704 GOT 
fill crath from a height of upwards of fixty feet into a 
fashomlefs abyfs; and, while yet boiling and foaming, 
it again dallies repeatedly from other ledges, and tlien 
riilhes along with fury over a rocky bottoul tor alraoll 
three miles, till it (pends its force and lofes itlelt into 
a wide bafin. In front of the (pectator, riles perpendi¬ 
cularly to an altitude of three or tour hundred teet, a 
rampart of granitic rock, which, brillling with its dark- 
fome pines, frowns majeltically over the awtul fcene. 
I'he other fide prefents a plealing contrail, feveral faw- 
mills being perched among the cliffs, and turned by 
fmall detached torrents. 
Gultavus Vafa conceived the magnificent plan of not 
only overcoming this vail obllruftion by a canal, but 
likewile joining the Baltic with the North Sea, by con- 
nedling a chain of lakes, the Malar, the Hjelmar, and 
the Wenner, which are not far dillant; and which, with 
the river (jotha, would form a communication extend¬ 
ing all the w'ay from Stockholm to Gothenburg. Were 
this fcheme realized, befides the obvious commercial 
advantages which it offers, the Swedes miglit avoid pay- 
ins the Sound dues to Denmark: but the confiruction 
of"a canal at Trolhatta, which was part of the plan, 
appeared of more immediate and praiflical utility. It 
was begun by Charles XI I. whole paliionate love of 
glory, had it been rightly directed, would have proved 
highly beneficial to his kingdom ; and the attempt was 
at different times relumed in the fucceeding reigns, and 
large fums of money were foolilhly Iquandered without 
making any lolid advancement. At lall the undertak¬ 
ing was transferretl to a company of merchants, deeply 
interelled in its luccefs, and who fubferibed liberally on 
the profpect of a toll granted to them. Under their ac¬ 
tive management, the canal was recently profecuted, 
and completed in little more than fix years. It is cer¬ 
tainly the grandell work of the kind that has been yet 
executed, and reflects the highelt credit onthefpirit and 
ingenuity of the Swedilli nation. To form a jull idea 
of the ditficulties furmountdd, we mult not conlider the 
length of tlie canal lb much as its great width, the fre- 
qiiency of the locks, and the refractory nature of tlie 
materials in which the excavation is made. It is cut 
through a hill or continued rock of the hardeft granite, 
by the force of gun-powder and the ufual operations of 
mining; and the canal has nine locks, with their inter¬ 
mediate balins ; of which the depth is about lixteen, 
and the breadth twenty-two feet. It can therefore ad¬ 
mit of (hips of very large burthen. 
GO'THAM, a (mall town of the American States, 
in Maryland, about five miles north of Baltimore^ city. 
GO'THA.M, a village in Nottinghamihire. 
“ As w’ife as a man of Gotham.” 
This proverb pall'es for the periphralis of a fool, vs a 
hundred abl'urdities are feigned and fathered on the in¬ 
habitants of Gotham in Nottinghamihire. 
GO'THARD, one of the alpine mountains of Swif- 
fcrland; and from the top, where there is an holpital 
for monks, is one of the fineft profpeCts in the world. 
It is eight miles from Aldorf.—A very great natural 
ciiriolity, which feems not generally known, has been 
lately obferved upon the I'ummigof this mountain ; it is 
a rock, of cojifiderable magnitude, fo perfebtly even, 
fmooth, and polilhed, on one fide, as to reflect the ob¬ 
jects placed oppolite to it, as perfectly as a looking- 
glafs; whence, among the mountaineers, it is called the 
7 nirror-rock. No enquiry feems yet to have been let on 
foot with a view to account for this extraordinary phe¬ 
nomenon. 
GO'THEBURG, or Gothenburg, a towmof Swe¬ 
den in the province of V/e(t Gothland, lituated near the 
lea, at the conflux of the Moldal and the Gotha, on the 
fide of which the old town is built; the other part, 
called the new town, is lituated in a valley interfecled 
by canals ; the wliolc about three miles in circum¬ 
ference, and regularly fortified. The harbour is be- 
G O T 
tween two chains of rocks, about two furlongs wide. 
