FQRTIa’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
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as fine, and the poft duty as well regarded as in any other part of the kingdom. It isa difmal country to travel through, on account of the immenfe forefts through whichyou go, but-in which you are perfectly fecure, as well by night as by day, travellingthrough that part of Europe hitherto the lealt infefted with depravity.
It will be neceffary the traveller Thould be provided with letters addrefled'to the dif-ferent governors,- who will facilitate his obtaining lodging throughout their provinces :generally it is the clergy who receive travellers, and all who have made this journeyconcur'in fpeaking highly of their kindnefs and attention.
If curious to traverle a part of Lapland, and pafs over to Norway by the mountains,the inftru&ions fubmitted at the dole of the following chapter may be followed in fullreliance; but above all, the adventurer mull be inured to fatigue, and refolved on fub-mitting to great privations for the fpace of a month at leaft.
From Gefle to Sudersfors is five miles and a half, by Elfscarleby and Mehede. Be-fore you reach Elfscarleby, you pafs the Dahl in a boat with oars; the poftillions areufed to leave you at the banks, but this muft not be allowed, on account of the nextpofl-houfe being at fome diftance from the oppofite bank, whither you muft either re-folve on walking, or wait poffibly fome time for horfes. A quarter of a mile beyondElfscarleby, you follow a narrow road at the right, which leads to the catarafl;; it iscommodioufly feen from a faw'-piill on the fide, and ftill better from a fmall houfebuilt much lower down, on the brink of the river, for falmon fifhing, (the fifhery isfarmed for 7000 copper dollars). This cataraCt is very curious, and with refpect tothe mafs of water precipitated, is more confiderable than that of Trolhoetta, but withrt'fpecf 1,0 the circumjacent feenery is poflibly lefs piclurefque ; there are, neverthelefs,fome great trees, which form a charming perfpe&ive, and we recommend both one andthe other to the traveller’s obfervance. Almoft the whole of the remainder of theftage is through a foreft. You turn to the right in order to reach Mehede ; from Me-hede to Sudersfors is rather a bad crbfs-road. On arriving at Sudersfors,'you pafsover a wooden bridge acrofs the Dahl, near which is a very pleafing cafcade; fromit you have an admirable view of the whole breadth of the river, which is extremelywide.
Sudersfors is an eftate and confiderable forge belonging to Mr. Grill; this is theonly forge in Sweden at which anchors are caft, and what renders it ftill more intereft-ing, the procefs ufed here is entirely different to that in practice elfewhere, where an-chors are made of bar or wrought iron, whereas here it is made at once in a mould, ofcaft iron. It is affirmed, that anchors made in this manner are at leaft equal in goodnefswith others; they for certain are lefs expenfive, the iron undergoing one fufion lefs by’ the latter procefs. Three thoufand fchippunds are annually manufactured, one thou-fand of which into bars, and two thoufand into anchors; as many as two thoufandfour hundred have been made occafionally, and even once three thoufand two hundredduring the war between France and England ; the latter is the largeft pofiible quantitythat can be manufactured. The ore comes from Dannemora, which is the caufe of theexcellence of the iron from this forge, as well as in others that ufe it: this ore on itsarrival is at firft broken, (that at leaft which is in too large pieces,) and is afterwardscarried into the oven into which it is to be thrown: of thefe there are two in the open'air for roafting the ore; one is forty-two feet wide by twenty-five; the other, of thefame form is fomewhat lefs; both feven feet in depth : the walls are of brick made fromfcor'ue ; a layer of wood is laid of the whole extent of the bottom, and as high as thewalls, which is kept burning for the fpace of four weeks ; each procefs of the firft ovenfurnifhes a fupply for feven weeks to the great furnace, and of the leffer oven for five
5 weeks