Sweden also produces lead, silver and gold, though not in large quantities.

Chief Towns.] Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is situated at the junction of lake Malar with an inlet of the Baltic. The form of the town is an irregular oblong, extending from north to south, while the waters cross it in two channels from east to west. The situation is extremely picturesque, as well on account of the lake and harbor, and the numerous islands which they contain, as from the unevenness of the surrounding country, which rises in some places in gentle eminences, and at others in abrupt rocks. Stockholm is generally described as standing on seven islands, but several of them are very small and contain only forts or buildings for naval purposes. The harbor is perfectly safe and sufficiently capacious to receive a thousand ships, and the largest of them may come close to the quays. It has, however, some disadvantages arising from the number of small islands and rocks at the mouth of the inlet from the Baltic, and from the delay occasionally experienced in coming up a winding channel from the sea, a distance of more than 20 miles. Stockholm is the commercial emporium of the central part of Sweden. Its connection with the interior is very extensive by means of lake Malar and various rivers and canals united with it. The town is well built, and contains 13 bridges, 22 churches, and numerous other public buildings, some of which are in a fine style of architecture. The popalation in 1815 was 73,000.

Gottenburg is a large and thriving town in the southwest of Sweden, near the mouth of the Gotha Elf. It stands in a marshy plain, surrounded by precipitous ridges of naked rocks, rising to the height of from 100 to 300 feet. The town is built partly on the plain and partly on the declivity of one of the ridges. In the lower part of the town the houses are all built on piles; the streets here cross each other at right angles, and several of them are traversed by canals bordered with trees. The upper town is built with less regularity, but it has an imposing appearance, the houses rising one above another in the form of an amphitheatre. The harbor is formed by two long chains of rocks, about a quarter of a mile apart, and is defended by a fort on a small rocky island at the entrance. As a commercial and manufacturing town, Gottenburg ranks next to Stockholm, and it is more conveniently situated for foreign trade than any other place in Sweden. It is the seat of the Swedish East India Company, which has the exclusive privilege of importing East India commodities into the kingdom, and its commercial connections extend to all parts of Europe, to America, and the West Indies. The herring fishery was formerly carried on to a great extent, and there are several vessels engaged in the whale fishery. The amount of shipping is about 17,000 tons. The population in 1815 was 21,000.

Carlscrona, in the province of Blekingen, 220 miles S. S. W. of Stockholm, is the principal station of the Swedish navy. It is built on five rocky islands, which are connected together by bridges.

The harbor, which is capable of holding 100 ships of war, is defended by two forts at the entrance and several others in the interior. Several noble docks have been formed here at an immense expense, one of which was cut out of the solid rock; the largest remains in an unfinished state. Carlsorona has considerable trade and 12,000 inhabitants.

Upsal, formerly the capital of Sweden, and residence of her kings, is 45 miles N. of Stockholm, in the middle of an open fertile plain. It is the seat of an archbishop who is primate of the kingdom, and has a famous university with an astronomical observatory. The Swedish geographers compute the longitude from the meridian of Upsal. The kings of Sweden are usually crowned here. The population is 4,897.

Gefle, 60 miles N. of Upsal, on the gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of the river Gefle, has a good harbor, and considerable trade. The population is between 5,000 and 6,000. Fahlun, celebrated for the copper mines in its vicinity, is 10 miles N. N. W. of Stockholm, in the midst of rocks and hills between two lakes. The population was formerly above 7,000, but does not now exceed 4,200, the great copper mines having become less produce tive. Dannemora, the most celebrated iron mine in Sweden, is 30 miles N. of Upsal. In the neighbourhood of the mine are the establishments for smelting,hammering, and casting the iron; they form several villages of considerable size. The mines alone employ 1200 persons. Drottningholm is a royal palace four miles. from Stockholm on an island in lake Malar, and is the usual summer residence of the king. Norkoping, on the Motala 76 miles S. W. of Stockholm, has 9000 inhabitants, and considerable trade. Wisby, on the west coast of the island of Gothland, is a place of considerable trade. Lund, famous for its university, is near the southern extremity of the kingdom, within five miles of the coast, 100 miles S. W. of Carlscrona. Helsingborg is on the Sound, which separates Sweden from the island of Zealand.

