SWEDISH TOWNS. 



131 



employed in the neiglibouring cotton-spinning mills, sugar refineries, tobacco 

 manufactories, saw-mills, and the numerous ship-building and repairing yards. 

 The Goteborg sailors are in high repute for their daring and seafaring qualities, 

 and here were organized, chiefly at the expense of Oscar Dickson, the polar 

 expeditions of Nordenskjold in 1872, 1875, and 1876, to the mouth of the 

 Yenisei, and that of 1878, which made the north-east passage by the Siberian 

 coast and Behring's Strait. Here has recently been opened one of the finest 

 botanic gardens in Europe. 



Farther north the coast is dotted with small towns, such as Mardrand, 

 Uddevalla, Li/sekii, FJdllhaclia, Sfromstad, the last famous for its lobster fisheries, 



Fig. 65. — GOTEBOKG AND THE LoWEE GoTA. 

 Scale 1 : 270,000. 



ii?2o;l or[ 



5 Miles. 



and other favourite watering-places. In the Wener basin are some places of impor- 

 tance, including Karlstad, capital of the province of Wermland, at the mouth of 

 the Klar-elf, standing on an island connected by two bridges with the shore ; 

 Kristinchamn, at the north-east corner of the lake, which has recently acquired a 

 rapid development, due to its position at the junction of two main railway lines, and 

 its trade in iron from Philipstad and the Persberg mines, the best in Sweden ; 

 Mariestad and Lidkopincj, on the south-east shore ; Weuershorg, on a peninsula at 

 the southern extremity, near the falls formed by the Gota at its outflow from the 

 lake. These falls, and the rapids lower doAvn, are avoided by the famous Trollhiittan 



