an autobiography-第55部分

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I　was　at　once　diverted　for　a　time　from　my　voyage　to　Copenhagen。　I　was　most　desirous　of　seeing　in　person　this　celebrated　mine。　The　baron　most　willingly　furnished　me　with　several　letters　of　introduction　to　his　managers；　and　I　proceeded　to　Dannemora　by　way　of　Upsala。　　I　was　much　interested　by　this　city；　by　its　cathedral；　containing　the　tomb　of　Gustavas　Vasa；　and　by　its　many　historical　associations。　　But　I　was　still　more　impressed　by　Old　Upsala；　about　three　miles　distant。　　This　is　a　place　of　great　antiquity。　　It　is　only　a　little　hamlet　now；　though　at　one　time　it　must　have　been　the　centre　of　a　large　population。　　The　old　granite　church　was　probably　at　one　time　a　pagan　temple。　　Outside；　and　apart　from　it；　is　a　wooden　bell…tower；　erected　in　comparatively　modem　times。　　　In　a　wooden　box　inside　the　church　is　a　wooden　painted　god；　a　most　unlikely　figure　to　worship。　And　yet　the　Swedes　in　remote　parts　of　the　country　carefully　preserve　their　antique　wooden　gods。

The　great　sacrifices　to　Odin　were　made　at　Old　Upsala。　Outside　the　church；　in　a　row；　are　three　great　mounds　of　earth；　erected　in　commemoration　of　Odin；　Thor；　and　Freiahence　our　Wednesday；　Thursday；　and　Friday。　　These　mounds；　of　about　60　feet　high　and　232　feet　in　diameter；　were　in　former　times　used　as　burying…places　for　the　great　and　valiant。　　I　went　into　a　cottage　near　the　tumuli；　and　drank　a　bumper　of　mead　to　the　memory　of　Thor　from　a　very　antique　wooden　vessel。　I　made　an　especial　reverential　obeisance　to　Thor；　because　I　had　a　great　respect　for　him　as　being　the　great　Hammerman；　and　one　of　our　craft；　the　Scandinavian　Vulcan。

I　drove　back　to　Upsala；　and　remained　there　for　the　night。　It　is　a　sleepy　silent　place。　　The　only　sound　I　heard　was　the　voice　of　the　watchman　calling　out　the　small　hours　of　the　morning　from　his　station　on　the　summit　of　the　cathedral　tower。　　As　the　place　is　for　the　most　part　built　of　wood；　this　precaution　in　the　shape　of　a　watchman　who　can　see　all　points　of　the　city　is　a　necessary　one　in　case　of　fire。

Next　morning　I　hired　a　small　sort　of　gig　of　a　very　primitive　construction；　with　a　boy　for　driver。　　His　duty　was　to　carry　me　to　the　next　post…house；　and　there　leave　me　to　be　carried　forward　by　another　similar　conveyance。　　But　the　pony　No。　　2　was　about　a　mile　off；　occupied　in　drawing　a　plough；　so　that　I　had　to　wait　until　the　job　was　over。　In　about　an　hour　or　so　I　was　again　under　weigh。　　And　so　on　da　capo；　until　about　six　in　the　evening；　when　I　found　myself　within　sight　of　the　great　mine。　　The　post…house　where　I　was　set　down　was　an　inn；　though　without　a　signboard。　　The　landlady　was　a　bright；　cheery；　jolly　woman。　She　could　not　speak　a　word　of　English；　nor　I　a　word　of　Dannemora　Swedish。　　I　was　very　thirsty　and　hungry；　and　wanted　something　to　eat。　How　was　I　to　communicate　my　wishes　to　the　landlady？　　I　resorted；　as　I　often　did；　to　the　universal　language　of　the　pencil。　　I　took　out　my　sketch…book；　and　in　a　few　seconds　made　a　sketch　of　a　table；　with　a　dish　of　smoking　meat　upon　it；　a　bottle　and　a　glass；　a　knife　and　fork；　a　loaf；　a　saltcellar；　and　a　corkscrew。　　She　looked　at　the　drawing　and　gave　a　hearty　laugh。　　She　nodded　pleasantly；　showing　that　she　clearly　understood　what　I　wanted。　　She　asked　me　for　the　sketch；　and　went　into　the　back　garden　to　show　it　to　her　husband；　who　inspected　it　with　great　delight。　　I　went　out　and　looked　about　the　place；　which　was　very　picturesque。　　After　a　short　time；　the　landlady　came　to　the　door　and　beckoned　me　in；　and　I　found　spread　out　on　the　table　everything　that　I　desireda　broiled　chicken；　smoking　hot　from　the　gridiron；　a　bottle　of　capital　home…brewed　ale；　and　all　the　et　ceteras　of　an　excellent　repast。　　I　made　use　of　my　pencil　in　many　ways。　　I　always　found　that　a　sketch　was　more　useful　than　a　blundering　sentence。　　Besides；　it　generally　created　a　sympathy　between　me　and　my　entertainers。

