^82 fortxa’s travels in Sweden .

around the room, ferving as feats by day, and in lieu of bedfteads by night. Beforeyou enter Gottenburg is a cuftom houfe, at which the officers are very rigid : it is nothowever difficult to obtain allowance for one to attend at your inn, where you may dif-mifs him, according to cullom, at the expence of 24 {killings. Complaint is made thatthe officers of the=cuftoms here are, as almoit everywhere, infolent, knaviffi, and coun-tenanced in their infolence.

Gottenburg. At the poft-houfe you meet with indifferent accommodation, but willfind better, although at a greater expence, at the Mifs 'Mullers’. This city is verypretty, it is the fecond in the kingdom, but much inferior to the towns in France of thethird order: it contains at mod but fourteen.or fifteen thoufandpeople, for althoughfive hundred and eighty perfons died here in 1790, this number comprized manyfoldiers who returned fick from the army : the births were four hundred and thirty-fix.The town is interfe&ed by canals, which are planted with trees, and which in fomeplaces give it the appearance of a Dutch town; yet the houfes are far from being ofequally good conftruction, few being of brick ; neverthelefs the appearance of the newtown has in it fomewhat pleafmg. The fuburbs is built on an eminence : here thebailors refide, who are very numerous, as well owing to its being the ftation of the EaftIndia Company’s veffels, as of a number of King’s frigates. .

Its hofpital was founded by Mr. Sahlgren, a wealthy individual; its revenue is 1500rix dollars4 it contains thirty beds, two of which for lying-in women ; this numberhowever, in cafe of neceflity, is augmented by two, and the whole has occafionallyamounted to feven at once. Any woman in this condition may ring at the gate at anyhour of the day or night, and be gratuitoufly admitted. In this houfe forty-five aban-doned children were bom in the year 1789, and in 1790, thirty fix. The fick haveeach a bed to themfelves, and the whole eftablifhment appeared to us to be well at-tended : when we faw it, it contained but thirteen invalids. If defirous of fendingthither a Gottenburger, you pay fix {killings per diem, if a granger, eight: patientsafflicted with venereal complaints are the only ones not admitted. The fick are notallowed tea. There is one phyfician belonging to the hofpital, who is at the fame timeboth dire£tor and treafurer, and one furgeon. The moft common and molt dangerousmaladies of the country are milliary fevers: thofe of an inflammatory nature are veryrare; the hofpital is feldom full, unlefs in May, which is the unhealthy month. TheJluor albus is very common ; it is attributed to the frequent ufe of tea, the cloth drawerswhich women are accuflomed to wear, and the want of cleanlinefs. All the beds inthe hofpital are without top covering even-when the curtains are drawn, in order thatthe air may have free circulation. All the kitchen utenfils are of caft iron.

Cabinets. The Count de Sparre has about three fcore paintings, eight or ten ofwhich by Teniers, Wouvermans, Gerard Dow , &c. are worthy of attention.

Mr. Nceurn the director of the cuftom houfe, poffeffes a very compleat collection ofSwedifh coins and medals ; his cabinet confifts of none befides: among other valuablecoins he has one of Count Oxenftiern, which is extremely rare : notwithftanding thiscollection was only begun in 1783, it already comprizes three thoufand difiinCt pieces.

Refineries . There are three fugar refineries here, but on no very large fcale, two ofthem without the town ; the third, belonging to Mr. Jacobfon, is on an ifland formedb.y a canal, and feparate from any other building for fear of fire; it has four boilers,which however are not at all times employed ; it feldom works more than two hundredand fifty hogfheads per annum. The fugar from it is extremely white and luftrous,but not very fweet, and fells at from 10 to 13 {killings per lb. according to quality.

6

Commerce .