26 TEN YEARS IN SWEDEN. 



Ridarehytta in Orebro Land, which in 1861 gave a return 

 of about 2207 Ib. Kongsberg, in Norway, is, I believe, 

 one of the richest silver mines in Europe. 



Iron, however, forms the principal mineral wealth of this 

 country, and the richest iron mines which are being worked 

 lie in Wermland, Westmanland, Dalarne, and Upland. 

 The yearly produce of the iron mines is on the increase, and 

 in 1861, according to Malmstrom, was computed as fol- 

 lows : 



Pig Iron (Tack lern), 3,885,000 cwt. 



Wrought Iron (Stang lern), 3,408,000 cwt. 



Manufactured Iron and Steel, 593,000 cwt. 

 The price of iron for the year is settled among the great 

 mine owners at the winter markets; and in 1864 the price 

 of pig or cast iron was fixed at 3 rqr. 50 6. (above 3s. lOd.) 

 per cwt., free on board at Arboga, a little north of Carlstad. 

 The ordinary price of wrought iron here is about 7s. 

 per cwt. In 1855 the produce of the iron mines in Great 

 Britain was thirty-five times richer than those of Sweden. 

 The value of the Swedish iron seems within the late years 

 to have fallen; and in 1860 Swedish iron was quoted 

 in London at 10 10s. per English ton, but still Is. 3d. 

 higher than English iron. 



Sweden is very rich in iron ore, but unfortunately much 

 of it lies in districts which cannot be worked for want of 

 communication. Up at Gellivare, in Lulea Lapland, there is 

 a very rich iron field, and much of the ore lies on the surface 

 of the ground. As this name is well known, a short account 

 of the great Gellivare iron mines may not be uninteresting 

 to the English reader. It can hardly be called a mine, but a 

 mountain of malm-rock, lying above the surface of the ground. 

 In 1819 it gave a return of 9000 skeppund of ore (one skep- 

 pund in the old weight was equal to 400 Swedish pounds) ; 

 in 1839 it rose to 17,398 skeppund, but in 1849 the return 

 was only 6223 skeppund; 1859, 3200 skeppund; and in 

 1860, only 450 skeppund. 



This mountain was first discovered in 1 730. It was first 

 worked in 1736 by a Captain Tingnall, but little was done 



