A V I E W OF 



,Narva, a large trading city in RufTia, fr-1 



mated a few miles beyond the latitude { ^ 



of Dunnet-Head, the moil; northern ( 

 part of the continent of Scotland, 

 Gottenburgh, ditto in Sweden, 58 o 



Riga, ditto in Ruffia, lying near the") 

 . medium latitude of the Highlands of i, 57 o 

 Scotland, 



The climate of thofe countries admits of two 

 feafons only, viz. the fummer, which begins in 

 May, and ends in September; and the winter, 

 which inftantaneoufly binds up the earth in one 

 continued frofb, fhuts up the ports, and covers land 

 and water with frozen inow, on which all manner 

 of travelling is performed by means of (ledges. In 

 this feafon the inhabitants drefs in furs or fkins, 

 which, however, do not prevent the frequent lofs 

 of hands or limbs, through the intenfenefs of the 

 old. * 



It is therefore to the attention of their refpective 

 governments, more than the advantages of nature, 

 that fo many commercial cities have gradually 

 arifen in the north of Europe, within the fpace of 

 a few centuries, and that places hitherto obfcure are 

 daily increafing in wealth and magnitude. 



With thofe cities may be enumerated the Seven 

 United Provinces, a country, which, though fitu- 

 ated in more fouthern latitudes, furnifhes no mate- 

 rial articles for commerce, and fcarcely a fufficiency 



* " Whenever, fays Maupertuis in his journey through the 

 northern parts of Sweden-, we would taile a little brandy, the only 

 thing that could be -kept liquid, our tongues and lips froze to the 

 cup, and came away bloody : in a cold that congealed the fingers 

 of ibme of us, and threatened us with fhll more diimal accidents. 

 Jf we opened the door of a warm room, the external air inilantly 

 converted all the vapour in it into fhovv, whirling it round in 

 white vortexes. If we went abroad, we felt as if the air was tear- 

 ing our breails in pieces. At the beginning of June, winter yielded 

 up the earth and fea j and we prepared for our departure to Stock" 

 "holm. " 



Of 



