blossoming at Umœa, were now laden with fruit, as the Mesomora (Cornus suecica), Vaccinia (Whortle-berries), Chamæmorus (Rubus Chamæmorus, Cloud-berry), and Chamærubus (R. saxatilis, Stone Bramble), all which vied with each other in the profusion of their berries. But little Ling (Erica) was to be seen.
The hills are but trifling. Rising grounds, which had partly been burnt, were covered with Spruce firs, and even with Reindeer-moss (Lichen rangiferinus).
Towards evening I arrived at Tornea. The weather was fine.
Near Grotnäs, situated opposite to the church of Calix, is a ferry to convey passengers to this church, adjoining to which the inhabitants of Lulea and Tornea keep a fair.
The river produces abundance of Flote-grass, which at this time bore its spikes or heads of flowers. I had long been acquainted with the plant, it being very abundant in this country as well as in Smoland, and
had wondered what species it could be; especially as I never heard of any botanist who had met with the fructification. It is a Sparganium, whose leaves are very long, reaching a fathom or two, according to the depth of the water, and floating on its surface. They are convex at their back, except in the lower part, which is flat on both sides. (This plant named Flotagræs, or Flote-grass, in Linnæus's native country of Smoland, is the Sparganium n. 345* of Fl. Lapp., in the second edition of which work I have called it S. natans, on his own authority in the Flora Suecica and Species Plantarum; but in English Botany, v. 4. 273, and Fl. Brit. 962, this error is corrected, so far at least as concerns the original Lapland specimen, which is unquestionably S. simplex, Engl. Bot. v. 11. t. 745, a species he did not, in his works, distinguish from our common S. ramosum, t. 744. I am now persuaded he confounded this simplex with the natans in his Lapland tour, as well as in his herbarium,
where the original specimens of the two are pinned together.)
August. 2
They dry their corn upon drying sheds as is practised in Smoland. The cross piece is turned towards the south, but the method here differs from that of the Smolanders in one respect. The latter place one sheaf on the top of another, but the inhabitants of Westbothnia lay the sheaves cross-wise, in an alternate order, each thinking their own method the best for procuring the most complete ventilation. In this country fifteen sheaves are lodged under each shed, without supporters; but in Smoland twelve only, ten of which are in the main pile and two at the sides. The Smolanders therefore are able to reach high enough to place their uppermost sheaves by hand, but the inhabitants of Westbothnia find it necessary to be provided with what they term a Skyllkrok, or Rick-hook, consisting of a round pole, with a transverse
projecting piece of wood, (like a direction-post in England, as appears by the sketch in the manuscript,) by means of which each sheaf is lifted up.