I begged the pilot to return to one of the largest
islands, at the side of which we had seen a boat moored. As we drew
nearer, a light through a window on the summit became our beacon;
but we were farther off than I supposed.
With some difficulty the pilot got on shore, not distinguishing the
landing-place; and I remained in the boat, knowing that all the
relief we could expect was a man to direct us. After waiting some
time, for there is an insensibility in the very movements of these
people that would weary more than ordinary patience, he brought with
him a man who, assisting them to row, we landed at Stromstad a
little after one in the morning.
It was too late to send off a boy, but I did not go to bed before I
had made the arrangements necessary to enable me to set out as early
as possible.
The sun rose with splendour. My mind was too active to allow me to
loiter long in bed, though the horses did not arrive till between
seven and eight. However, as I wished to let the boy, who went
forward to order the horses, get considerably the start of me, I
bridled in my impatience.
This precaution was unavailing, for after the three first posts I
had to wait two hours, whilst the people at the post-house went,
fair and softly, to the farm, to bid them bring up the horses which
were carrying in the first-fruits of the harvest. I discovered here
that these sluggish peasants had their share of cunning. Though
they had made me pay for a horse, the boy had gone on foot, and only
arrived half an hour before me. This disconcerted the whole
arrangement of the day; and being detained again three hours, I
reluctantly determined to sleep at Quistram, two posts short of
Uddervalla, where I had hoped to have arrived that night.
But when I reached Quistram I found I could not approach the door of
the inn for men, horses, and carts, cows, and pigs huddled together.
From the concourse of people I had met on the road I conjectured
that there was a fair in the neighbourhood; this crowd convinced me
that it was but too true. The boisterous merriment that almost
every instant produced a quarrel, or made me dread one, with the
clouds of tobacco, and fumes of brandy, gave an infernal appearance
to the scene. There was everything to drive me back, nothing to
excite sympathy in a rude tumult of the senses, which I foresaw
would end in a gross debauch.
