I saw but few villages; they may, however, have
been hidden by the trees, for that they exist seems to be indicated
by the well-kept high roads crossing the plain in all directions.
Before quitting my position on the bastions of the royal palace I
cast a glance on the castle-gardens, which were lying lower down the
hill, and are separated from the castle by a road; they do not seem
to be large, but are very pretty.
I should have wished to be able to visit the botanic garden near the
town, which was the favourite resort of Linnaeus, whose splendidly-
sculptured bust is said to be its chief ornament; but the sun was
setting behind the mountains, and I repaired to my chamber, to
prepare for my journey to Danemora.
September 13th.
I left Upsala at four o'clock in the morning, to proceed to the far-
famed iron-mines of Danemora, upwards of thirty miles distant, and
where I wished to arrive before twelve, as the blasting takes place
at that hour, after which the pits are closed. As I had been
informed how slowly travelling is done in this country, and how
tedious the delays are when the horses are changed, I determined to
allow time enough for all interruptions, and yet arrive at the
appointed hour.
A few miles behind Upsala lies Old Upsala (Gamla Upsala). I saw the
old church and the grave-hills in passing; three of the latter are
remarkably large, the others smaller. It is presumed that the
higher ones cover the graves of kings. I saw similar tumuli during
my journey to Greece, on the spot where Troy is said to have stood.
The church is not honoured as a ruin; it has yet to do service; and
it grieved me to see the venerable building propped up and covered
with fresh mortar on many a time-worn spot.
Half way between Upsala and Danemora we passed a large castle, not
distinguished for its architecture, its situation, or any thing
else. Then we neared the river Fyris, and the long lake of
Danemora; both are quite overgrown with reeds and grass, and have
flat uninteresting shores; indeed the whole journey offers little
variety, as the road lies through a plain, only diversified by
woods, fields, and pieces of rock. These are interesting features,
because one cannot imagine how they came there, the mountains being
at a great distance, and the soil by no means rocky.
The little town of Danemora lies in the midst of a wood, and only
consists of a church and a few large and small detached houses. The
vicinity of the mines is indicated before arriving at the place by
immense heaps of stones, which are brought by horse-gins from the
pits, and which cover a considerable space.
I had fortunately arrived in time to see the blastings. Those in
the great pit are the most interesting; for its mouth is so very
large, that it is not necessary to descend in order to see the pit-
men work; all is visible from above. This is a very peculiar and
interesting sight. The pit, 480 feet deep, with its colossal doors
and entrances leading into the galleries, looks like a picture of
the lower world, from which bridges of rocks, projections, arches
and caverns formed in the walls, ascend to the upper world. The men
look like pigmies, and one cannot follow their movements until the
eye has accustomed itself to the depth and to the darkness
prevailing below. But the darkness is not very dense; I could
distinguish most of the ladders, which seemed to me like children's
toys.
It was nearly twelve, and the workmen left the pits, with the
exception of those in charge of the mines. They ascended by means
of little tubs hanging by ropes, and were raised by a windlass. It
is a terrible sight to see the men soaring up on the little machine,
especially when two or three ascend at once; for then one man stands
in the centre, while the other two ride on the edge of the tub.
I should have liked to descend into the great pit, but it was too
late on this day, and I would not wait another. I should not have
feared the descent, as I was familiar with such adventures, having
explored the salt-mines of Wieliczka and Bochnia, in Gallicia, some
years before, in which I had had to let myself down by a rope, which
is a much more dangerous method than the tub.
With the stroke of twelve, four blasting trains in the large pit
were fired. The man whose business it was to apply the match ran
away in great haste, and sheltered himself behind a wall of rock.
In a few moments the powder flashed, some stones fell, and then a
fearful crash was heard all around, followed by the rolling and
falling of the blasted masses. Repeated echoes announced the
fearful explosion in the interior of the pits: the whole left a
terrible impression on me. Scarcely had one mine ceased to rage,
when the second began, then the third, and so on. These blastings
take place daily in different mines.
The other pits are deeper, the deepest being 600 feet; but the
mouths are smaller, and the shafts not perpendicular, so that the
eye is lost in darkness, which is a still more unpleasant sensation.
I gazed with oppressed chest into the dark space, vainly
endeavouring to distinguish something. I should not like to be a
miner; I could not endure life without the light of day; and when I
turned from the dark pits, I cast my eyes thankfully on the cheerful
landscape basking in the sun.
