[Illustration:  Snack Sideboard.  “Lax and Snax.”]

Lunch.  First view of the Swedish snacks before lunch and dinner.  A side-table with caviare Lax, cut reindeer tongue, sausages, brown bread, prawns, kippered herrings, radishes, sardines, crawfish, cheeses.  Should spell it “Lax and Snax.”  Three silver tubs of spirit—­Pommerans, Renadt, and Kummin—­tried ’em all.  All good.  “We had a good time—­Kummin.”  The Kummin was goin’,—­rather.  Ceiling of restaurant all mirrors—­self keeping an eye on self.

National Museum.  Splendid collection.  Stone, bronze, and iron periods.  Poor pictures.  No end of palaces to see, till one is sick of ’em.

[Illustration:  Fete in Honour of the Poet Bellman.]

Swedes have a poet, BELLMAN, evidently who wrote Bacchanalian songs.  They have a national holiday on July the 26th, and go to Fete in a Wood, where bronze head of BELLMAN is, cover it with garlands and roses, and sing and have a good time before it, just like an old Greek offering to Bacchus.  I saw it.  And in the evening a fete where they carry a child got up as Bacchus, and seated on a barrel with a wine-cup.  A regular jolly drinking procession.  They have a wonderful open air restaurant called The Hasselbacken, where you dine in delightful little green arbours, and lots of Swedish girls about.  Capital dinners, A 1 wine, and first-rate music with full band.  No charge to go in; you pay before leaving, though.  Very good waiting.

[Illustration:  Dinner in the Arbour.]

The Swedes are very polite, and take their hats off on the slightest provocation, and keep them off a long time, specially whilst talking to a lady.  When talking to two ladies, of course they keep ’em off double the time.

Altogether a delightful place.  But they all say you should come in the winter.  Wish I could.  FLOTSAM, Y.A.

P.S.—­The Swedish girls are as a rule very handsome.  Tall, with long legs.  Men good-looking also.

I can’t very well do myself; I can “do myself” remarkably well, but I mean I cannot sketch myself in a cut; but Mr. Punch, in cuts I have done, is far more expressive than I can make anyone else.

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THE COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON (with Mr. Punch’s kind regards).—­The most Popular of Colonial Strikers—­Our illustrious guests, the Australian Cricketers.

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“WANTED!”

WANTED, by a well-travelled lady, of aesthetic and refined tastes, a comfortable and congenial home with a Duchess.  The Advertiser, who is a person of much intelligence, and a most agreeable gossip, regards her pleasant companionship as an equivalent for the social advantages (including carriage-drives, and an introduction to the very best society), for which she is prepared to offer the very handsome remuneration of ten shillings a week.