Travels in Sweden, during the autumn of 1812. Illustrated by maps and plates

Front matter

t ( >/'/ '//'// __ sy '///'ta--'// . ? l-'m/rm-i-ii by JjStoay, tir I)ZTIwm.riiru- Travels in SwedauKbV/hed. Mai/ I'.'ISD. TRAVELS IN SWEDEN, DURING THE AUTUMN OF 1812. BY THOMAS THOMSON, M.D. F.R.S. L. & E. F.L.S. MEMBER OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, OF THE WERNERIAN SOCIETY, AND OF THE IMPERIAL CHIRURGO-MEDICAL ACADEMY OF rETERSBURGH. ILLUSTRATED BY MAPS AND OTHER PLATES. LONDON: PRINTED FOR ROBERT BALDWIN, PATERNOSTER-ROW; SOLD ALSO BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH ; AND JOHN GUMMING, DUBLIN. 1813. •€. u.i'ibin, Printer, New Brid^e-strtct, London. TO WILLIAM RITCHIE, Esq ONE OF THE MASTERS OF THE HIGH-SCHOOL, EDINBURGH. Dear Sir, AS I had the pleasure and advantage of your company during a ronsiderahlp part pf Ui-f. .ajpurney described in 3 "t&^ST . the following woo, liberty of address ing it to you, as to the j>erson J^tjjyalified to appreciate the accuracy of the details, and to decide how far I have availed myself of the opportunities of information which occurred to us during our tour through Sweden.

I had another motive for prefixing your name to this work: I wished to erect a kind of public monument of the friendship which has existed so long between us, and which has been attended with so much gratification and advantage to, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully, THE AUTHOR. London, 24th April, 1813.

Preface

. 1 OUGHT to apologise for venturing to lay before the public the fruits of a journey performed with such rapidity, and occupying so short a space of time as my tour through Sweden. My whole stay in that kingdom did not exceed six or seven weeks; and, as during that time, I traversed an extent of more than 1200 miles, it is obvious that my journey must have been made with too much rapidity to enable me to lay in any great stock of accurate information. But notwithstanding the rapidity of my journey, I found, upon comparing my journal with all the English books of travels through Sweden ■which 1 could find, that I had it in my power to lay much new information before the English reader. The mineralogy of Sweden had not been touched upon, except by one or two German travellers; and as I saw a good deal more of the country than either Haussman or Von Buch, many of my mineralogical observations will, I flatter myself, be found new.

To the English reader they ought to be interest ing, because they exhibit a country exceedingly different from his own, and almost entirely composed of a rock which is rather of rare occur rence in Great Britain ; being, as far as my observations have gone, confined to a few districts in the Highlands of Scotland. The prodigious extent of gneiss rocks which cover almost the whole of Scan.- VI

PREFACE.

. dinavia, when once fully known in this country, may have a tendency to prevent our geologists from explaining the structure of the earth from what appears in Great Britain alone; or from denouncing a rock as rare and insignificant, because it may happen to occur but sparingly in Great Britain. In the account which I have given of the late King of Sweden, and of the revolution which deprived him of the throne, I am sensible that I have differed in opinion from a very great majority of the natives of Great Britain. My own opinion was at first the same with that of the rest of my countrymen. But I was at considerable pains in procuring information on the subject, and put questions to a great variety of people, Swedes and foreigners, nobility, merchants, and manufacturers, and never met with any diversity of opinion on the subject.

All were unanimous in condemning the policy of Gustavus IV., and in acknowledging the necessity of the revolution. In the account of the manners and customs of the Swedes, I have confined myself entirely to the observations which I had an opportunity myself of making. Hence my details are scanty ; but to com pensate for that, they may be always depended on. My information respecting the population, agriculture, manufactures, trade, revenue, mines, &c. of Sweden, is derived from very accurate tables relating to these particulars, which I partly procured while at Stockholm, and partly translated from the Memoirs of the Swedish Academy of Sci ences. These tables, most of which will be found in the subsequent work, I consider as of considerable value, and as throwing a new light upon the power and resources of this northern nation, which, in the present state of the continent, may perhaps play a conspicuous part in restoring that balance of power, the loss of which has been productive of so much misery to the greatest part of Europe. Page, CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Object in View — Voyage from Leith to Gottenburg — Colour of the Sea — Its Temperature — Becalmed in the Sleeve — Coast of Sweden — The Victory — Go ashore — Want of Inns — Description of Gottenburg — Its Population — Swedish Houses — Swedish Dinners — Swedish Currency — Mr. Lorent — Dr. Lampert — British Merchants settled in Gottenburg — Herring Fishery — Our Carriage — Charges at the Hotel — Rocks round Gottenburg 1

