ATA 
moor-fowls, woodcocks, &c, which fwarm 
in the forefts of the northern. provinces, 
whence, in winter, they are conveyed in 
fledges above two hundred leagues to 
Stockholm, and to the foythern provinces, 
where game is infinitely more {carce. The 
elk, a quadruped almoft untameable, and 
very {wilt of foot, is extremely common, 
as are alfo thie bear and rhe wolf, animals 
which are lefs courageous than is generally 
believed. The wolf is kept at a diftance 
by a little fre, or by a fmall burning ta- 
per fixed behind a fledge. 
The feas, rivers, ana lakes, furnith fuch 
quantities of fith, as, befides fupplying the 
cenfumption of the country, form a very 
important branch of comimerce, of which 
the molt confiderable article is herrings. 
‘The annual average of the Swedifi her- 
riag-fifhery 1s 300,000 barrels, which, in- 
dependently of the very great quantity ex- 
ported, yield a vait fupply of oil. A kind 
of pilchards, known in Sweden by the 
name of frommingar, are caught to the 
amount of 200,000 barrels. 
Attempts have been made to introduce 
the culture of filk, but it has not fucceeded 
fo fully as to afford any real advantages ; 
nor have the late endeavours of the Swedes 
to naturalize the rhubarb-plant been at- 
tended with more fuccefs. 
Without the numerous forefis which 
cover the face of the country, the pro- 
dudtions of the mines would by no méans 
be lucrative. In that kingdom, however, 
as elfewhere, the woods have been very 
imprudently managed, fo that in feveral 
piaces the fearcity of that kind of fuel 
begins to be fenfioly felt. This fubje€ 
has lately required the attention of the go- 
vernment, which has recently had recourfe 
to different meafures to induce the inhabi- 
tants to plant trees. In the mean time, 
they are beginning to burn turf more fre- 
quently than heretofore, and fortunately 
it is very common and of an excellent 
quality. Coal-mines, which effer a new 
sefource, have been difcevered, efpecially 
an Sconen. 
In a country where the houfes are often 
thinly {cattered, and woods very numerous, 
it is no uncommon thing in fummer for 
travellers, efpecially peaiants, to be obli- 
ged to pafs the night among the trees nearett 
the road. There they fleep befide.a large 
fire of branches, which fome of them do 
not take the trouble to extinguifh before 
they refume their journey. This practice 
hath more than once occafioned dreadfal 
conflagrations, which have denuded entire 
forefts of their branches, leaving nothing 
unconfumed but the mafly trunks of the 
A Defcription of Modern Sweden 
[ Dee. 1, 
trees. Thefe accidents are mot frequent- 
ly eccaficned in the {pring by bird-<catch- 
ers, who are fometimes obliged to make 
Jong journies, and who, in order to com- 
mence their operations fufficiently early, 
fet cut the preceding evening for the 
places where the birds refort to build their 
nefis, and held themfelves in readinefs to 
enfnare tnem before day-break. There 
they kindle an enormous fixe, and, after 
flecping by it a couple of hours, they 
Jeave it unextinguifhed, and confequently 
in a condition to fpread its ravages in 
the foreft. The only method of ftopping 
the progrefs of fuch a conflagration, is to 
dig avery broad treach around it, and to, 
leave the part already kindled as a prey to 
the flames. In the immenfe forefts of 
Finland, fuch conflagrations have raged 
for three or four months, efpecially in dry 
fummers. 
The conttruGticn of fhips, and efpecially 
of finall veflels, is carried on with great 
activity; and in them are exported large 
quantities of planks, deals, all kinds of 
building timber, pitch, tar, potafh, &c. 
_In Scania, Eaftern Gothland, Smaland, 
Sudermania, Upland, and Fimland,the culti- 
vation of corn is confiderable ; but much ex- 
ertion is ftill wanting to render the produce 
equal to the quantity coniumed in the coun- 
try, efpecially as the weather is feldom fo 
favourable as to afford the profpe& of a 
good crop; and of the grain produced, an 
immenfe quantity is worfe than wafted in 
diftllation. The importation of foreign 
corn alone cofts Sweden above a million 
of crowns annually. The culture of to- 
bacco has completely fucceeded every 
where ; but the greateit quantity is pro- 
duced in the vicinity of Stockholm and 
Abo ; fo that Sweden requires no foreign 
fupply of that article, and accordingly 
none is imported except for the ufe of thole 
who can afford tobacco of a finer quality, 
or wifh to mix it with that produced in 
the country. Several nurferies of fruit 
trees have been eftablifhed, which proves 
that the country does not yet abound in 
fruit ; and indeed gardening is very much 
neglected, efpecially by the peafantry. It 
is fingular that the beft cultivated lands 
are commonly at a diftance from the great 
roads, which is doubtlefs partly owing to 
the former incurfions of the Tartars and 
Bohemians inducing the ancient inhabi- 
tants to conceal their moft improved farms 
behind the mountains, where they are ftill 
fituated. 
Ti the vegetable kingdom is not very 
rich, the mineral affords a compenfation, 
At Adeliors, in Smaland, a gold mine has 
heen ’ 
