220 SLUICES. IRON BRIDGE. 



" For a long time this retreat of the robbers," says the 

 legend, " remained undiscovered ; but at length a maiden, 

 whom they had seized during a foray, and detained in 

 captivity, betrayed them; for one day, daring the absence 

 of the band, she purposely lighted a fire at the cave's mouth, 

 the smoke of which having been seen, search was made, the 

 outlaws taken prisoners, and soon afterwards they expiated 

 their crimes on the gallows." 



Of late years additional locks, parallel with the old ones, 

 have been constructed at Trollhattan, which afford great 

 facility to the shipping; for vessels can now ascend and 

 descend at one and the same time, which was not practicable 

 formerly. These sluices were constructed under the super- 

 intendence of Colonel Ericsson, brother to Captain Ericsson, 

 the inventor of the " Caloric Ship," and redound much to 

 the credit of that able engineer. 



For the information of merchants and yachtsmen, I may 

 mention that the new sluices, which are ten in number, are 

 in length, exclusive of the troskel (the platform, it is to be 

 presumed, over which the gates swing), one hundred and ten 

 feet ; including the troskel, one hundred and twenty feet ; 

 their breadth, though nominally only nine and a half feet, 

 is ten feet, all Swedish measurement that is, six per cent 

 less than the English. 



A slight cast-iron bridge, solely, however, for the use of foot 

 passengers, now also spans the loftiest of the Falls by com- 

 putation about forty feet in height. The outer extremity of 

 the bridge rests on Topp-0n t or the upper islet, situated in 

 the very centre of the boiling torrent ; and though when one 

 passes across the apparently fragile structure, the vibration is 

 considerable, it is believed to be perfectly secure. 



