TRAVELS 
206 
engaged us to pafs the greateft part of the two days we remained 
at Abo in his houfe. The admiral lives clofe to the caftle. 
We lodged at Seidel's, the dgn of the Victory, where our en¬ 
tertainment was as bad as poffible ; but we were obliged to put 
up with it, as there was no other houfe of the lame kind in 
the place. 
The library is the only thing in the town worthy the travel¬ 
ler s notice, though it is of no great confcquence. Among other 
curiofities they fliewed me a prayer-book printed by a peafant 
with wooden tablets, upon which he had cut the letters. In the 
fame library there is a tolerably complete collection of Swedifh 
medals, ancient as well as modern. The number of ftudents at 
the univerfity amounts to about three hundred. There is but one 
printing prefs in the town, and only two bookfellers fhops. 
Their fchool of anatomy is in confiderable repute: it is not 
likely to want fubjedts for didedlion, fince, by a particular regula¬ 
tion, all fuch perfons as hold lands or penfions from the crown 
are bound to leave their bodies to be didedted at the anatomical 
theatre. If the fame law had been extended to phyficians and 
furgeons, it would not have appeared lefs rational. I made ac¬ 
quaintance with profedor Porthaan, w T ho fhewed us every thing 
of any value in the library, and with great politenefs gave us all 
the information in his power refpedting our route through Fin¬ 
land. He alfo made us a prefent of fome didertations he had 
written on didcrent fubjedts concerning that country. 
Mr. Franqeu gave me a precious fpecimen of national poetry, 
confiding 
