiefly of two species o f pine, the only
species which grow naturally in Sweden: these are the pinus sylvestris,
or Scotch fir, and the pinus abies, or spruce fir. O f the last species
thete are two varieties, one with erect and one with pendulous leaves.
The last is a very beautiful tree, and where it occurs it is said to indicate
a fertile soil. Birch trees are likewise common, and by their fine
shape and difference o f colour add considerably to the beauty o f the
scene. O f late the Lombardy poplar has been introduced into Sweden:
it thrives well, and is usually planted by the road-side,' by way o f ornament.
The birch is seldom to be seen in single trees: where it does
occur you usually see large patches o f ground covered with it; nor
does it seem to have any tendency to mix with the pines. Birch is
one o f the most valuable among the Swedish trees. It is the best firewood
in the Country, burning without throwing out sparks, and producing
more heat than an equal weight o f any other wood: its bark is
also converted ih to baskets, and other articles o f convenience and
utility. Oak is another tree which abounds in Sweden. I likewise saw
abundance of alders, and ©fa much larger size than I had ever observed
growing in Great Britain. The red fir-wood which comes to this
country is the wood of the pinus abies, while the pinus sylvestris
E