THROUGH SWEDEN. 
*5 
two are appropriated for the delivery of pregnant women : but 
when occafion requires, a greater number is allotted for this be¬ 
nevolent purpofe, fometimes as many as seven. Any woman, 
whoever fhe may be, when her time approaches, on ringing a bell 
at any hour during day or night, is inflantly admitted gratis, and 
without being afked any queftions. They alfo receive foundling 
children, and at times maintain no lefs than forty or fifty of them. 
The commerce of Gothenburg is very confiderable, and compre¬ 
hends perhaps more than the feventh part of the exports, and 
about a fourth of the imports of the whole kingdom. The Eaft 
India Company, in which the city of Antwerp and the town of 
Offend have a large fhare, fends from one to two or three fhips 
annually to China. Though their charter empowers them to 
trade with India, it is but rarely, and to no confiderable extent, 
that they avail themfelves of that privilege. The number of 
trading veffels belonging to Gothenburg is about two hundred and 
fifty. About eight hundred foreign fhips enter the harbour an¬ 
nually, and about five hundred Swedifh. One of the principal 
fources of profperity to Gothenburg is the herring fifhery. Six hun¬ 
dred thoufand barrels of falted herrings have been known to be fold 
in one year, and thirty thoufand barrels of oil. To one barrel of 
oil there is reckoned a proportion of ten or twelve barrels of her¬ 
rings. Every fuch barrel contains from a thoufand to fourteen 
hundred herrings. The fifhing begins in October, and lafts till 
February, and fometimes till March. The herrings are partly con- 
fumed 