Education. The University of Upsal, founded in 1476, had, in 1815, 21 professors and 1,200 students, of whom 269 were students of theology, 150 of law and 123 of medicine. It has a library of 60,000 printed volumes and 1,000 manuscripts; an observatory, a botanical garden and valuable cabinets of minerals and coins. The University of Lund has 15 professors, 300 students, a botanical garden, an observatory, and a library of 25,000 volumes. There are numerous literary and scientific associations in various parts of Sweden, particularly at Stockholm, and they have done much to raise the literary reputation of the country. Common schools are established in every parish, and there are few persons to be found who cannot read and write.

Religion. The established religion is the Lutheran. There is one archbishop and 11 bishops, and the subordinate clergy are divided into several classes. The number of parishes is 2,537 and the whole number of clergy about 1,500.

Government. The government of Sweden is a limited hereditary monarchy. The supreme power is in the Diet, which is

composed of the King and the States. The King has the command of the army and navy, fills up all commissions, nominates to all civil offices, and appoints the judges of the various courts. He alone convenes and dissolves the States, has the disposal of the public money, declares war, and makes peace. The power of making laws and of laying taxes is vested in the Diet. The States are composed of four houses, 1. The House of Nobles, consisting of counts, barons, and untitled nobility. 2. The House of the clergy, composed of the archbishop, the bishops and a certain number of ecclesiastics chosen to represent the subordinate clergy. 3. The House of citizens, consisting of representatives from 104 of the principal cities and towns in the kingdom. 4. The House of peasants, chosen to represent that class of the community, The House of Nobles usually consists of 1,000 or 1,200 members; that of the clergy of 50 or 60; the House of citizens of 110 or. 120; and that of peasants of 160 or 170. In each of the Houses the majority governs, and the assent of three houses and of the King is necessary to pass a law.

Population.] The number of inhabitants in Sweden, in 1813, according to Hassel, was 2,407,206. More than nine tenths of this population is concentrated in the two southern districts of Gothland and Sweden proper, on less than one half of the territory. Reckoning the population of Norway at 930,000, that of the United kingdom will be 3,337,206.

Army and Navy.] The army consists, according to Hassel, of 41,567 men, without including that of Norway. The navy contains 12 ships of the line, and eight frigates, together with 200 smaller vessels for the protection of the coast, and the number of sailors is 15,000.

Revenue.] The revenue in 1816 amounted to 5,768,681 rix dollars, and the public debt to 15,781,221 rix dollars. About two thirds of the debt being incurred in foreign countries and chiefly at Hamburgh, the country is overwhelmed with the paper money of that city and the scarcity of gold and silver, and even of copper currency, is almost incredible.

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Manufactures and Commerce.] The manufactures of Sweden are numerous but not entirely sufficient for the supply of her own population. Her commerce consists in the exchange of the products of her mines, forests and fisheries, for colonial produce and the manufactures of other countries. The principal exports are iron and iron ware, and next to these copper and other metals, herring and other tish, timber, tar and pitch. The imports are salt, corn, wine, colonial produce, and manufactured goods. The trade extends to all parts of Europe, the East and West Indies and America. More than one half of all the foreign trade is carried on through the port of Stockholm, and about one sixth through that of Gottenburg. The amount of merchant shipping belonging to Sweden in 1818 was 128,580 tons, and the number of seamen 9,417. The value of the exports is estimated on an average at $6,000,000, and of the imports at $5,500,000.

Islands.] Sweden possesses numerous islands in the Baltic sea, and the gulf of Bothnia. The island of Oland, one of the largest, is separated from the continent by Kalmar Sound. It is 60 miles long and on an average five or six broad, and contains 22,000 inhabitants. The island of Gothland, lying to the N. E. of Oland, is 70 miles long and contains 1,100 square miles, and 33,000 inhabitants. Wisby, on the west coast of the island, is the principal town. The isles of Aland, lying at the entrance of the gulf of Bothnia, were formerly a part of Sweden but they now belong to Russia.

