The country-people have, in every one of their mills, an instrument made of six or seven blades or hatchets, serving to cut chaff into small pieces in a trough, in order to grind it afterwards with their barley.
Rotkäl (Brassica oleracea κ, Sp. Pl. 932, Napo brassica, or Stalk-cabbage) is dried for winter use; when it is boiled, and given with the liquor to the cattle.
The women at this place wear a hood, or neckcloth, as they call it, of grey walmal cloth, but only in bad weather. It is tied with a black ribband in the fore part. When they ride on horseback, they carry the whip slung at their back.
To stir up the pot, when boiling, they use a stick with several projecting bits of wood at the bottom, (not unlike a chocolate-mill,) which is rolled between their hands.
In the evening of this day I arrived at Wasa.
September 23.
I went to church at Wasa, and visited also the palace, situated on the south-west side of the city, the school, and other public buildings. This is a handsome little town enough. It is the residence of the governor.
Not far from the town, and indeed close to the walls, is a reputed copper-mine, the working of which was discontinued, after an excavation had been made to the depth of five or six fathoms. The ore has a glittering micaceous appearance, and gives a stain like black lead. The sand about it is a loose talc, as if spontaneously decomposed. I do not indeed believe that it contains any copper or other metal; which seems to have