Appearance of the Country
A large part of Sweden is lowland, yet it has mountains so high
as to be covered with eternal snows. There are extensive forests of
spruce and hemlock, and a great number of beautiful lakes. It is said
that one-tenth of the entire area is covered with lakes. The larger of
these have been connected by canals, so that small ships can cross the
country, from Stockholm on the east coast to Gottenberg on the west.
These numerous bodies of water serve to moderate the climate, which,
from the position of the country, would naturally be very severe.
This country, though old, is sparsely settled. With an area more
than fifteen times larger than that of Denmark, it has only two and
a half times as many inhabitants. Outside the great cities the people
are primitive in their habits. While they are characterized by general
intelligence, they are slow to accept changes or to make improvements.
The styles of living, the means of transportation and locomotion, the
marriage and funeral customs, and the religious ceremonies, all show
how old usages retain their power. Yet the inhabitants of Sweden are
generally more willing to listen to new doctrines than are those of
Norway or Denmark.
In the country and small towns the houses are nearly all built of
logs, or of timbers about six inches square. They are ceiled on the
inside, covered with cloth, and papered. After the logs have had a year
or two to settle, the houses are boarded on the outside, and painted
red. Nearly all the houses in Sweden are red. Many are thatched, and
some are roofed with turf; a layer of birch bark is first used, and this
is covered with sods; the grass grows on the turf, keeping it fresh and
green, and flowers are sometimes planted in it. These houses are said
to be warm and dry; they present a quaint and picturesque appearance.
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We saw in Stockholm many country-women in their provincial
costumes. Those from one locality wore a cone-shaped cap fully a
foot high, a red tunic, and a large checked or striped apron woven of
coarse yarn as we weave striped carpets in America.
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