LAPLAND.

Situation.] Lapland, or the country inhabited by the Laplanders, lies partly in Norway, partly in Sweden and partly in Russia. It is the most northerly country in Europe, and extends from lat. 64° N. to the North cape in 71° 11' N. It is washed by the Atlantic ocean on the west, the Frozen ocean on the north, and the White sea on the east.

Extent and Population.] The following table shows the extent and population of each of the divisions of Lapland.

Of the population of Norwegian Lapland about 20,000 are descendants of Finns who emigrated to this country only a century ago. Nearly three quarters of the population of Russian Lapland, and one quarter of that of Swedish Lapland are also of foreign extraction, leaving less than 20,000 genuine Laplanders.

Face of the Country, Climate &c.] Near the gulf of Bothnia the land is low, but rises towards the interior into mountains, and near the centre of the country the summits rise to an elevation of 5,000 and 6,000 feet, and are covered with perpetual snow. The climate in winter is intensely cold, especially in the interior, where brandy sometimes freezes, and the rivers are covered for many months with ice to the depth of several feet. Toward the north the sun remains for many weeks below the horizon in winter, and in summer is as long without setting. During the long night of winter, however, the darkness is relieved by the brightness of the moon and the stars, and by the vivid coruscations of the

Aurora Borealis. In summer, the sun being so many hours abovę the horizon, the heat is intense, and vegetation proceeds with remarkable rapidity.

Productions.] In the low country, near the gulf of Bothnia there are large forests of spruce, Scots fir and other resinous trees. As you advance into the interior these trees gradually disappear, and long before you reach the tops of the mountains all vegetation entirely vanishes. Barley, rye, and occasionally oats are raised in favorable situations, and grain has been cultivated with success by the Finnish colonists under the parallel of 70° N. which may safely be pronounced the most northern limit of husbandry.

Animals.] Among the domestic animals are oxen, sheep and goats, all of a small size; but the reindeer is the most valuable gift that nature has bestowed on the poor Laplanders. It serves as the principal beast of burden, its milk is highly valued; its flesh supplies the chief nourishment of the inhabitants during part of the year; its sinews are made into thread, and its skin furnishes a great part of their dress. In summer it feeds on grass; but in winter it refuses hay, and obtains its whole nourishment from moss, which grows here in great profusion. A remarkable instinct is displayed by the animal in discovering this plant under the snow, and in digging it out. The foot of the reindeer seems shaped exactly to enable it to walk on snow, spreading out when set down, so as to cover a large surface, but contracting when lifted up, so as to be easily withdrawn if it happen to plunge too deep. This animal forms the chief wealth of the natives, The poorer classes have from 50 to 200; the middle classes from 300 to 700, and the affluent often above 1.000.

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Manners and Customs. The mountain Laplanders have no fixed habitation but wander about in quest of food for their flocks of reindeer, and lodge in tents or huts, which are usually about 9 feet high and 12 long. These rude erections are generally composed of six poles which meet at the top and support each other the fire place consists of a few stones, and is always in the middle of the hut; the smoke issues by a hole at the top. The diet of the Laplanders is chiefly of animal food, those on the coast living on fish, those among the mountains on reindeer, and the fruits of the chace.

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Character and Religion.] The Laplanders are generally about four feet high, with short black hair, narrow dark eyes, large heads, high cheek bones, wide mouth, thick lips and a swarthy complexion. It is but little more than a century since they were Converted to Christianity, and notwithstanding the efforts of the missionaries they are still very ignorant of its doctrines and retain many of their heathen superstitions.

Trade. During winter they carry on some traffic with the Swedes. This takes place at Tornea, and other towns on the gulf of Bothnia, and consists in exchanging skins, furs, dried fish, venison, and gloves, for flannel cloth, hemp, copper, iron and various utensils; but particularly for spiritous liquors, meal, salt and tobacco.