of forest is usually attached to
these farming-lands, from which the peasants derive their supplies of
lumber and fuel. Saw-mills are numerous on all the rivers, and a large
trade in lumber is carried on in the lake regions. The main lumber
region lies north of Stockholm, on the various small rivers emptying
into the Gulf of Bothnia. Sundswall, Umea, Lulea, and Haparanda are
the principal places of exportation on the eastern shore, and
Gottenburg on the west. The fisheries are also an important branch of
industry, and large quantities of stromung and herrings are exported.
Salmon abound in the rivers, and the lakes and mountain streams
furnish a very fine quality of trout. Game is more abundant in the
densely wooded regions of Sweden than in Norway, being less accessible
to English sportsmen. Of late years Norway has become the favorite
hunting and fishing ground of the English, and every summer they swarm
all over the country with their guns and fishing-rods. In Sweden,
however, comparatively few have yet made their appearance. Bear, elk,
red deer, ptarmigan, and wild-fowl abound in the forests and along the
shores of the lakes. The Swedes themselves are not so much given to
this kind of recreation as the English. Their chief amusements consist
in Sunday afternoon recreations, such as theatrical representations,
dancing, singing, drinking, and carousing. In their religious
observances they are very strict, but after church they consider
themselves privileged to enjoy a little dissipation in the Continental
style. It too often happens that their frolics are carried to an
excess. More brandy and other strong liquors are consumed in Sweden,
according to the population, than in New Orleans or San Francisco,
which is saying a good deal for the civilization of the people.
Another good sign is that they chew tobacco. The better classes
usually smoke this delightful weed, but the peasants both smoke it and
chew it, showing conclusively that they are advancing rapidly toward
emancipation from the narrow prejudices of European society. I saw
drunken men and tobacco-chewers in Sweden who would have done credit
to any little mining district in California. The habit of drinking is
almost universal. The peasants drink to get drunk, the better classes
drink for excitement, and all drink because they like it. At the
principal restaurants in Stockholm and Gottenburg there is usually an
anteroom opening into the main saloon. Here every g