FORTIa’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
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dia Company’s warehoufes, the merchandize in which was valued at two millions ofrix-dollars ; but delaying too long, the firmnefs of Mi'. Elliott, the Englilh minilter,and the arrival of the King, whom none knew where to find, and who fuddenly arrivedfrom Dalecarlia, put a flop to all he might have done, and obliged him to retire. TheKing on his arrival vifited the place, and found no preparations of defence: the ballswere not of fit fize for the calibres of the guns, the artillery officer was ignorant of therange of his bombs, &c. Yet notwithftanding thefe impediments, the King refolvedon defence ; he collected together as many volunteers and troops as he could mufter,and refolved on giving battle to the Danes in a plain before the town. On the otherhand, General Armfeldt arrived with ten thouland men, and it is highly prefumablethat the bravery of his troops, joined to the prefence of His Majelty, would have infuredvidory to the Swedes. Beyond a doubt the city, and particularly the Eall India Com-pany, which had moll to lofe, owed their falvation to their fovereign; yet, will it becredited, that finding himfelf in the greateft diftrefs, and requiring from the Companya fum of money of no confiderable amount, he was unable to obtain from them but apart of what he alked ? The city of Gottenburg had a medal ftruck in commemorationof its deliverance in 1790, owing to the appearance of His Majelty, which however isnot one of the bell executed by Fehrman.
Between Gottenburg and Marltrand, you pafs through Kunghell and Kjufhill; forthe firlt ftage the road is along the river Goeutha, which flows between two ridges ofrocks, the feet of which are in fome parts cultivated. Near Bohns, (a ftrong caftlefeized upon by the Danes in 1788,) you are ferried over two arms of the river, withoutunharneffing, and for a very moderate expence.
Kunghill, formerly very confiderable until deftroyed by the Vandals, is now a veryfmall town, where two thoufand Danes were quartered in 1788. During their flay,they gave no caufe of complaint to its inhabitants. From Kjufhill, you proceed on footto the fea fide over a ftony rocky path : there is a houfe here where you mult ffiewyour paffport, an indifpenfable.article with which you mult furniffi yourfelf at Gotten-burg : it is ufual to give eight {killings to the clerk both going and coming, althoughthere be no obligation. The diftance acrofs to Marltrand is about three French leagues:it took us an hour and a half to go thither, and nearly three hours returning, owing tocalms and our being continually obliged to ufe oars. The paflfage lies between a num-ber of illets, or rather rocks': there is an abundance of water fowl, which none areallowed "to ffioot for fear of frightening the herrings. For the ufe of the boat going;and returning, (waiting a day at Marltrand,) you pay two or three rix-dollars j but youmult make your bargain beforehand at the polt office of Kjufhill.
Mcttjlrand. This town pofleffes nothing interefting, except its herring filhery, whichemploys the major part of its inhabitants. Notwithilanding it be a free port, it is butlittle frequented, and its population is very inconfiderable, in fpite of the privileges-granted by government to fuch as ellablilh themfelves here. The caltle built on arock ferves as a ftate prifon. The commandant has been in the French fervice, and itis no difficult matter, particularly for a Frenchman, to obtain permifiion from him tofee the interior; if he be-abfent, it is a more difficult affair, as the officers under himdare not take upon themfelves to permit the entrance of foreigners; this happened tobe the cafe with us: it has nothing however to recommend it, except the profpedt itaffords, which is highly picturefque, owing to the number of ifles and rocks feen fromit, and even this profpedt may be feen with little inferiority of advantage from a pro-jection of the rock, without entering the caltle, You lodge at Fyrber’s.
Chap.