Chapter II

Ancient Division of South Sweden — Method of Posting in that Kingdom — Nature of the Country — Trees — Roads — Hedges — Agriculture — Plants on the Heaths — Swedish Beds — Swedish Peasantry ; selfish, contrasted with the Scotch — Falls of Trollhatte — Swedish Canals — Hunneberg — Kinnekulle — Alum Work — Glass Work 21

Chapter III

Boundaries — Rivers — Lakes — South and West composed of Gneiss — Twelve Hills in the Interior — Their Heights — Account of Hunneberg and Halleberg — Of Kinnekulle — Of Billingen, and the Seven Hills near it — Of Lugnos — These Hills all composed of Floetz Rocks — Striking Similarity in their Structure — Inquiry into the Cause of this Similarity — Rest of West Gothland alluvial — Immense Blocks of Gneiss scattered through it — List of the Animals found in Gothland — Description of the Falco Umbrinus CONTENTS. Page

Chapter IV

Account of the constitution of Nerike — Iron Mine of Hesselkulla — other Mines — Uncommon Frost — Tobacco — Potatoes — Malefactors hung in chains — Swedish Camp — Stopped by a Custom-house Officer — Description of Orebro — The Diet — House of Nobles — Clergy — Peasants — Burghers — Anomaly in the Swedish Constitution — Strange Laws enacted by the Peasants — Manufactures — Rocks between Orebro and Arboga — Arboga — Keiping — Anecdotes of Scheele — Vesteros — Cathedral — Monuments — Fate of King Eric XIV. — Country between Vesteros and Stockholm — State of Agriculture in Sweden 61

Chapter V

Situation of Stockholm — Description of the City — Statue of Gustavus Adolphus — Opera-house — Theatre — Northern Suburb — Maps of Stockholm — View from ' the Observatory — Number of Inhabitants — Trades — The Palace — Statue of Gustavus III. — Obelisk — Statue of Gustavus Vasa — Mint — Exchange — Churches — Religion — The Arsenal — Academy of Sciences — Collection of Minerals belonging to the College of Mines — Collection of Mr. Svedenstierna — Swedish Academy — Scottish and English Dialects compared — Account of the Swedish Language — Houses in Stockholm — Account of the Societe and the Selskap 89

Chapter VI

Erroneous Opinion of Gustavus entertained in Britain — His true Character — His Superstition — Military Ignorance — Quarrel with Prussia — His War with France — Conduct in Pomerania — Supposed Treaty for the Partition of Sweden — Russians invade Finland — Arrest of the Russian Ambassador — War with Denmark — Invasion of Norway — Arrival ' and Treatment of the British Auxiliaries — Projected Invasion of Zealand — Conquest of Finland by the Russians — Quarrel with Great Britain — Projected Invasion of Sweden 114

Chapter VII

Necessity of a Revolution — Unpopularity of the King — Conspiracy in the Army — Conspirators in Stockholm — March of the Western Army — King alarmed — CONTENTS. IX Page 131 Determines to retire to Nykoping — King seized by Baron Adlercreutz — King makes his escape — Again seized by the Conspirators — Peace concluded — Abdi cation of Gustavus IV. — Duke of Sudermania made King — Prince Augustenburg, Crown Prince — King leaves Sweden — New Constitution — Death of Prince Au gustenburg — Election of Bernadotte — His Character and Views — Swedish Army

Chapter VIII

Travel to Upsala — Geological Account of Upland — Road between Stockholm and Upsala — Description of Upsala — Palace — Cathedral — Tomb of Gustavus Vasa — Of John III.— Of Catharine Jaghellon — Of the Three Stures — Curiosities in the Sacristy — Mr. Torner — University — List of Professors and other Teachers — Progress of the Swedes in Botany, Mineralogy, and Chemistry 150

Chapter IX

The Library — First Book printed in Sweden — Codex Argenteus — Queen Christina's Cabinet — Botanic Garden of Linnæus — New Botanic Garden — Museum of Natural History — Mineral Collection of the Chemical Professors — Mr. Ekeberg — Professor Afzelius — Hyacinth of Bergman — Laboratory — The Afzelii — Royal Society of Upsala 174

Chapter X

Iron Mines in Upland — Russian Soldier — Mr. P. Tamm — Description of Dannemora Mine — Ore — Method of smelting — Superiority of Dannemora Iron — Gbkum-Gahnite — Ytterby — Gadolinite — List of the Iron Mines in Upland .... 186

