LLOYD'S SCANDINAVIAN ADVENTURES. * THE result of Mr. Lloyd's twenty years'

residence in Sweden is of a miscellaneous character, and partakes more of reading and observation than of adventures in a strict sense. There are passing sketches of landscape and society, accounts of his own sporting exploits and those of his friends, with many particulars of field-sports in the Scandinavian provinces generally, some of which consist of mere snaring or trapping. A large part of the volumes relates to natural history, as connected with birds, beasts, and fishes. So far as this is original it is well, though by being often introduced into a species of narrative, somewhat out of place. A great portion of it, however, is second-hand, compiled from other books, and often from older writers, whose quaint credulity is more conspicuous than their acumen. Nearly a quarter of a century has elapsed since Mr. Lloyd published his personal experiences of the North of Europe and its field-sports ; for if not the first, he was one of the first who originated what may be called sporting literature in a high sense. Since the spring of 1830, however, the world has seen vast changes, and among the greatest, perhaps, is locomotion with its • Scandinavian Adventures, during a Residence of upwards of Twenty Years. Representing Sporting Incidents, and subjects of Natural History, and Devices for entrapping Wild Animals. With some Account of the Northern Fauna. By L. Lloyd, Author of "Field-Sports of the North." In two volumes. Published by Bentley.

results. The full development of railroads, steam to India and America, and perhaps as a consequence yacht voyages rather than trips, have all grown up since that date. Sweden is no longer the terra incognita it was to British sportsmen when Mr. Lloyd went there thirty years ago. On the contrary, the country is in some sense rather overdone. The rights of angling are rented by adventurous disciples of Ira= Walton, and the British Mower of the gentle craft who in his innocence should take himself to Scan- dinavia would find he might as well have staid at home. Not only are the rivers preserved, but he would very likely find fishermen, boats, accommodation, all forestalled. Except bears, wolves, and similar beasts of prey, and foxes, which are ranked as vermin, game appears to be closely preserved • an advantage, no doubt, for those who have secured manorial rights, or have liberal friends in that position, but not advantageous to the stranger. For the na- turalist, or indeed the lover of nature, a late law bids fair to pre- serve the elk, whose extinction would be to be regretted.

"By the ancient West Gothland laws, the elk, together with the fox, the wolf, the lynx, the bear, &c., was classed as a Skade-djur, or noxious ani- mal; and a price was not only put on his head, but he was allowed to be killed even on another man's property. The lucky hunter was moreover entitled to the carcass. When the number of elks was great, and the popu- lation scanty, they were no doubt inconvenient neighbours; for it cannot be denied that they not only in some degree damage the copse-wood, but occa- sionally make free with the Hii-hiissjor, or little stacks of hay, as also of those of moss, stored up by the peasants as a winter's supply, both of which one so frequently meets with in the Northern forests. These animals are besides accused of trampling down and feeding on grain, more especially in the so-called Svedje-fall, or clearings in the woods, of which mention was made in my former work. But now that their numbers are so greatly thinned down, the injury they commit is comparatively trivial ; and the Go- vernment has perhaps done well—though the squatters are not exactly of that opinion—in transferring the elk from the catalogue of Skade-djur, to that of game, and instead of paying premiums for his destruction, in pro- tecting him in every way.

"Formerly this animal was abundant throughout all the more wooded districts of the peninsula; but owing to constant persecution, the breed at no very remote period seemed likely to he exterminated. Of late years, however, elks have been protected by legislative enactments, and their num- bers are now rapidly on the increase. A quarter of a century ago, with the exception of every tenth year, it was altogether prohibited to kill them at any season ; but in Sweden at present time they may now be shot every year from the 1st of August to the let of December, and in Norway from the 1st of August to the 1st of November. "In no part of Scandinavia has the increase of the elk been more rapid than in the Wermeland and Dalecarlian forests. Twenty years ago, I might wander in those wastes for days or even weeks together, without seeing a single track of these animals ; whereas at the present day, their tracks—stale or fresh—are quite common."

The changes during the present generation have not been confined to locomotion, or to Swedish field-sports. The prairies of North America and the Rocky Mountains themselves, the Tropi- cal regions of Central America, Abyssinia, South Africa, India, and Ceylon, have witnessed the feats of British Nimrods, and in more exciting sport than that of Scandinavia. For the bear is of uncer- tain courage, the wolf is a coward, and the lynx, though brave enough, may be encountered without great danger, the but-end sufficing if the ball fails. Several of the writers on sporting in the countries just mentioned have also had greater literary skill than Mr. Lloyd. His style is not bad, but he wants the art of selec- tion, even in the account of his own exploits, and still more in the matter which he draws from others. It requires both dexterity and taste to make a selection of fabulous matter attractive.

It is questionable, however, whether the old writers were fabu- lists in the sense of inventors ; whether they did not truly report what they heard, and whether the hearsay was not founded on facts imperfectly observed, or inductions of the nature of guesses. Swedish naturalists are of opinion, and Mr. Lloyd occasionally agrees with them, that very strange stories are really true. This one, from several other stories illustrating the craft of the fox— nicknamed in Sweden Michel, not Reynard—is specific though strange. Something similar, indeed, may have been observed in domestic animals, but they have had the advantage of education.

