Hälsingland

HUDIKSVALL is a small town bordered by the sea on one side and by a small lake on the other.

From Hudiksvall onwards ‘Rubus fragariae folio’ [Arctic Bramble] grew and ‘Lychnis sexualis rubra’ [Red Campion] was in flower, as was ‘Turritis’ minima [Thale Cress].

Every 3rd year the main field is sown with flax. The turf is turned over by the plough along the length of the field, after which flax is sown and the ground is harrowed. Linen manufacture provides the principal industry of the province.

I reached BRINGSTA towards evening. The weather was pleasant and it had only rained once during the day.

17th. When the sun rose in the morning, I saw a number of ancient burial sites by JӒTTENDAL church.

No sooner had I entered the forest than I caught up with 7 Lapps who were driving 60 to 70 of their reindeer and they had young calves with them. The horns had dropped off most of them and new ones were beginning to come through. I asked them how they came to be right down here and they said that they had been born down here by the coast and wanted to die here. They spoke good Swedish.

As I approached the inn at GNARP, I saw a birch on the left that had over 50 or 60 witch’s broomsticks on it.