Chapter XI

Soldiers' Houses — Swedish Sirnames — Rout to Sala — Detained for Horses — Rout to Fahlun — Singular Bridges — River Dal — Character of the Dalecarlians — Description of the Province — Account of the Swedish Hills — Nature of the Porphyry Tract at Elfdal — Hisinger's Classification of Rocks — His Account of the Structure of Dalecarlia — Inferences 197 b CONTENTS. X Page

Chapter XII

Description of the Town — Account of the Copper Mine— Manufacture of Copperas — Sulphur Work — Rocks on the Plain — Surrounding Rocks — Rock in which the Mine is situated — History of the Mine — Method of Smelting — Assessor I. G. Gahn — Mr. Jarta — Cabinet of Minerals — Minerals of Fahlun — Garnets — Octahedral Iron Ore — Automalite — Fahlunite — Pyrophysalite — Gadolinite —Tin— Sahlite— New Mineral 21$ CHAPTER XHI. Westmanland all Primitive — Lakes diminishing in Size — Account of Sala — Structure of the Country — Mine of Sala in Limestone — Veins that cut the Limestone — Silver extracted — Lead obtained — Number of Miners — Minerals found in Sala Mine — Calcareous Spar — Gypsum — Bitter Spar — Sidphate of Barytes — Mica- Serpentine — Chlorite — Salite — Hornstone — Hornblende — Galena — Amalgam of Silver — Native Antimony — Blende — Mine of Ridderhyttan — Mine of Bastnas — New Kopperberg 232

Chapter XIV

Hire a third Servant — Procure Passports — Mob of British Sailors — Detained at Fittje — Geognostic Constitution of Sodermanland — Stages to Nykoping — Carriage breaks down — Lilla Oby — Olof Essen — Vein of Granite — Rivers litde attended to in Sweden — Nykoping — Account of Tunaberg — Of Uto — Of Handvid 246

Chapter XV

Account of Norkoping — Valley of Motala — Granite Veins — Linkoping — Slowness of travelling — Lake Vetter — Beauty of the Country — Ancient Castle — Waters of Medvi — Geognostic Constitution of East Gothland — Floetz Track — Porphyry at Grenna — Mineralogy of East Gothland , CONTENTS. XI

Chapter XVI

Page Account of Ionkoping — Journey to Taberg — Description of that Hill — Seems to belong to the Floetz Rocks — Account of this Hill by Ascanius — Bergman — Tilas — Napioni — Hisinger — Haussman 284

Chapter XVII

Stages to Helsingburg — Appearance of Smoland — River Laga — Extensive Fleath — Beech Trees — Adelfors — Account of Helsingburg — The Sound — Zealand — Account of the Coal Mines at Hoganas — Geognostic Constitution of Sconia — Chalk found in it — Oland — Gottland — Stages from Helsingburg to Gottenburg — Nature of the Country — Embark in the Packet for England 296

Chapter XVIII

Account of Lapland — Boundaries — Climate — Woody Lapland — Subwoody Lapland — Subalpine Lapland — Alpine Lapland — Height of the Mountains — Temperature of inland Lapland; of maritime Lapland — Temperature of the Earth — Vegetation — Table of the Plants that grow at different Heights — Effect of Snow on Vegetation — Plants of the western Coast analogous to those in Iceland and Scotland — Those on the east Side to those in Siberia — Number of Species of Plants found in Lapland — Minerals of Lapland 311

Chapter XIX

Number of Inhabitants — Conversion to Christianity — Huts and Tents — Food — Dress — Customs — Swiftness of Foot — Music — Thread — Diseases — Cures — Power of the Clergy — Treatment of Strangers — Marriages — Callendar — Stock of Rein-deer — Account of the Rein-deer — Dyes — Method of cementing Stone-ware — Method of Tanning — Description of the Sledge — Method of catching Ptarmagans — Linnæus' dismal Journey in Lycksele Lapland 338

Chapter XX

Norrland — Jamtland — Dahlsland — Structure — Mines and Minerals — Vermeland — Structure — Philipstad— Mines in its Neighbourhood — Minerals found in them— Other Mines in the Province CONTENTS. XII

