The forests became more and more hilly and stony, and abounded with the different species of Winter-green (_Pyrolæ_).
All along the road the stones were in general of a white and dark-coloured granite.
I noticed great abundance of the Rose Willow (_Salix Helix_), which had lost all its leaves of the preceding season, except such as composed rosaceous excrescences at the summits of its branches, and which looked like the calyx of the _Carthamus_ (_Safflower_), only their colour was gone.
Near Gefle stands a Runic monumental stone, rather more legible than usual, and on that account more taken care of.
I noticed a kind of stage to dry corn and pease on, formed of perpendicular posts with transverse beams. It was eight ells in height. Such are used throughout the northern provinces, as Helsingland, Medelpad, Angermanland, and Westbothland.
I left Gefle after divine service, having previously obtained a proper passport from the governor of the province and his secretary. I was well received and entertained by the Comptroller of the Customs, Lönbom.
At this town is the last apothecary's shop and the last physician in the province, neither the one nor the other being to be met with in any place further north. The river is navigable through the town. The surrounding country abounds with large red stones.
At the distance of three quarters of a mile stands Hille church. Here begins a chain or ridge of hills extending to the next post-house, three quarters of a mile further, and separating two lakes. On its summit, a quarter of a mile from Gefle, a number of different sepulchral mounds are observable, composed of stones.
The Fir trees here all appeared tall and slender, and were laden with cones of three different stages of growth; some a year old, not larger than large peas, and of a globular figure; others two years old, ovate and pointed; and the remainder ripe, with their scales open and reflexed, having been four years on the tree.
In the marshes on the left the note of the Snipe (_Scolopax Gallinago_) was heard continually.
At the distance of a quarter of a mile before we come to Troye, on the right, are the mineral springs of Hille.
Troye post-house, which Professor Rudbeck the elder used to call Troy, is surrounded by a smooth hill.