＇Image＇　　The　order　for　dinner

My　visit　to　the　Dannemora　Mine　at　Osterby　was　one　of　peculiar　interest。　I　may　in　the　first　place　say　that　the　immense　collection　of　iron　ore　at　that　point　has　been　the　result　of　the　upheaval　of　a　vast　volume　of　molten　igneous　ore；　which　has　been　injected　into　the　rock；　or　deposited　in　masses　under　the　crust　of　the　earth。　　In　some　cases　the　quarried　ore　yields　from　50　to　70；　and　even　as　much　as　90　per　cent　of　iron。　The　Dannemora　Mine　is　a　vast　quarry　open　to　the　sky。　When　you　come　near　it　the　place　looks　like　a　vast　deep　pit；　with　an　unfathomable　bottom。　Ghostlike；　weird…looking　pinnacles　of　rocks　stand　out　from　its　profound　depths；　but　beyond　these　you　see　nothing　but　wreaths　of　smoke　curling　up　from　below。　　The　tortuous　chasm　in　the　earth；　caused　by　the　quarries　beneath；　is　about　half　a　mile　long；　and　about　a　thousand　feet　wide。

＇Image＇　　Dannemora　iron　mine。　　After　a　drawing　by　James　Nasmyth。

The　first　process　of　the　workmen　in　the　quarries　below　is　devoted　to　breaking　into　small　fragments　the　great　masses　of　ore　scattered　about　by　the　previous　night's　explosions。　　These　are　sent　to　the　surface　in　great　tubs　attached　to　wire　ropes；　which　are　drawn　up　by　gins　worked　by　horses。　　Other　miners　are　engaged　in　boring　blast　holes　in　the　ore；　which　displays　itself　in　great　wide　veins　in　the　granite　sides　of　the　vast　chasm。　　These　blast　holes　are　charged　with　gunpowder；　each　with　a　match　attached。　　At　the　end　of　the　day　the　greater　number　of　the　miners　are　drawn　up　in　the　cages　or　tubs；　while　a　few　are　left　below　to　light　the　slow…burning　matches　attached　to　about　a　hundred　charged　bore　holes。　　The　rest　of　the　miners　are　drawn　up；　and　then　begins　the　tremendous　bombardment。　　I　watched　the　progress　of　it　from　a　stage　projecting　over　the　wild…looking　yawning　gulph。　　It　was　grand　to　hear　the　succession　of　explosions　that　filled　the　bottom　of　the　mine　far　beneath　me。　　Then　the　volumes　of　smoke；　through　the　surface　of　which　masses　of　rock　were　sometimes　sent　whirling　up　into　the　clear　blue　sky；　and　fell　back　again　into　the　pit　below。　　Such　an　infernal　cannonade　I　have　never　witnessed。　　In　some　respects　it　reminded　me　of　the　crater　of　Vesuvius；　from　which　such　dense　clouds　of　steam　and　smoke　and　fire　are　thrown　up。　　In　the　course　of　the　night；　the　suffocating　smoke　and　sulphureous　gases　has　time　to　pass　away；　and　next　morning　the　workmen　were　ready　to　begin　their　operations　as　before。

The　ore　extracted　from　this　great　mine　is　smelted　in　blast　furnaces　with　wood　charcoal；　and　forged　into　bars。　　The　charcoal　is；　of　course；　entirely　free　from　sulphur。　　When　sent　to　Sheffield　the　iron　is　placed　in　fire…brick　troughs　closely　surrounded　by　powdered　charcoal。　After　a　few　days'　exposure　to　red　heat；　the　iron　is　converted　into　splendid　steel；　which　has　given　such　a　reputation　to　that　great　manufacturing　town。　　It　is　also　the　steel　from　which　the　firm　of　Stubbs　and　Company；　of　Warrington　（to　which　I　have　already　　referred）；　produce　their　famous　P。S。　　files。