It was firit built by Charles IX. in the illand of liiliin- 
gen, in 1607 ; but, this town a few years after being 
burned down by Chriltian IV. king of Denmark, the 
inhabitants were removed, in the reign of Gultavus 
Adolpl'ius, to the {M'efent fpot. Charles IX. when he 
founded the former town, drew thither a great number 
ot foreigners, by allowing them a free exercile of reli¬ 
gion, and an exemption from duties on exports and im- 
})orts for twenty years. Thefe privileges were con¬ 
firmed to the new town. Gothenburg is well built, and 
partakes of the tafte of its fiiTt founders the Dutcli, in 
being every wliere interfeCted by canals. Excepting 
the new quarter, and fome buildings on the quay, all 
the houlcs are of wood ; and though we generally form 
very poor ideas of Inch dwellings, thefe are very com¬ 
modious, and warmer in winter than thofe which are 
built with (tone. Their conItruCtion is very fimple, 
being formed with fquare fir-trees placed one on the 
other, pinned together, and the inter/tices filled with, 
mofs ; the outfide is covered witii planks painted red or 
white, and theinllde with plaller. The country people 
thatch the roof with the bark of the birch-tree, over 
which they lay turf; while perfons of property employ 
tile or Hate; and thefe modes are prevalent throughout 
all Sweden and Norway. Such houfes appear to be 
more convenient for the common people than titofe of 
ftone, brick, or earth ; becaufe they are more expediti- 
oully built, are more ealily kept in repair, and can be 
removed from place to place without much difncultv. 
Gothenburg contains about fifteen thou land inhabi¬ 
tants, and is reckoned the fecond city of the kingdom. 
It enjoys a very large (hare of trade. Its (ituation is 
peculiarly romantic, on the fide of the river, at fome dif- 
tance from its nioutii, and encircled by an amphitheatre 
of towering and diverfified rocks. I'he inhabitants vie 
with thole of the capital in every fpecies of luxury. 
They are hofpitable and friendly to Itrangers, and the 
ladies are celebrated for their amiable manners and ele¬ 
gant accomplilhments. A foundling-hofpital has been 
erected at Gothenburg on a very liberal plan, and every 
care is taken to provide for the poor and the fatherlefs. 
The commerce of Gothenburg is carried on by many 
refpeCtable merchants from different cotintrie-. Many 
Scotch houfes are ellablilhed here, and are very flouriflt- 
ing. The manufactures of the country are few, but ex¬ 
cellent of their kind : fiigar, for initance, is better re¬ 
fined in Sweden than any where elfe, but it is dear. 
Near the coalt is a glals-houfe, the manufaiture of 
v/hich is very beautiful:—but the merchants of Go¬ 
thenburg, and throughout Sweden, are principally en¬ 
gaged in the exportation of metals, chiefly iron; which 
is a very productive commerce. Merrings vilit the coalt 
towards the month of November, in fuch Ihoals that 
boats pafs through them with difficulty ; and if an oar 
be put into the lea, it will (land as upright among them 
as if it were Ituckin the land. This trade is conlidered 
fo important, that; every precaution is taken to pre¬ 
vent the filh from being frightened from the coalt; and 
as foon as they appear, it is exprefsly forbidden to fire 
any cannon, even for the ufual I'alutes. In a good year, 
600,000 barrels of I'alted herrings are fold, and 30,000 
barrels of oil. Nearly all the articles of importation, 
which are confiderable, come from England, and fell 
very well. Indeed, the communication between the 
two countries is fuch, that molt people of condition in 
Gothenburg have even their fiioes from London, or 
from fome town of Great Britain. The Itulfs and lea¬ 
ther tvhich are brought thence are not only of a fupe- 
rior quality, but cheaper than the manufactures of the 
country. Thefe circumitances may in fome manner ac¬ 
count for the reluctance of Sweden to break the bonds 
of amity with Great Britain, even amid the word threats 
of the (layer Napoleon, and they are flattering tellimo- 
uies in favour of our Britilh manufactures and commer¬ 
cial 
1 
