FORTIA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.

55 1

Meflrs.Grill and Pyhlit did belong to Guftavus A dolphus, who dwelt here, butwith fe-veral others was given to the family of Geer, who had rendered the King great fervice:the prefent poffeffors bought it for 140,000 rix-dollars, but according to the increafe ofthe value of coin, its worth is about 300,000 rix dollars ; the chateau is handfome andwell built, of brick and ftone (notwithftanding the I'utch traveller reporte.it of wood) ;within it has little to recommend it; its neighbourhood is pleafant, particularly for acountry fo much towards the north. The traveller will, do well to vifif this forge, as allthe different works are carried on at it, whereas at Loefta and Forfmarck no pig iron isrun. This forge has three hammers, without including one for fteel and another for'iron ; each hammer is capable of working from forty to fifty fchippunds weekly ; whatis highly Angular, one of thefe continually works more than the other two by from fixto feven fchippunds, and notwithftanding the workmen have been changed, the refult,.without their being able to account for it, has yet been conflantly the fame The Wal-loon method of working is followed here, becaufe more work is completed by thatmethod, and the iron lefs hammered ; this practice is requifite at this forge as well asthat of Loefta and Gimo, as all the iron is manufactured at thefe three different'places,-,of which the Englifli make their fteel. Here five thoufand fchippunds are forged;fome years they have, from want of water, been able to forge no more than three thou-fand ; fometimes there is alfo a dearth of charcoal; what is bought cofts 32 fcbillirigs,if brought by the peafants it cofts from 6 to 7 dollars. For iron in bars, 4 lulls per fchip-pund is required, of which two for the rough iron of the firft calling. The charcoalfor the kilns is much more burnt than that for melting. The fteel is worked with fea-coal, after the Englifli manner, with artificial bellows. Samples of it have been fent toFrance , but they could not vie with the Englifli. The price of nails is, if under five ‘inches long, from one to fix dollars the thoufand. Large nai's are fold by the fchip-pund, at from to to 15 rix-dollar-, according as the heads are more or lefs wrought. ■

The water comes from a lake, three-fourths of a mile in length, which formerly was.a marlh. Channels were cut in the neighbouring forefts connected with it, in order to 1gather in pne place all the rain-water ; in dry years there is but little, as was the cafeparticularly in 1790. It frequently raifes higher than the ground in its neighbourhood, ■which has neceffxtatea the conftruCtion of a llrong dam ; fhould this give way, not onlythe forge but the plain as far as Upfal, and a part of the town even, would be over-flowed. In 1751 or c.2, only four inches were wanting of its reaching the fummit of thedam. The Governor of Upfal perceiving the waters f'uddenly rife, came in perfon to 'CEufterby, to fee if the dam had not given way. By the fide of the lake is another re-fervoir, and two more below this. From the firft to the laft there is a fall of from ■twelve to thirteen ells. The fame water fupplies Losufta in great meafure.

All workmen requifite to a colony are found here : the village is compofed of feventy'houfes, difpofed in four ftreets after the manner of the Dutch ; each houfe contains twofamilies, and has a little garden; there are one hundred and fifty workmen, and alto-gether feven hundred inhabitants. The Walloon colony at CEufterby has preft rved &confiderable portion of its antient manners : the people compofing it intermarryingonly among themfelves, and holding the peafantry around in Sovereign contempt. In1790 they attempted to imitate the people from Liege , but this kind of revolt had noconfequences. In their contract there is a ilipulation for wine, and they are paid infilver. Their fupport requires fix or feven thoufand tons of corn annually, and as theeftate produces no more than- from nine hundred to a thoufand, the reft is purchafed,Which occafions a confiderable expence. In this forge labour ceafes from eight in the -morning of Saturday, until four on Sunday evening. The Director’s falary is from five

’ to- •