Chapter XXI

Page Size and Boundaries of Sweden — Account of the surrounding Seas — Their specific Gravity and Constituents — Size of the Provinces — Lakes — Rivers — Mountains — Surface of the Country — Geognosy — Formations in Sweden — Metals found in it — Table of the Iron Mines and Works — Climate compared with that of Russia — Winter — Summer — Vegetables — Trees — Fruits — Corn — Domestic Quadrupeds — Wild Quadrupeds — Birds — Fishes 384

Chapter XXII

History of Sweden — Swedish Conquests — Present Territories — Number of Inhabitants — Revenues — Constitution — Army — Resources — Agriculture — Quantity of Land cultivated, and its produce — Number of Horses, Cattle, and Sheep — Manufactures — -Iron — Copper — Wood — Tar, &c. — Trade — East India Monopoly — Situation of Sweden with respect to other Nations, as Russia, Denmark. Britain, France — Her present Interest — Conduct of the Crown Prince — Object which he ought to pursue 413

Appendix

. Tables copied from the Memoirs of the Swedish Academy of Sciences for 1 809, as drawn up by Mr. Nicander, exhibiting a very complete View of the Population and Professions of Sweden before the Separation of Finland. INDEX. PLATES. I. Portrait of the Crown Prince Frontispiece II. Map of Sweden Page 1 III. Map of Gothland 41 IV. View ofthe Hill KinnekUlle 51 V. The Falco Umbrinus £9 VI. Geognostic Map of Nerike 61 VII. Map of Stockholm 89 VIII. Portrait of the late King Gustavus Adolphus 114, IX. The Copper Mine of Fahlun 230 X. Perpendicular Section of Ditto 23-1 XI. View of the Mountain Taberg 287 XII. Geognostic Map of Sconia 284 XIII. Geognostic Structure of the Provinces , PO Kwfrnrnt bis J .f/uisy i.r Os TKrmtiMU Twit in Sirakn fuMuhni May f* IAJ3 TRAVELS IN SWEDEN, IN 18 12.

Chapter I

Object in View — Voyage from Leith to Gottenburg — Colour of the Sea — Its Temperature — Becalmed in the Sleeve — Coast of Sweden — The Victoiy — Go ashore — Want of Inns — Description of Gottenburg — Its Population — Swedish Houses — Swedish Dinners — Swedish Currency — Mr. Lorent — Dr. Lampert — British Merchants settled in Gottenburg — Herring Fishery — Our Carriage*— Charges at the Hotel — Rocks round Gottenburg. HAVING finished my History of the Royal Society, and being acci dentally detained in Edinburgh without any specific employment, it occurred to me that I might occupy the summer with considerable profit to myself, and obtain a great deal of amusement, if I were to take advantage of the peace lately concluded between Great Britain and Sweden, and traverse part of that vast and interesting country.

My objects were not only to observe the manners and dispositions of the people, and the progress which they had made in the arts and civi lization; but likewise to take a mineralogical survey of the country, as far as that could be done by hastily traversing it; to view as nearly as possible the state of chemistry in Sweden, and to make myself acquainted with the discoveries made in that science by the Swedes during the last ten years, with the greatest part of which I was unac- B [Chap. 1. OBJECT IN VIEW. quainted. As through the uncommon politeness of numerous scientific friends, with whom I contracted an acquaintance in Sweden, I possessed advantages which do not fall to the lot of every traveller, and as, from the uncommon goodness of the weather, I could make my mineralogical observations without a single interruption, I was enabled to collect together a considerable number of valuable facts.

As the communication of these may be attended with some utility, I have determined to lay them before the public. I shall touch as little as possible upon those topics which have been discussed by preceding travellers in Sweden, but confine myself chiefly to those facts which came under my own observation, or which I received from men of science and intelligence, upon whom I could rely. I shall, to save trouble, write my remarks as nearly as possible in the order in which they were noted down in my journal, while I was travelling through the country. My travellingcompanion, Mr. William Ritchie, of the High School of Edinburgh, and myself, went on board the Janet, a smack belong ing to Kinkardine, commanded by Mr. James Wylie. The ship was in ballast, and was destined to bring back a cargo of wood and iron.

This ship had lain about a week in Leith Roads, waiting till the differ ent vessels destined for the Baltic should collect, and till the wind, which was blowing steadily from the east, should shift its direction. The fleet, amounting to 20 ships, was ready to sail on Sunday the 16th of August, 1812. But the foul wind deterred Captain Banks, who commanded the gun brig which served as convoy, and of course had the charge of the fleet, from weighing anchor before Tuesday. On that day the signal for sailing was made, and the fleet at tempted to beat down. But a strong wind directly in our teeth prevented us from making much progress. Next morning, when we got upon deck, we found ourselves but a little way below Inch Keith. The wind continued unfavourable the greatest part of Wed nesday, and of course we made hardly any progress.

