I am told that gold has lately been discovered
there, but it would need a considerable amount of the precious
metal to tempt me into Finnish Lapland in summer-time.
Ostrobothnia, which lies immediately south of this undesirable
district, contains the towns of Tornea and Uleaborg. We will pass
on to the provinces of Central Finland, viz., Tavastland, Savolax,
and Karelia. The Finns say that this is the heart of their country,
while Helsingfors and Tammerfors constitute its brains. So crowded
and complicated is the lake system in this part of Finland that
water almost overwhelms dry land, and the district has been likened
to one huge archipelago. Forests abound, especially in Tavastland,
whence timber is exported in large quantities, while agriculture
flourishes in all these provinces. Crops are generally grown in
the valleys, while in other parts the sides and summits of the
hills are usually selected for cultivation. Large tracts of country
about here once laid out for arable are now converted into grazing
grounds, for the number of cattle is yearly on the increase.
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