POPULATION— EMIGEATION. 143 



to the treaty Torneâ ouglit to have remained Swedish, being situated on an. 

 island nearer to the Swedish than to the Russian banks of the river, but Russia 

 is strong enough to interpret conventions to suit herself. Although not itself 

 within the arctic circle, Haparanda is the place whence travellers start for 

 Mount Avasara, which in midsummer is constantly bathed in the light of the 

 sun. Farther north-east the village of Pello, in Russian territory, marks the 

 northern extremity of the arc measured by Maupertuis to determine the figure 

 of the earth. 



Wishy, capital of Gotland, is the only important town in the Swedish Baltic 

 islands. It is an old place, apparently founded by the Pomeranian Wends 

 on a rocky ledge close to some springs of fresh water. Allied with the 

 other Hanseatic towns, Wisby soon became a flourishing place, with 12,000 

 citizens within its walls, besides thousands of artisans and seafarers outside the 

 enclosures. The Germans, here very numerous, named half the Municipal 

 Council, and had several churches, the finest of which, founded in 1190, is still 

 the chief monument of the town. The environs and the whole island are the 

 "paradise" of archœologists, whose "finds " are constantly enriching the Stock- 

 holm and other collections. Wisby long maintained its independence, but in 

 lo61 Waldemar III. of Denmark destroyed its castle, ruined its churches, and 

 carried off its treasures. Bioken walls, pillars, and arches, all choice fragments 

 of Roman or Gothic architecture, still recall a disaster from which the place 

 never entirely recovered. Still its port, accessible to vessels drawing 16 feet 

 of water, does a considerable trade, its fisheries are productive, and it is much 

 frequented as a watering-place in summer. A railway crosses the island from 

 Wisby to a village on the south-east coast. 



Population. — Emigration. 



The population of Scandinavia, the census of which has been regularly taken 

 from 1751, "is rapidly increasing, since the beginning of the century having more 

 than doubled in Norway and nearly doubled in Sweden. The increase is mainly 

 due to the excess of births over deaths, but also partly to the higher average term 

 of existence. Thus the rate of mortality, which in Sweden was 27 or 28 in the 

 1,000 during the latter half of last century, fell to 18-3 between 1871 and 1875 ; 

 while in Norway, excluding the still-born, it is only 17*1, the lowest in Europe, 

 and about one-half that of Russia. Infant mortality also stands lowest in the 

 European scale, and there can be no doubt that a racial improvement has here 

 taken place, in happy contrast with the deterioration of countries where universal 

 military service is obligatory. From the measurements of the recruits for the 

 Swedish militia it appears that their stature has increased by three-quarters of an 

 inch during the last thirty-five years. 



Peace having prevailed since 1815, the only disturbing influences have been the 

 bad harvests and the general commercial and industrial crises. In 1868 and 1869 

 the population even suffered a slight decrease, due, however, to a sudden increase of 



