potatoes, flax, hemp, hops, and tobacco, are very generally cultivated; and several kinds of fruit are raised with success.

18. COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. The exports consist principally of iron, copper, timber, pitch, tar, herrings, and fish-oil. The imports are grain, sugar, coffee, silk, and wines. After iron, the other manufactures of Sweden are inconsiderable. A little alum is exported, but the pottery, glass-works, silkworks, woolen-manufactures, and sugar-refineries are merely sufficient to meet the home consumption.

19. REVENUE, POPULATION, &C. The annual revenue of Sweden, arising from the rents of crown-lands, capitation taxes, customs, and various other articles, amounts to 4,500,000 dollars. The national debt is 17,264,812 dollars. The military force amounts to 45,200 men. The population in 1826, was 2,790,000. Sweden holds as a colony, the island of St Bartholomew in the West Indies.

20.

ance.

INHABITANTS. The Swedes are of the middle size, and few of them are corpulent. They have ruddy complexions, and flaxen hair, though the women often have auburn hair, and blue eyes. The females are distinguished for beauty. There is little diversity of appearance in the Swedes; and they seem to a foreigner, rather as members of the same family than natives of a large country. All have a very composed demeanor. There are four orders in the state nobles, clergy, peasants, and burghers, or citizens of towns. 21. DRESS. The Swedes have a national dress, established by law, about 60 years ago. The females, however, have little scruple to break this ordinThe general color is black, but on gala days, it is blue, lined with The dress of ladies is somewhat like the English, except in the sleeves, which are Spanish. Veils are common. The coats of the men are short and close. They are fastened around the body with a sash. The cloak is black, but lined with gayer colors. Galoches, or outward shoes, are worn in winter, and a fur, or sheep-skin over dress, is then indispensable and universal. The peasantry in Dalecarlia are called white or black, as they are dressed in either color and almost all wear one or the other. They wear huge shoes, with thick wooden soles, and a hat like a quaker's. Generally in Sweden, the hats have a feather, and no gentleman is in full dress without a sword. The Swedes in general are comfortably and neatly clad.

white.

22. LANGUAGE. The language is a Germano Gothic dialect, similar to that of Denmark.

23. MANNER OF BUILDING. The houses, except at Stockholm, and in Scania, are of wood. The peasants have log houses, and fill the interstices with moss. The roof is covered with birchen bark, and turf. In summer the floors are sometimes strewed with odorous twigs. In the mountains of Dalecarlia, the houses are very simple. Many of the country-houses are of several stories, and make a good appearance. Some of them are so constructed, that they may be taken down and removed in a short time.

The beds of the common people are placed one above another, on shelves, as in the berths of a ship.

more than one.

24. FOOD AND DRINK. The common people live chiefly on hard bread, and salted, or dried fish. They consume much beer, and spirits, and a great deal of wine is drank by the higher classes. The bread is baked but twice a year; and it is hung around the room in small loaves, on strings, like dried apples in New England. It is extremely hard. The brandy is of a fiery quality, and no dinner is complete without several glasses. Ladies even, will take Before a dinner the guests are led to a side table furnished with liquors, and slight food, as a preliminary to the more important repast. The dishes are all brought on the table at once, and the guests do not ask for any particular one. All are circulated, in turn, and all are partaken, unless the guest prefers to sit with an empty plate, till his favorite dish may arrive. After dinner the guests gravely thank the host for his entertainment. The Swedes like all northern people use much tobacco.

25. TRAVELLING. The roads of Sweden are hardly inferior to those of England, and the facilities for travelling are better than in the other northern countries. The roads are kept in repair by the peasants; each family of which has its portion marked with bounds. The inns have few comforts, though all have a 'traveller's room' with a bed, or at least a berth of boards. The horses are small, but active and sure footed. They go at full speed down the steepest and largest hills, and are seldom known to stumble, though in the busy seasons, they are driven by boys or women. The peasants are obliged to furnish the post horses, and a traveller who would not be delayed at every post house, sends a forbode or courier, to notify the post masters. There are no public carriages, and all travellers must furnish their own vehi cles. At the inns are kept registers, in which the traveller writes his name, &c, and as one column is made for complaints, it is usual for him to take this opportunity; a second column is appropriated to the innkeeper's defence. These books are curious miscellanies, and display national, as well as indivi dual character. Acerbi has extracted from one of them, the remark of an Englishman, that the Swedes are all slaves, crouching to their masters which is followed by a more just and generous exclamation, God bless this good and brave nation,' signed, Kosciusko.

26. CHARACTER, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS. The Swedes have many amiable traits in their character, though they do not lack energy. They are kind, cheerful, and faithful. They love their country, and are much attached to free institutions, and principles of equality. In this and in other respects, they sometimes resemble the Swiss. The mountains of Dalecarlia, have always been the abode of freedom, and simplicity of character. The Swedes are gentle, though brave and warlike; and the peasants are uncommonly civil and obliging. The people are hospitable to a great degree, and the character of a stranger is a ready passport to their houses. When the richer families leave their country-houses, a room and attendance is still appropriated to travellers, who receive as much care as though the master were present. The Swedes are descended from the hordes that overran the Roman empire, and they are no less brave and adventurous than their ancestors. In modern times, they have been the bulwark of the protestant faith: and one of their sovereigns has, with an inconsiderable army, conquered hordes as numerous and brave as the north ever sent forth, to pillage the fertile south.

