FORTlA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

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nue our journey; unfortunately, it fo happened that none out of the whole number un-derftood any other than the Swedifh language ; figns were, confequentiy, of much fer-v *ce to us ■, this inconvenience excepted, we paffed the fix hours we Rayed in the modagreeable manner imaginable, and imbibed a very favourable idea of Swedifh hofpitality.

At Torfhalla, you fee from the bridge a number of fmall catara&s, which have a veryfine efFedt. Between Malmby and LageRrok, the caRle of Gripfholm is fituated, ofwhich a defcription at length fhall be given. Near to Gripfholm is Oker, a cannonfoundry, and near to Torfhalla EJItelJiuna , of which, alfo, more fhall be faid in anotherplace : paR which nothing more is met with worthy attention, before you reach Stock-holm .

Chap. HI. — Arrival , at Stockholm. — General Account of that City . — The Court ofSweden . — The Royal Cqflle. — Play-Houfes.

The entrance into Stockholm by no means announces a capital: we arrived by thefouthern fuburbs. The city, properly fpeaking, is very fmall, and fituated in an iflandat the point of junction of the fea and lake Meier : the fouthern and northern fuburbsare very large, fince from the north to the fouth gate is half a mile, but parts of theftfeets are either without houfes, or covered with fuch as have only a ground floor,which is the caufe why Stockholm , notwithfianding the great fpace it occupies, does notcertainly contain more than 75,000 inhabitants : part of the houfes are of wood ; fomeln the fuburbs wear the appearance of wretched cottages. Queen-fireet, and Regeney-ftfeet, in the northern fuburbs, are the handfomefi, and befi inhabited of the wholeplain : in the fouthern fuburbs fome merchants refide, but not a fingle man of rank,fhe north fquare will make a very good appearance when the bridge in contemplation isfinilhed, and in cafe of their changing the front oppofite the cafile. The opera and thepalace form the two other fides, and are very handfome buildings.

Few cities in Europe are fo badly paved as Stockholm , which is the more difagreeablefrom the royal garden being the only promenade witnin the city ; and on account ofthat being damp and unhealthy, except in the height of fummer, you have no otherplace for walking.

The fituation of Stockholm is fingular, and highly piefurefque, and is comparable tothat of no other city ; as it affords, from many fpots, mofi charming points of-view, inwhich you fee a mixture of fieeples, houfes, rocks, trees, lakes, and the cafile, which isdiftinguifhed from every quarter, and has a mofi admirable effedt. This capital, as wehave before obferved, is built by the fea, and lake Meier: the locks on the fouth (which-ar ® a very handfome work) dividing them.

■The port is handfome, fpacious, and fafe, but difficult of accefs ; it frequently takesleveral days to get to fea, or to arrive thence at Stockholm , on account of the courfe toP e taken between numberlefs banks, to effect which, particular winds are requifite.•fihe quays are of afioGifhing breadth.

Tolice. The city is but badly lighted *, the police is tolerably good ; a confequence-r ather of the tranquil nature of the inhabitants, than any care that is taken. In theWinter of 1792, fome difagreeable occurrences took place, on the part of Ruffians it ist J' Ue ; but fome time elapfed before means were difeovered of flopping thefe diforders,exiftence of which, likewife, the police had fome difficulty in crediting, notwith-. a , n ding they were repeated often enough to put the matter out of queftion : frequentlylt imputes exceffes thnt may be committed, to liquor, and this is the firfi inftance we

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