But on the evening of that day a west wind springing up raised our spirits, and enabled us to get on with great expedition. Chap. I.] VOYAGE FROM LEITH TO GOTTENBURG. 3 In consequence of the strong east wind, followed by a still stronger west wind, the sea ran much higher than I had ever seen before. Our vessel too, being light, rolled about at a great rate. This pro duced an effect upon me which I had never before felt, though I had been frequently at sea in rough weather. Few sensations are more disagreeable than sea sickness wThile it lasts; I have seen a variety of things tried in order to stop it. The most successful is brisk bottled porter : a few glasses of this taken, after the sickness has continued a day or so, I have never seen fail to produce almost immediate relief. This may perhaps depend in some measure upon the briskness of the porter ; but certainly not altogether, for ale, although equally brisk, has not the same effect.

On Thursday the wind settled in south by west, by the compass, and continued in that direction all Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, dying away at intervals, but continuing upon the whole pretty steady. We proceeded eastwards at a great rate ; but the roughness of the sea diminished the pleasure which we landsmen would otherwise have en joyed, in consequence of the fineness of the weather. Edinburgh lies in 3° 15' west longitude from Greenwich, and Gottenburg is laid down in the best maps that I have seen in 12° 15' longitude east from Greenwich ; so that the difference of longitude between the two places is 15° 3o\ The latitude of Edinburgh is 55° 5 8' 57", that of Gotten burg 57° 45', so that the mean latitude of the two places is 56° 52' nearly. We get the length of a degree of longitude in this latitude by the following proportion : as radius to the co-tangent of 56° 52', so is the length of a degree at the equator, to the length of a degree in the latitude required.

This method gives us the distance between Leith and Gottenburg, very nearly 58fXL miles in a straight line: so that our voyage, which was performed in little more than three days, must be considered as expeditious ; for we made little progress till Wednes day night, and we lay all Sunday becalmed in the Sleeve. During this run I was much struck with the colour of the sea, which I had never before an opportunity of seeing at such a distance from land. The depth varied from 80 to loo fathoms or more. Near the b COLOUR OT THE SEA ITS TEMPERATURE. [Chap. I shore, as is well known, the colour was green, and in very shallow places the water was muddy ; but in deep water when the sun shines, and when the surface is tolerably smooth, it is of a fine dark blue, with a lustre very similar to that of common roofing slate.

This colour put me much in mind of the blue cakes used by laundresses for bluing their linens, and which I believe consist of cobalt blue mixed up with starch. In cloudy weather the deep sea appears black : the sea in the ship's wake, in which there is abundance of foam, has a fine green colour. These facts show us that the colour depends entirely upon the depth of the sea: accordingly it is a most accurate indicator of changes in depth. I was very much surprised to find the temperature of the German Sea so high. The summer of 1812 was one of the coldest that I ever remember. In Edinburgh, the thermometer seldom stood higher than 6o°, and often considerably lower. The cold had been no less severe in Sweden, where they complained of having had no summer at all: yet on Friday I found the temperature of the surface of the sea 58°, and on Saturday 62°, though the day was cloudy and rainy : perhaps the rain contributed something to this high temperature.

On Saturday the 22d we made the coast of Jutland in the evening. The day was warm, but rainy and foggy, so that we did not see land till we were close upon it, and some of the vessels were in some danger of running ashore. The beach seemed low and sandy, and we saw no marks of inhabitants. Sunday was a delightful day. The sea was smooth as glass, the sun was shining, and it was a perfect calm. So that we lay the greatest part of the day not far from the Scaw point. The forenoon was em ployed in fishing, and abundance of mackarel, gurnards, and some whitings were caught. At three we went on board the gun-brig and dined, and spent the evening with Captain Banks and his surgeon. We were treated with that true kindness and politeness which so cha racteristically distinguishes the officers of the British navy.

For my own part, I have seldom spent a more agreeable day: Next morning, before breakfast, Captain Banks detained a small Norwegian vessel that Chap. 1.] COAST OF SWEDEN THE VICTORY. 5 was crossing our track, obviously on her way to Denmark. The Cap tain of this vessel breakfasted with us, and gave us to understand, partly by signs and partly by means of broken English, that he was provided with a licence from the British government, and that he was on his way to Great Britain. This Captain Banks informed us is the manner in which the communication between Norway and Denmark is kept up. The captains provide themselves with British licences, load their vessels for Denmark, and run across the Sleeve. If they escape, well ; if they meet with any of our cruisers they show their licences, and are left to prosecute their voyage ; or if necessity obliges them, they go to a British port and discharge their cargo.

