SWEDEN". 89 



has been remarked that no beeches grow to the north of East-Goth- 

 land, and no oaks beyond Upland. 



Wheai, rye, barley, oats, peas, and beans, are cultivated with suc- 

 cess in Sweden ; and though beyond Gefle and Biorneburg fruit-trees 

 are rarely to be met with, common cherries, gooseberries, strawber- 

 ries, raspberries, currants, and several sorts of pears and apples, ri- 

 pen in the open air in several of the provinces ; and melons, by arti- 

 ficial culture, are brought to great perfection in dry seasons. Among 

 the pears which ripen in Sweden, the principal is the bergamot; and 

 among the apples, that of Astracan, which has a most agreeable taste. 

 The wild animals of Sweden, are wolves, bears, beavers, elks, rein- 

 deer, wild-cats, foxes, hares, and squirrels. In winter the foxes and 

 squirrels become grey, and the hares as white as snow. The horses 

 and oxen, and the cattle in general, are small, but hardy. Various 

 kinds of birds are found here, particularly two singular species of 

 falcons. The rivers and lakes abound in fish ; and several species 

 of them, pikes and salmon in particular, are pickled and exported. 

 The train-oil of the seals taken in the Gulf of Finland, is likewise 

 a considerable article of exportation. 



Natural curiosities.. ..The natural curiosities of Sweden con- 

 sist in its cataracts, and the scenery of its forests and lakes. About 

 50 miles from Gottenburg are the famous cataracts of Trolhaetta, for- 

 med by the river Gotha, which issues from the lake of Wenner, and 

 being united after several breaks, falls with its whole and undivided 

 stream into so deep a bed of water that large masts, and other pei- 

 ces of timber, precipitated down it, disappear for a very considera- 

 ble time before they rise again to the surface. There is another ca- 

 taract, on the river Dahl, about ten miles to the east of Gefle, 

 esteemed little inferior to that of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, the 

 breadth of the river being nearly a quarter of a mile, and the fall be- 

 ing between 30 and 40 feet. The effect is likewise greatly highten- 

 ed by the surrounding scenery. 



Population.. ..The number of inhabitants in Sweden is probably 

 more correctly ascertained than in most other countries of Europe, 

 the states in 1741 having erected an institution called the Commission 

 of Register ; the office of which was to collect and compare all the 

 registers of marriages, births, and deaths, in Sweden. According 

 to the tables constructed from these registers, the number of inhabi- 

 tants amounted in 1751 to 2,229,661 ; in 1772, to 2,584,261 ; and as 

 from the same authority it appears that the population, in the space 

 of 30 years ending in 1781, had increased by more than 500,000 souls. 

 The loss of Finland and Pomerania reduced the population to 2,353,355 

 souls. The addition of Norway has increased it again to 3,265,000. 

 In Boetticher's tables the population of Sweden is given at 2,977,345, 

 of which number Finland contains 624,000. 



National character, manners, customs. ...The Swedes are in 

 general tall, well-formed, and capable of enduring the greatest fa- 

 tigues. They are grave in their deportment, industrious, sincere, brave, 

 and hospitable. The upper classes imitate closely the manners of 

 the French, the fashions of which nation have long been followed by 

 the ladies, few of whom adopted the national dress which the late 

 king endeavoured to introduce in 1777. This was worn, however, 

 by many of the men, and consisted, for them, of a close coat, very 

 wide breeches, a girdle, around hat, and a cloak. The women were 

 to wear a black robe, with puffed gause sleeves, a coloured sash, and 



Vol. I. N 