After　the　explosions　had　ceased　at　the　mine；　I　went　with　one　of　the　managers　to　see　the　great　Bar　forge。　　It　was　a　picturesque　sight　to　see　the　forgemen　at　work　with　the　tilt　hammers　under　the　glowing　light　of　the　furnaces。　　I　inspected　the　machinery　and　forge　works　throughout；　and　had　thus　the　opportunity　of　seeing　the　whole　proceeding；　from　the　blasting　and　quarrying　of　the　ore　in　the　mine；　the　forging　and　rolling　of　the　worked　iron　into　their　proper　lengths；　down　to　the　final　stamp　or　〃mark〃　driven　in　by　the　blow　of　the　tilt　hammer　at　the　end　of　each　bar。　　Having　now　thoroughly　examined　everything　connected　with　this　celebrated　iron　mine；　I　prepared　to　set　out　for　Stockholm　in　the　same　way　as　I　had　come。　　To　prepare　the　landlord　for　my　setting　out；　I　again　resorted　to　my　pencil。　　I　made　a　drawing　of　the　little　gig　and　pony；　with　the　sun　rising；　and　the　hour　at　which　I　wished　to　start。　He　understood　it　in　a　moment；　and　next　morning　the　trap　was　at　the　door　at　the　specified　time。

Before　I　left　Stockholm　I　made　a　careful　and　elaborate　panoramic　sketch　of　the　city；　as　a　companion　to　the　one　I　had　made　of　Genoa　from　the　harbour　a　year　before。　　I　made　this　one　from　the　summit　of　the　King's　Park；　which　is　the　favourite　pleasure…ground　of　the　people。　I　was　ferried　across　in　a　little　paddle…wheel　boat；　worked　by　Dalecarlian　women　in　their　peculiar　costumes。　　The　King's　Park；　or　Djurgard；　is　doubly　beautiful；　not　only　from　its　panoramic　view　of　the　city；　the　Malar　Lake；　and　the　arm　of　the　Baltic；　which　comes　up　to　the　Skeppsbron　Quay；　but　also　from　the　magnificent　oak　trees　with　which　it　is　studded。　　These　noble　trees；　as　foreground　objects；　are　perfect　pictures。　　The　masses　of　rock　are　grand；　and　the　drives　are　beautifully　kept。　　No　wonder　that　the　Swedes　are　so　proud　of　this　beautiful　park；　for　it　is　the　finest　in　Europe。

I　left　Stockholm　for　Gottenburg　by　steamer。　　This　is　one　of　the　most　picturesque　routes　in　Sweden。　　First；　we　passed　through　the　Malar　Lake　one　of　the　most　beautiful　pieces　of　water　in　the　world。　　It　contains　no　less　than　fourteen　hundred　islands；　mostly　covered　with　wood。　Of　course　we　did　not　see　one　twentieth　part　of　the　lake；　we　only　steamed　along　its　eastern　shore　for　about　twenty　miles　on　our　way　to　Sodertelye；　where　the　Gotha　Canal　begins。　　We　then　reached　the　small　Maran　Lake；　and　afterwards　an　arm　of　the　Baltic。　　We　passed　numberless　islands　and　rocks　and　reached　the　Slatbacken　Fiord；　which　we　entered。　Beautiful　scenery　surrounds　the　entrance　to　the　fiord。　　In　the　morning；　after　rising　up　the　locks　between　Mariehop　and　Wenneberga；　and　passing　through　Lakes　Roxen　and　Boren；　we　found　ourselves　at　Motala；　near　the　entrance　to　the　Wettern　Lake。

Motala　is　a　place　of　great　importance　in　the　manufacturing　industry　of　Sweden。　　When　I　visited　it；　the　iron…foundry　was　in　charge　of　Mr。　Caulson；　a　native　of　the　country。　　I　had　known　him　some　years　before　in　London；　and　had　the　highest　opinion　of　his　ability　as　a　constructive　engineer。　　He　was　surrounded　at　Motala　with　everything　in　the　way　of　excellently　arranged　workshops；　good　machine　tools；　as　well　as　abundant　employment　for　them。　　Indeed；　this　is　the　largest　iron…foundry　in　Sweden；　where　iron　steamers；　steam…engines；　and　rolling　mills　are　made。　　From　its　central　position　it　has　a　great　future　before　it。

The　steamer　crosses　the　lake　to　Carlsborg；　at　the　entrance　to　the　fiord　and　canal　that　leads　to　Lakes　Wiken　and　Wenern。