8. The countryman never brings his own goods to market, unless he happens to be going that way, in which case he usually takes them with him, but otherwise it is expected the merchant should fetch them.
9. When the towns of this part of the country were first built, each had certain parishes appropriated to it, and these were called the trading district of each town, in which no person who did not belong to the town had a right to trade. These exclusive privileges were subsequently annulled by royal authority, and free markets were established, where strangers as well as the neighbouring inhabitants were equally permitted to trade. This open trade has not however taken place at Calix, partly because the peasants are situated at so great a distance from one another, and partly because the merchants in the town conceive that such a plan would ruin them,
they being in that case obliged to buy and sell for ready money.
10. Here are no free markets, properly speaking, but only Upbördsmoten (periodical meetings of the collectors of the revenues with the peasants). At these times the townsmen and the peasants meet together at the place of rendezvous, as at Calix every year on the 19th of August, and at Tornea in the depth of winter.
The inconveniences of the above plan of trade are,
1. The merchant lays considerable sums fast, with which he might otherwise extend his commerce.
2. He has the trouble of carrying his goods to the house of the peasant, where-ever it may be, up the country, and of bringing what he takes in exchange from the place of rendezvous to his own house in town.
3. The consequence of such a plan is, that many a merchant has outstanding debts to the amount of 100,000 dollars,
the greater part of which he may never get paid.
The inconveniences to the countryman are,