" A certain Jagare,' we are again told, ' who was one morning keeping watch in the forest, saw a fox cautiously making his approach towards the stump of an old tree. When sufficiently near, he took a high and deter- mined jump on to the top of it, and after looking around a while, hopped to the ground again. After Reynard had repeated this knightly exercise seve- ral times he went his way ; but presently he returned to the spot bearing a pretty large and heavy piece of dry oak in his mouth ; and thus burdened, and as it would seem for the purpose.of testing his vaulting powers, he re- newed his leaps on to the stump. After a time, however, and when he found that, weighted as he was, he could make the ascent with facility, he desisted from further efforts, dropped the piece of wood from his mouth, and coiling himself upon the top of the stump, remained motionless as if dead.

" At the approach of evening, an old sow and her progeny,. five or six in number, issued from a neighbouring thicket, and, pursuing their usual track, passed near to the stump in question. Two of her sucklings followed some- what behind the rest, and just as they neared his ambush, Michel, with the rapidity of thought, darted down from his perch upon one of them, and in the twinkling of an eye bore it in triumph on to the fastness he had so pro- vidently prepared beforehand. "'Confounded at the shrieks of her offspring, the old sow returned in fury to the spot, and until late in the night made repeated desperate attempts to storm the murderer's stronghold; but the fox took the matter very coolly, and devoured the pig under the very nose of its mother ; who at length, with the greatest reluctance, and without being able to revenge herself on her 3rafty adversary, was forced to beat a retreat.' "

Mr. Lloyd's picture of Sweden is still that of a cheap place; • but some of his statistics of price refer to a former period, and nobody should go thither without later information. Rent may be nearly at his figure, if a person can pounce upon a house that may suit him, but nobody else ; a piece of luck sometimes attainable at home. Society is probably as he depicts it. Here is the description of his abode.

" It was very beautifully situated. In front the country was picturesque, whilst at some three hundred to four hundred paces in the rear flowed the river Gotha, here a wide stream, of which the house commanded a splendid view. The property was well wooded, and many fine oaks adorned the park- like grounds that surrounded the house. Take Rennum altogether, there are not many more beautiful spots in the midland or Southern parts of Sweden.

" The house contained fourteen or fifteen rooms, and might therefore be almost called a mansion. A tolerably large garden, and some considerable fishing rights, were attached to it; and for the whole, independently of taxes, &c., which only amounted to a few shillings, I paid little more than ten pounds annually ! This will give an idea of the very economical terms on which, as often happens when the proprietor of the estate is non-resident, one may rent an unfurnished house in the rural districts of Sweden. " But furniture in that country—provided a man, as with myself, be sa- tisfied with that of a homely kind—is not a very expensive affair. It was not so to me at least ; for on taking possession I supplied myself with every- thing requisite at a most reasonable outlay. Chairs, for instance, cost me about three shillings the dozen ; large folding dining-tables three or four shillings each ; a cheat of drawers about the same sum ; and everything else in proportion: but though well enough made, they were of simple deal, and purchased besides in Gothenburg, where such articles, manufactured by the neighbouring peasantry at their leisure hours, are much cheaper than in the rural districts.

" A very friendly feeling appeared to exist amongst the neighbouring gentry ; so that society was not, as is too often the case elsewhere, divided into sets, but we all met together on the most cordial and friendly footing. The intercourse between the several families was pretty frequent. Dinners were given occasionally, but small evening parties were of every-day occur- rence.

" These social meetings were almost invariably enlivened with music, in which the Swedes are generally proficients, and to which they are devotedly attached. They are justly proud of their great musical genius Jenny Lind, whose extraordinary vocal powers have been and still are the theme of ad- miration in Europe as well as America. " Aud our little parties not unfrequently finished with a dance, of which, as well as of music, they are equally fond. The Swedish ladies are very ad- mirable dancers, and the gentlemen also ; but according to our English no- tions exhibit rather too much action.

" But cards were the prevailing attraction of the evening—with the elder portion of the company at least ; few of whom could resist the pleasure of taking a part. Whist, boston, l'hombre, vire, (the last peculiar to Sweden, and said to be the most intricate of all games,) were those most in vogue; but kills, or camphio, gropois, (the latter resembling the French game la bouillote,) and faro, were not unfrequently played. " Speaking generally, card-playing is a perfect passion with a Swede ; and if he be an idle man the pack is seldom out of his hand, morning, noon, or night. To myself, who never shared in that amusement, this card-playing was an excessive bore."

Here is a touch reminding us of our common origin, and going to very early if not to Saxon times.

"Few of the Swedish peasants have surnames, and in consequence their children simply take their father's Christian name in addition to their own : for example, if the father's name be Sven Larsson, his sons', in consequence, would be Jan or Nils Svens-son ; and his daughters', Maria or Eliza Svens- daughter. The confusion that this system creates would be endless, were it not that in all matters of business the residence of the party is usually at- tached to his name. In the army, and to prevent the confusion that would otherwise arise, the common soldiers, therefore, are designated by fictitious (generally monosyllabic) names; as, for instance, names of birds, beasts, trees, &c."

Besides quotations from a variety of writers on natural history, and an account of the cholera in Sweden, which throws no new light upon the disease, Mr. Lloyd gives a long history of Gustavus Vasa. It is apparently derived from native authorities, and has a simple homeliness about it which imparts interest ; but. like a good deal of the other matter, it rather overlays the main tapics of the volumes,—which should have been original observation and sporting adventures.