Halfway between SVARTLÅ and HARADS I once again came upon ‘Sceptrum Carol.’ [Moor-king], which was first discovered by Professor Rudbeck. It was growing in dry soil but had not flowered yet. Also ‘Ranunculus palustris novus’ [celandine].3
27th. There was excellent clay at Harads: blue and fairly fireproof. Also, not far from there, a rare iron-ore. In the arable land there was ‘Echoide’ [Bugloss] and ‘Equisetum tenuissimum in sylvis’ [Wood Horsetail].
On the bank at LAXEDE there was ‘Acetosa folio in medio deliquium patiente’ [Scottish Dock], but not in flower.
Straight across the river there was a pine which had markings to show how high the river reached each year and how, year by year, its height is diminishing. For example, in 1669 it rose 8 feet of vertical height more than this year, but in 1667 it was a foot higher still and has decreased annually since.
A short distance from here there was a mineral spring that carried a greater quantity of ochre than any of the others I had seen. Its taste was very astringent and a few people had used it to some small effect.
There was ‘Pingvicula’ [Common Butterwort] on the shore and ‘Juncus bombycinus, minimus’ [club-rush] everywhere.4
A black sand containing iron had been washed up on the banks.
The vagina in women does not become more ample when they are fat, more likely narrower; the thinner they are, the larger the vagina.
People who are afraid that their children will be scarred by accidents with fire etc. brush a few drops of blood from the umbelicus on their faces, hands and chests when it is being cut, and that prevents it.
Carrots, grated and mixed with arsenic, are said to be a remedy for cockroaches – the latter eat them with pleasure and then they all die.
28th. We spent part of the night in FINNEN whither we had travelled mainly by boat.
In the morning we arrived by boat at STORBACKEN 10 miles further on, from where we have 35 miles on foot to Jokkmokk.
Today we travelled as far as PAJERIM and spent the night in a smoke-house built with a hole in the roof.
Here I found ‘Barbaraea’ [Small-flowered Wintercress] but its lower leaves were not so broad as the garden variety nor were they eared – 4 feet high in thickets.
There were crooked pines in many places around here and the lower parts of them always became hard like boxwood. They make skis and sledge-runners from it and call it “travelling wood”.