27. AMUSEMENTS. The first of May and midsummer day are celebrated with general joy. On the latter occasion the young men and women dance around a pole till morning. Dancing is common and all classes dance with great animation and agility. Cards are a general amusement, though the Swedes are not addicted to gaming. All ranks play games at cards, the most common of which is that called Boston. It is said, (to illustrate the national fondness for cards) that, a nobleman, when his dinner hour had arrived with out the dinner, went into the kitchen to learn the reason of the delay; when he found all the domestics engrossed in a game. He admitted the characteristic excuse that the game was at its most critical point, and could not therefore be deferred even for dinner; but he took the cook's hand, and played it, while that domestic performed his duty.

28. EDUCATION. There are a good many elementary schools, and education is as generally diffused as in Switzerland. There are few who cannot read and write. There are two universities, one at Upsala and the other at Lund. 29. STATE OF THE ARTS, SCIENCE AND LITERATURE. The Swedes with some other northern nations have an ancient literature, the Scandinavian, which has been noticed under the head of Iceland. In modern times they have done much for science, in which many branches have been simplified and much advanced by Linnæus. Works of merit are translated into the Swedish language, in which the original works are chiefly scientific. There are several learned societies in Sweden. Sergel, a sculptor of great merit,

left many monuments of his art in Sweden. He is one of the best of the northern sculptors.

30. RELIGION. The religion is Lutheran, and the Swedes are generally a devout people.

31. GOVERNMENT. This is a limited hereditary monarchy. The Diet has some resemblance to the British parliament, and it is composed of four bodies, which meet in different houses, viz. the nobles, the clergy, the peasants, and the burghers, or inhabitants of towns.

32. HISTORY. Sweden and Norway were in the early ages peopled by kindred tribes. The Gothic chiefs who conquered this country assumed the title of kings of Upsala in the 5th century, but the Goths and Swedes remained distinct tribes for some centuries afterward. In the 16th century Sweden was invaded and subdued by Christian II. of Denmark. It remained in subjection to that monarch but a short time: Gustavus Vasa asserted the liberties of his country and expelled the conquerors. He was crowned king in 1523, and introduced the reformation. The military exploits of Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII. gained the Swedish arms great celebrity; and in modern times this kingdom has exercised a considerable influence in the affairs of Europe.

CHAPTER LXXXIII.-LAPLAND.

1. BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT. Lapland is bounded north by the Arctic Ocean, east by the White Sea, south by Sweden, and west by Norway and the Atlantic. It extends from 64° to 71 N. lat. and from 150 to 40° E. lon., and contains about 130,000 square miles.

2. MOUNTAINS, LAKES, AND RIVERS. Lapland is not intersected by very high mountains; and is crowned only on its western frontier by a mountainous chain that forms the extremity of the Scandinavian Alps. The river Tornea

springs from the lake of the same name, and after a course of 300 miles, falls into the gulf of Bothnia. The Tana and Alten fall into the Frozen Ocean. The lakes in Lapland are numerous: the Great Lake, Tornea, Lulea, and Enara, are distinguished for their romantic scenery.

3. CLIMATE. In point of temperature, Lapland may be divided into two regions, the inland and the maritime. In the former the winter is very severe, and the summer very hot. In the latter the winter is comparatively mild,

and the summer cold. During the winter solstice, when the sun continues for weeks together below the horizon, there is only a twilight of a few hours, instead of a clear daylight. These dreary nights are, however, in some degree compensated by the aurora borealis, which gleams here with uncommon splendor.

4. SOIL. The soil is generally sterile. The greater part of the country is covered with rocks, peats or moss, and gravelly plains. There are a few tracts tolerably good in the southern parts. The trees are the fir, birch, larch, and small beech, which form vast but not very thick forests.

5. MINERALS. Lapland abounds in metals and minerals. Native gold has been found at Svappawara; copper, iron, lead, zinc, and plumbago are found in various parts. Limestone, marble, gypsum, rock-crystal, jasper, amethysts, and garnets, are also among the mineral productions of this country.

6. ANIMALS.

The reindeer is the most useful animal to the Laplander, and seems to have been provided by nature to recompense him for the other In summer it provides itself with leaves and grass, and in

comforts of life.

: credible; for it can run 200 miles in a day. In a kind of sledge, shaped like a small boat, and with the reins fastened to the horns of the deer, the traveller may journey with ease almost any distance. Besides this animal, bears, wolves, lynxes and beavers are often met with in Lapland. Innumerable insects are produced in summer; and the inhabitants are infested with moschetoes to an intolerable degree.

7. AGRICULTURE. Except in a few sheltered valleys, and on the banks of the rivers in the southern districts, there is little cultivation. The grain which grows best, and is chiefly sown, is barley, or rather bigg; and oats are raised in small quantities. The tobacco plant flourishes well.

S. COMMERCE. The Laplanders carry on some trade in the skins and furs of quadrupeds; such as ermines, sables, squirrels, foxes, bears, lynxes, and wolves, which they transport from the interior to the coast by means of their

reindeer. In return they receive meal, cloth, various utensils, spirituous liquors, &c. As the furs are of extreme fineness, they bear a high price. 9. POPULATION. Lapland is very thinly peopled. The whole population probably does not exceed 60,000.

10. INHABITANTS. The Laplanders are generally short in stature, and they have sharp chins and prominent cheek bones. They differ from the Fins in having dark hair, though the complexions are frequently light. They have at tolerable share of strength, with great suppleness and agility, and they endure much hardship with patience.