The Swedes contrive to make things from materials we should throw away as good for nothing; they twist rope from hogs’-bristles, horses’ manes, and the bark of trees; and form bridles of eel-skins.  The coarse cloth they wear they make themselves, for the women are continually busy spinning or weaving.  Sweden is the birth-place of the famous botanist, Linnaeus, and the charming singer, Jenny Lind.

Norway is united to Sweden, but it is still colder in winter and hotter in summer.  The people live very simply, mostly on milk, cheese, and dried fish; and sometimes they have slices of meat, sprinkled with salt and dried in the wind.  In some parts of the country, the people make bread of the bark of the pine tree; and in winter, for want of hay, they are obliged to feed their cattle on dried fish.  The houses are built of wood, and many of the roads are made of the same material; while wooden fences are used instead of hedges.  The Norwegians send metals, minerals, salt, butter, dried fish, and furs, to other countries.

Denmark is a very fine country, perfectly level, except a single ridge of mountains.  Its chief products are grain, tobacco, flax, madder, and hops.  There are a great many mines, but few manufactures carried on; though the Danish gloves are much esteemed.  The climate is generally rather warm, but very wet.  The Danes are mostly well-educated; they are like the Swedes in their manners and customs.  They have sent many specimens of their industry to the Great Exhibition.

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Why, who would have thought of seeing Persian and Egyptian contributions at the Exhibition?

And such splendid articles as they are!  Persia, you know, is a rich and fertile country, near Russia, in Asia; but although it has many beautiful flowers and fruits, yet is there very little timber; owing to which they have no shipping.  The Persians delight in fine clothes on which they lavish the greater part of their money, and they are fonder of scarlet, or crimson, than of any other colour.  They are very skilful in dyeing, in making silks, shagreen, morocco, gold and silver ornaments; and they form excellent swords and weapons.  Their commerce with Turkey, China, Arabia, and other places, is carried on by means of what they call “caravans,” which are large companies of merchants, who travel together for the sake of security from thieves, by whom however, they are often robbed; these companies have frequently more than a thousand camels, to carry their luggage and their goods; and in consequence of the excessive heat, they are obliged to journey mostly in the early morning, and rest during the day.  The Persians live chiefly on rice, fruit, and coffee, and eat very little meat; they luxuriate in baths, and the poorest amongst them endeavour to have a horse.  They use the Turkish language, and are nearly all Mahometans; they used to worship the sun and fire, though very few continue to do so still.  The Persian ladies never appear in the streets or any other public place, without having long veils, in order to conceal their faces, as the Turkish ladies do.  The Persians are very like the Turks in their manners and customs, which I described to you before.