Gästrikland

The woods were now becoming more shrubby and were full of rocks and various species of ‘Pyrola’ [wintergreen].

The rocks consisted mainly of multi-striated strata of white and dark granite; this continued the whole way.

I saw here a large number of ‘Salix’ [willow] afflicted by witch’s broomsticks. They had dropped all of last year’s leaves except for those right at the ends of the twigs and they resembled the calices of Bastard Saffron, though they had lost their colour.

Towards GӒVLE I saw a rune-stone; it is said to have been read so I did not tarry over it.

There was also a frame, 16 feet in height, for drying corn and peas. All the corn is dried on these up-country, throughout the whole of Hälsingland, Medelpad, Ångermanland and Västerbotten.

14th. Departed from Gävle after church and after obtaining a valid travel pass from the Provincial Governor and his secretary. I was well entertained by Inspector Lönbom of the Customs.

Here in Gävle are to be found the last apothecary in the north and the last Provincial Doctor.

The river flows through the middle of the town and is navigable; outside there are fortifications.

There were red stones lying everywhere outside the town.

HILLE church, 5 miles. Here lies the start of a ridge which runs all the way to the next inn – 5 miles – and which separates 2 lakes. On the highest point of this ridge, almost 7 miles from Gävle, stood a cluster of various burial mounds constructed of stone.

The pines here, all of them growing slim and tall, had 3 different stages of cones; some 1 year old, large as large peas and spherical; 2nd, two-year old, pointed ovate; 3rd, four-year old, open, with the scales curving back.

The snipe could be heard calling continually down in the marsh on the left.

Hille mineral spring lies on the right-hand side 1 3/4 miles from Trödje.

TRÖDJE inn, which old Prof. Rudbeck said was Troy, has a big smooth hillside around it.

North of here we travelled across a marsh 1 3/4 miles wide and bare of trees, except that all along the road ‘Gale’ [Bog Myrtle] grew and the catkins hanging at the ends of its branches merit description, and ‘Betula nana’ [Dwarf Birch], which formed a low avenue along the road. People call this marsh Trödje Mire.