This evil cannot be remedied except by putting an end to the licence system altogether; which our government ought not to neglect as soon as practicable : as it probably will be next summer, when the Russian ports will again give us an opening into the continent. When we went aboard our own vessel, on Monday after breakfast, we were at Winga Beacon, which stands at the mouth of the small bay upon which Gottenburg is built. Few objects are more striking or dreary than the Swedish coast when approached in this direction. The bay is full of islands consisting, without exception, of the most naked and steril rocks I had ever seen. These rocks vary in height from a few feet above the level of the sea to nearly 300 feet. They are gene rally long ridges, precipitous on one side, and sloping more gently on the other.

Not a single plant, not even a lichen or moss is to be seen upon them. So that they appear utterly unfit to contribute to the support of man. Yet here and there we saw small wooden cottages appearing under the shelter of these rocks; in habited no doubt by fishermen and pilots, one of whom came aboard our ship. About ten miles below Gottenburg lay the Victory, Admiral Sir James Saumarez : the only British man of war at that time to be seen. This vessel is famous in the annals of the British navy as being Lord Nelson's ship, on board of which he was killed at theJbattle of Trafalgar. It is now worn out, and in all probability will not go again to sea. The DURATION OF BRITISH SHIPS — CUSTOM-HOUSE OFFICERS. [Chap. I. rapidity with which our ships of war decline is almost incredible. I am informed by a gentleman, who has been making particular in quiries on the subject, that 12 years for each ship is the full average of the duration of the whole navy.

This is a most enormous expense to the country, and must be owing to some mismanagement or other. At present our vessels of war are built in the open air, and left for several years exposed to the weather by way of seasoning, before they are finished. This I conceive to be a bad practice, and to contribute to hasten the decay of the timber. It is proper that the wood should be well seasoned ; but the vessel should be kept under cover and pro tected from the rain and the weather. I was struck with the great number of vessels lying in the harbour of Gottenburg. A fleet of 300 sail had left it a few days before, and the number still remaining could not be fewer. As we approached the town, we passed by a small fort called New Elfsborg, situated upon a rocky island, and intended to prevent the advance of hostile vessels.

It has a garrison of 250 men. Our vessel anchored at Mastuget, a village about a mile south from Gottenburg, and a kind of suburb. We were going ashore without any formality, when we were told by our Captain, that the laws of Sweden did not permit any passenger to land till the vessel had been visited by the custom-house officers : non-compliance with this condi tion, we were told, was punished by a fine of 300 rix-dollars. In con sequence of this information, we thought ourselves obliged to remain aboard the vessel. The custom-house officers at last made their appearance at four o'clock, and after a slight inspection of our portmanteaus, and receiving a little money, we were permitted to go ashore. We found afterwards that there was no necessity for staying aboard as we did ; that deviations from the strict letter of the law were common, and that with regard to foreigners it was usually winked at or easily made up by a little address.

We prevailed upon the Captain to row us up to town in the ship's boat. There is a canal which runs through the middle of the principal street in Gottenburg. When we came to the extremity of this canal, Chap. I.) GO ASHORE WANT OF INNS. 7 opposite to the Governor's house, where the town began, a custom house officer perceived us and our boat. He bauled out lustily and made signs to us, in a threatening manner, to bring our boat to the margin of the canal. His whole manner indicated a confident expecta tion of a lucrative prize. When we opened our portmanteaus, in con sequence of his orders, and when he saw that they contained no con traband goods of any kind, but merely a few books and clothes, he slunk away very much disconcerted, and allowed us to proceed. When the boat had rowed as far as the middle of the street, we went ashore to look for an inn.

Our surprise was not small and our disappointment extreme, when we traversed the whole city from one end to the other without meeting with any house that had the least appearance of an inn or a hotel. As we were unacquainted with the language, and therefore had no means of making inquiry, we were utterly at a loss what to do. Luckily we met our Captain, who carried us to his broker, a gentle man who understood English : by him we were informed that Gotten burg contained no inns, but that there were two hotels at the east end of the main street, where we might perhaps find lodging and break fast, but that they would not provide us with dinner. He told us likewise that the concourse of strangers at Gottenburg was always so great that these two houses were usually overflowing with lodgers. He immediately carried us to what he called the best of these houses, and we found to our mortification that they had not a single empty room.