Chap. II. and its Inh 
that each endeavouring to underfell others, the Price 
has been much lowered j and fince the Prohibition of 
Foreign Manufadtures, in exchanging of which Iron was 
plentifully taken off, it is grown fo cheap that it is found 
neceffary to leffen the Number of Forges. Neither has 
that Contrivance had the Effedt intended ; but, on the 
contrary, many more are like to fall of themfelves, be- 
caufe they cannot work but to Lofs, in which Cafe many 
Thoufands of poor People whofe Livelihoods depend 
upon thefe Forges and Mines will be reduced to a ftarv- 
ing Condition. 
The Seafons of the Year, though regular in themfelves, 
do not altogether anfwer thofe of other Climates. As a 
French Embaffador obferved, who, in raillery faid, there 
were in Sweden only nine Months Winter, and all the reft 
was Summer •, for as Winter commonly begins very foon, 
fo Summer immediately fucceeds it, and leaves little or no 
Space to be called Spring. The Produdlions of the Earth, 
therefore ought to be, as they are, more fpeedy in their 
Growth than in other Parts. The reafon of which feems 
to be, that the Oil and Sulphur in the Earth (as it ap- 
pears by - the Trees and Minerals it produces) being 
bound up all the Winter, are then of a hidden adfuated 
by the Heat of a warm Sun, which almoft continually 
Ihines, and thereby makes amends for its fhort Stay, and 
brings to Maturity the Fruits proper for the Climate •, 
yet withal, its Heat is fo intenfe, that it often fets the 
Woods on Fire, which fometimes fpreads itfelf many 
Leagues, and can fcarce be ftopt, till it comes at fome 
Lake or very large Plain. In the Summer-feafon the 
Fields are cloathed withVariety of Flowers, and the whole 
Country overfpread with Strawberries, Rafpberries, Cur- 
rants, and the like, which grow upon every Rock. 
In their Gardens Melons are brought to good Perfec- 
tion in dry Years, but Apricocks, Peaches, and other 
Wall-Fruits are almoft as rare as Oranges. They have 
Cherries of feveral Sorts, and fome tolerably good •, which 
cannot be faid of their Apples, Pears and Plumbs, that 
are neither common nor well tafted. All Kinds of Roots 
are in Plenty, and contribute much to the Nourifhment 
of the poor People. The Sun at higheft is above the 
Horizon of Stockholm^ eighteen Flours and an half, and 
for fome Weeks makes a continual Day. In Winter the 
Days are proportionably fhorter : The Sun being up but 
five Hours and an half, which Defeft is fo well fupplied 
as to Lights by the Moon, and the Whitenefs of the 
Snow, and the Clearnefs of the Sky, that travelling by 
Night is as ufual as by Day, and Journies begun in the 
Evening are as frequent as in the Morning. The want of 
the Sun’s Heat is repaired by Stoves within Doors, and , 
warm Furs abroad. Inftead of which, the meaner Sort 
ufe Sheep-fkins, and other the like Defences, and are 
generally better provided with Cloathing befitting their 
Condition, and the Climate they live in, than the com- 
mon People of any Part of Eurofe ; though, where any 
Negledt or Failure happens it ufually proves fatal, and 
occafions the Lofs of Nofes, or other Members, and 
fometimes the Lofs of Life j unlefs the ufual Remedy to 
expel the Froft, when it has feized any Part, be early 
applied, which is to remain in the Cold, and rub the 
Part afflicted with the Snow ’till the Blood return to it 
again. 
4, This Country is divided into twenty-five Provin- 
ces ; each of which is governed by an Officer called 
Landjhofding^ whofe Authority comprehends that of 
Lord Lieutenant and Sheriff together, except where 
there is a general Governor, as in Finland or upon the 
Borders of Denmark and Norway^ to whom the Govern- 
or of each Province is fubordinate, and has thereby a 
more reftrained Authority. Thefe Officers are placed by 
the King, and take an Oath to keep the Province for his 
Majefty and his Fleirs, to govern according to the Laws 
of Sweden^ and fuch Inftruftions as they fhall receive 
from his Majefty, and to quit the Province whenever he 
fhall call them thence. To them and their fubordinate 
Officers (who are all of the King’s chufing) the Execu- 
tion pf judicial Sentences, the ColledUon of the King’s 
Revenues, the Care of Forefts, Parks j" and other Crown 
Lands, Cfr. is committed^ 
ABITANTS. 49$ 
Of Cities, thofe of Stockholm^ Gottenburgh, Calmaf^ 
and two or three more may deferve that Name ; the 
other Corporations, which, in all, make not an hundred^ 
fcarce exceed fome Villages in England. They are all 
governed by Burgomafters arid Counfellors, chofen b/ 
the King out of their own Body, or at leaft fuch as are 
of the Quality of Burghers •, no Gentleman accepting of 
thofe Employments. Their Offices and Salaries are for 
Life, or rather during their good Behaviour. The Pri- 
vilege of Cities are derived from the King, and for th^ 
moft Part are owing to the Wifdom of GuJlavUs AdoF 
fhus, the Author of their beft and moft regular Conftitu-» 
tions at Flome, and as well as of their Glory Abroad. 
