SWEDISH TOWNS. 137 



Northwarcls now stretches the vast Norrmalra quarter, its avenues continually 

 creeping landwards and over the isLind of Kungsholm. Southwards, the less 

 aristocratic district of Sodermalm, tunnelled by an underground railway, fills 

 the greater part of an island surrounded by shallow waters, and connected by 

 several bridges with the outlying suburbs on the mainland. Viaducts and 

 spacious causewaj's cross all the channels, and even towards the sea scattered 

 isles are connected by long piers with the shore. Some of the quarters th\is 

 recall the marvellous city raised amidst the Adriatic lagoons. 



The most imposing building is the royal palace, a vast stone quadrangle 

 standing on the site of the founder's original fortress. It contains eight hundred 

 apartments, some recalling historic scenes, others adorned with tapestries and 

 paintings. The terrace commands a view of the harbour, islands, and greater 

 part of the city. Not far off rises the Storkyrka, or " Great Church," the oldest 

 monument in Stockholm, founded by Birger Jarl in 1264, but since frequently 

 restored. Here the Swedish kings are now enthroned, lliddarholm, or 

 "Knight's Island," contains another royal church decorated with standards 

 and war trophies, where are the tombs of Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII., and 

 Bernadette. In front of the church stands a fanciful statue of Birger Jarl, and 

 the whole island is covered exclusively with national monuments. Nearly all the 

 squares are adorned with bronze statues, mostly of kings, but amongst them that 

 of Berzelius, who lived, taught, and died here. 



On a peninsula facing the royal palace stands the National Museum, a vast 

 collection, including souk^ remarkable statues and 1,500 paintings, amongst 

 which, the Flemish and Dutch schools are best represented. But the museum 

 is chiefly distinguished by its " Prehistoric Galleiy," full of objects admirably 

 classified by Hildebrand. An Ethnographic Museum, recently founded by 

 Hazelius, is already rich in specimens illustrating the customs, art§, and industries 

 of the Scandinavians and Lapps. The Academy of Sciences also contains a 

 valuable natural-history museum, including the famous block of meteoric or 

 terrestrial iron, weighing 20 tons, brought from Disco by Nordenskjold. The 

 Academy library is very rich in valuable documents — among others, all Svveden- 

 borg's manuscripts and the herbarium of Linmcus. In the Humlegârden Park, 

 on the north, side, stands the National Library, constructed so as to allow of 

 indefinite expansion, and already containing nearly 200,000 volumes, amongst 

 which are the Latin version of the four Gospels known as the Codex Aureus, 

 and the famous "Devil's Bible," a collection of magical and other formulas, 

 said to date from the ninth century. Here are also 8,000 manuscripts, his- 

 torical, autobiographic collections, and other precious records. In Stockholm 

 education is held in great honour ; instruction of a high order is received in the 

 Tine Arts and Musical Academies ; and the Free University, gradually being 

 developed by voluntary aid and municipal grants, numbered 340 students of both 

 sexes in 1878. 



Industry is very active and varied, including foundries, refineries, spinning- 

 mills, ship-building, and in the neighbourhood china and porcelain works. Trade 

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