712 



SWEDEN AND NORWAY 



atmosphere consisting of glowing hydrogen, 

 and of some other vapor, distinct in condi- 

 tion and composition from the chromosphere, 

 whose average height is only about 4,000 miles. 

 This enormous external shell must be of ex- 

 treme rarity, or the pressure on the chromo- 

 sphere would greatly exceed the actual ob- 

 served pressure. It is outside the atmosphere 

 that the radiated corona projects into the sur- 

 rounding space to distances often exceeding 

 1,000,000 miles. 



Prof. Janssen's observations corroborate 

 those of Prof. Eespighi, and in a note to the 

 French Academy he says : " The question 

 whether the corona is due to the earth's at- 

 mosphere is now disposed of, and we may look 

 forward to a series of researches into the mat- 

 ter surrounding the sun, which cannot fail to 

 be extremely interesting and fruitful." Prof. 

 Lockyer, in a second brief notice of his obser- 

 vations, strengthens the same opinion with the 

 remark, "The composition and structure of a 

 part of the corona have been forever set at rest." 



Many excellent photographs of the corona 

 and prominences were taken. 



The expedition to Melbourne proved a fail- 

 ure, on account of the weather. 



SWEDEN AND NORWAY, two kingdoms in 

 Northern Europe, united under one King ; pres- 

 ent King, Charles XV., born May 3, 1826; 

 succeeded his father July 8, 1859. The United 

 States Government was, in 1870, represented 

 at Stockholm by Major-General 0. 0. Andrews. 

 The area and population of Sweden, according 

 to the census of December 81, 1869, were as 

 follows : 



Adding to the area 14,087 square miles of 

 water, the total area of the kingdom amounts 

 to 170,516 square miles. The area and popu- 

 lation of Norway, according to the census of 

 1867, were as follows: 



In 1868, according to an official calcula- 

 tion, based on the movement of population, 

 the number of inhabitants was 1,720,691. 



The Swedish budget for 1872 fixes the rev- 

 enue at 46,225,000 rix-dollars (one rix-dollar 

 = twenty-eight cts.) ; the expenditure at 

 51,469,840 rix-dollars; deficit, 5,244,840 rix- 

 dollars; public debt, on December 31, 1870, 

 118,000,000 rix-dollars. 



The marine numbered, in the year 1871, 31 



steamers, carrying 143 guns, 15 sailing-vessels, 

 carrying 190 guns, and 62 sloops, carrying 87 

 guns. The imports, in the year 1869, were val- 

 ued at 136,600,000 rix-dollars ; exports at 125,- 

 900,000 rix-dollars. The movement of ship- 

 ping, in the year 1869, consisted of 6,058 ves- 

 sels entered, of 206,957 lasts; and 12,201 ves- 

 sels cleared, of 557,834 lasts (one Swedish 

 last = four and seven-tenths English tons). 

 The merchant navy was composed in 1869 of 

 3,357 vessels, of 105,412 lasts; and 358 steam- 

 ers, of 10,372 horse-power. Length of rail- 

 roads in operation at the end of 1869, 1,129 

 miles; length of telegraph-lines, 4,179 miles; 

 length of wire, 8,997 miles. In the Norwe- 

 gian budget for 1869, the revenue and expen- 

 ditures were fixed at 5,188,500 specie-dollars 

 (one specie-dollar = one dollar and seven 

 cts.). Public debt, in 1869, 7,867,100 rix-dol- 

 lars. The value of the imports, in 1869, was 

 estimated at 23,900,000 specie-dollars; the ex- 

 ports at 19,600,000 rix-dollars. The number 

 of vessels entering Norwegian ports, in 1869, 

 was 6,864, of 495,124 lasts, and the number of 

 clearances 7,295, of 544,296 lasts. The mer- 

 chant navy, at the end of 1869, numbered 

 6,833 vessels, of 465,831 lasts (one commer- 

 cial last = two English tons). Length of 

 railroads in operation, December 31, 1869, 227 

 miles. Length of telegraph-lines, 2,980 miles ; 

 length of wire, 4,370 miles. 



The Swedish Diet was opened by the King 

 on January 18th. It ratified on March 9th 

 the propositions made by a committee for the 

 fortification of Carlsborg and Waxholm ; and on 

 March llth, in a joint session of both Cham- 

 bers, granted, by 182 against 109 votes, 3,750,- 

 000 rix-dollars for the fortification of Carls- 

 crona. The proposition of the Government to 

 pay to the city of Stettin, in settlement of an old 

 claim, the sum of 116,838 rix-dollars, was also 

 acceded to. The Diet was closed on May 20th 

 by the King. In September it was again 

 specially convoked to make provision for the 

 reorganization of the army. The Upper House 

 approved of the clause of the bill which makes 

 military service compulsory on all male sub- 

 jects of Sweden, but the Second Chamber 

 refused to accept it. The session was closed 

 on October 7th, the King again expressing 

 "great regret at the failure of the Lower 

 Chamber to act on the army reorganiza- 

 tion bill, thereby compelling the postponement 

 of the action authorized by this important 

 measure." He deemed "the question of na- 

 tional defence too grave to be thus sus- 

 pended." 



The most important act of the Storthing of 

 Norway, which was opened on February 6th, 

 was the rejection (on April 17th), after a dis- 

 cussion lasting three days, of the new union 

 treaty with Sweden. The Storthing was closed 

 on May 7th. 



SWEDEN AXD NORWAY, WILHELMIXA- 

 FREDEEICA-ALEXANDKINA AKTNE LOUISE. Queen 

 of, daughter of William Frederick Charles, 



