TRAVELS 
g. The foclety for the inftru&ion of fellow-citizens at Stock¬ 
holm.* 
The academy of fciences hold their meetings in the Obferva- 
tory, which is a lofty and beautiful edifice, fituated on an eminence 
at the extremity of the city, and furniflied with a great number 
of excellent altronomical inftruments of all forts. There is no¬ 
thing by which the genius of the Swedes is more diftinguifhed, 
than a happy turn for mechanical improvement, which is called 
forth and encouraged by their mines. It was by means of inftru- 
ments made at Stockholm, that the Swedifh aftronomers detected 
certain inaccuracies in the obfervations made by Maupertuis. 
There is at Stockholm, in an ancient palace where the courts of 
* On the fubject of the actual date of literature in Sweden I ought to take 
notice of men of letters, of difiinguifhed talents and accomplifhments, who are 
neither members of academies, nor profefTors in univerfities. Perhaps I ought 
alfo to mention Grangers who, from the circumflance of being eftablifhed in 
fome of the public offices at Stockholm, have an opportunity of contributing 
either directly or indirectly to the advancement of literature and fcicnce. But 
fuch perfons, retired from the pomp and parade of learning, have a right to be 
protected under the (hade of their philofophical retreat. As they are not ambi¬ 
tious of public praife, fo neither ought they to be dragged forth into public cri¬ 
ticism and cenfure. I cannot, however, avoid naming Mr. Catteau, a minifter 
of the calviniflic perfuafion at Stockholm, author of a book called Tableau de la 
§uede, a Picture or a View of Sweden, which has been tranflated into Englifh. 
Mr. Catteau has a true and genuine tafte and turn for literature. Avoiding the 
noife of an oftentatious though lazy fociety, he divides his time and his cares 
between his parochial duties and his fludies. and has been employed for thefe 
laft years in flatiftical enquiries concerning Denmark and Sweden His work 
will be the moft complete that we have of the kind, and will ferve as a model 
in that fpecies of compofition. It was printing at Paris, and one volume of it had 
appeared when this was written. 