The City of Stockholm lies in 59 Deg. 20 Min. N. LaC. 
arid about 41 Longitude. About three hundred Years 
ago it was only a bare Ifland with two or three Cottages 
for Fiffiers ; but upon the building of a Caftle there, to 
ftop the Inroads of the Ruffians., and the Tranfiation of 
the Court thither, it grew, by Degrees, to furpafs the 
other more antient Cities, and is at prefent the Metro- 
polis of this Kingdom, and fuppofed to be as populous 
as Brijlol. The Caftle here, which is covered with Cop- 
per, is a Place of no Strength or Beauty, but of great 
Ufe, being a fpacious Building, that befides entertain- 
ing the Court, furnifhes Room for moft of the great 
Offices ; the national Court of Juftice, Colleges of War, 
Chancery, Treafury, Redudlion, Liquidation, Com- 
merce, Execution ; as alfo an Armory, Chapel, Li- 
brary, Archives, It lodges very few of the inferior 
Officers and Servants of the Court j they, together with 
the Foot-Guards, being quartered upon the Burghers at 
their Landlord’s Charge, for Lodging, Fire and Candle. 
In this City there are feven large Churches built of Brick 
and covered with Copper, befides two more now in 
building, and three or four wooden Chapels. The Pa- 
lace, of the Nobility, which is the Place of their Alfem- 
bly at the Convention of Eftates, and the Depofitory of 
their Privileges, Titles, and fuch other Records as 
concern their Body, is a very ftately Pile ; as is alfo the 
Bank, built at the City’s Charge ; which, together with 
feveral magnificent Houfes of the Nobility are covered 
with Copper, and make a handfome Profpedt. Moft of 
the Burghers Houfes are built of Brick, except in the 
Suburbs, where they are of Wood, and therefore ex- 
pofed to the Danger of Fire ; which commonly, when 
it gets to a head, deftroys all before it in the Quarter 
where it happens: To repair which Misfortune they fome- 
times fend the Dimenfions of the Houfe they intend to 
Finland-, where the Walls and feveral Separations are 
built of Pieces of Timber laid one upon another, and 
joined at the Corners, and afterwards marked, taken 
down, and fent by Water to Stockholm, there to be 
fet up and finiffied ; and when they are kept in good 
Repair will laft thirty or forty Years, and are warmer, 
cleaner, and more healthful than thofe of either Brick 
or Stone. 
To prevent the Danger of Fire the City is divided into 
twelve Wards ; and in each of thefe is a M after and four 
Afliftants, who upon Notice of any Fire are immediately 
to repair to it, as alfo all Porters and Labourers, and to 
range themfelves under the Mafter of their refpedlive 
Wards. There is alfo a Fire- Watch by Night, who 
walk about only for that Purpofe ; and in each Church- 
Steeple Watch is kept, and a Bell tolled upon the firft 
Appearance of any Fire. The Government of this City 
is in the Hands of the great Stadtholder, who is alfo a 
Privy Counfellor. Fle fits once- a Week in the Town- 
houfe, and prefides alfo in the College-houfe of Execution, 
affifted by an under Stadtholder and the Bailiff of the 
Caftle. Next to him are the four Burgomafters, one for 
Juftice, another for Trade, the third for the Policy of 
the City, and the fourth has the infpeftion over all pub- 
lic and private Buildings, and determines fuch' Cafes as 
arife on that Account. With them the Counfellors of 
the City always fit and give their Votes, the Majority of 
which concludes. Their Number is uncertain, but ufually 
about twenty, moft Merchants and Shopkeepers, or fuch 
as have ferved the King in fome inferior Employments j 
and befides their Salary they have an Immunity from 
fuch 
