22, 
wifit the baths, which, however, are not 
much frequented, becaufe there are a very 
great number of them in Sweden, and that 
it is efpecially thofe of Medevi, in Oftro- 
Gothia, near the Weftern Lake, which at- 
tract the grandees andthe rich from diffe-_ 
rent parts of the kingdom. As to the ef- 
ficacy of thefe thermal waters, it muft be 
confefled, that molt of them contain but 
very few mineral parts; but, as the 
Swedes are very eager to enjoy the finall 
number of fine days that they have of the 
fummer in this climate, and as they feel 
at the fame time the neceflity of fortify- 
ing themlelves againita long and rigorous 
winter, anumber of people, who are well in 
health, frequent theie baths to fee and 
converfe with their friends; and to give a 
tone and elafticity to the organs by the 
obfervation of a regimen, and the ufe ofa 
beverage generally falutary. The defire 
of enjoying the fine days of fummer clears 
the great towns of their inhabitants, and, 
tor want of other rural manfions, they 
go and lodge with fimple peafants; fo 
that, at the firft view, a ftranger, who 
lands at Stockholm, is fingularly truck 
with the calm that reigns there, and to fee 
anumber of ftreets almoft deferted. 
If Sweden, which is infinitely lefs po- 
pulous than Germany, does not prefent 
jo many great cities, nor fo many confi- 
derable villages encompafled with orchards 
—if nature is there much lefs embellifhed 
by the efforts of art and induftry—of a 
multitude accumulated ona fmall furface 
—all this does rot binder but that the for- 
mer country prefents the moft varied, and 
the moft picturefque, points of view, na- 
ture having fingularly favoured it in that 
refpect. We are never weary of behold- 
ing the broomy heaths, which are incef- 
fantly rifing to view ; even the moft level 
plains are always interfeéted with fmiling 
graves ; even in the roads, which tra- 
verfe the thickeft forefts, every thing of- 
fers the character of variety ; fometimes 
they rife, fometimes they defcend; fome- 
times they curve to the right, fometimes 
to the left: here the fight opens on a val- 
ley, enamelled with flowers; there it 
plunges cn a lake, befpangled with vio- 
Jets. Sweden and Norway are, without 
contradiction, the countries of Europe, 
which include the largeft mafles of water ; 
and we find in them a multiplicity of 
beautiful fituations. We can feldom ex- 
iend our looks to a canton, without fop- 
ping to admire the limpid waters of a 
Jake or of a river, where the dark-green 
of the fir-trees is refleSted. Almoft every 
province of Sweden poflefies a large river, 
Acconnt of a late Tour in Sweden, 
[ Feb. 1, 
which croffes it, and which, defcending 
from Norway, and running with rapidity 
towards the fea, is fometimes arrefted in 
its courfe, and obliged to form a lake, 
before it can furmount the obftacles that 
the hills oppofe to it, which cannot fail to 
pron profpeéts as various as delight- 
ful. 
What the domains of the rich proprie- 
tors are in the moft fertile parts of other 
countries, the mines are in Sweden. Moft 
of them belong to gentlemen or to mer- 
chants, who often go and fpend the fum- 
mer there, and ereét chateaux, environed 
with beautiful gardens, &c. Our guide 
ftops at the village of Hogfors, of which 
he gives a brilliant defcription ; he pafles 
then to Aveftad, where, after having 
defcribed the machinery employed in the 
working of the copper, he obferves, that,: 
at a certain part of the procefs a very fine 
and very brilliant powder loofens from 
it, which may be ufed for fand, and which 
the country people gather up, and fell for 
a trifle. 
Inftead of going dire&tly to Fahlun, 
the author turns afide a little, to enter 
into Dalecarlia, which he defcribes thus : 
—* On arriving at Diurmo, one thinks 
one has unexpetedly entered a ftrange 
country ; I found myfelf in the midft of 
a people called Peafants of the Valley 
(Dalecarlian fignifies An Inhabitant of the 
Valieys), who are diftinguifhed from the 
other Swedes by their figure, their phyf- 
ognomy, their language, their manners, 
and that noble fimplicity which infpires 
agreeable fentiments in the friend of na- 
ture, and produces reflection in the phi- 
lofopher. Their fpare and tall make pro- 
claims a youth inured to a fober and labo- 
rious life, to a frugal regimen. To look 
at their mufcles, which are but little 
flefhy, one would not think them capa- 
ble of fupporting the fatigues to which 
they are fubjected from year to year. We 
are particularly ftruck with their long 
legs without calves. The women are a 
littie more robuft than the men, and re- 
maikable for their ftout, frefh appearance, 
{mall eyes, but full of vivacity. Moft of 
thefe pcople Speak Swedifh; but it forms 
in their organs a dialeé fo fingular, fo cor- 
rupted, that the Swedes themlelves under- 
ftand it with difficulty ; and, according to 
all appearance, they have only applied 
themieives to the Swedifh language fince 
the epoch of the incorporation of their 
country with the monarchy. ‘Towards 
the north-weft, in the parifhes of Mora, 
Orfa, and Elfdal, as well as in the pa- 
tifhes mentioned in the Geography of 
re Tuneld 
