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REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND. 145
Holftein. He is a Prince who does not difgrace the dignity of his anceftors: his com-
manding and royal demeanour difplays that he is defcended from the race of the illuf-
trious Guftavi: His difpofition is completely warlike ; and as he has no enemies to
war with, his chief employment confifts in hunting the bear. This fport is rather fol-
lowed in winter than fummer; and when a peafant has difcovered traces of the boar,
by means of his foot{teps in the fnow, he informs the chief huntfman, who conduéts
the King to the fpot. The bear is an intrepid animal: he does not fly.at the fight of
man, but walks on without fwerving from his path. When he is obferved to be fuffi-
ciently near, it is neceflary for the hunter to alight from his horfe and wait till he come
pretty clofeto him; he then gives the animal a fevere {troke, which obliges him to raife
himfelf on his hinder legs: this is the time to ftrike, and it is very dangerous not to
wound him mortally ;, for he now approaches the hunter with fury, and embracing him
with his fore feet, generally ftifles him; on this account-it is necefflary to,have a piftol
for the purpofe of fhooting him, and if this fails, a fhort fpear muft be referved for dif-
patching him. . We faw one at Stockholm which the King had killed with his own hand,
in refcuing his favourite Vaqmelter who was almoft deftroyed by it. This animal lies
in his den three or four months in the year, and: during all this time takes no other
nourifhment than;what:he procures from fucking his paw. The King has always in
his poffeffion three or four little bears, whofe teeth and claws are pared every month..
I knew at Copenhagen M. de Martangis, the ambaflador, who conferred on mea
thoufand favours: I was feveral times entertained by him. He conducted me to the
houfe of Madame Countefs of Rantzau, whofe hufband was ambaflador in France: I
fupped there with the beautiful ladies Revinfelau and Grabe, the latter of whom may
juftly be confidered:a perfe& beauty. Ialfo met there Madame de Ratelau and M. du
Boineau, a native of Rochelle, one:of the captains of the royal navy, who quitted the
fervice on account of his religion.) | ;
I left Copenhagen, and fet out. for Stockholm, on the firft day of July. We faw
Frederickiburg, the King’s pleafure-refidence, which may be denominated the Verfailles
of Denmark. The chapel is very magnificent, the pulpit and altar, and a number of
ether figures, being folid filver; but that which appeared to me the moft curious, was
an organ made of ivory, the fculpture of which is, faid to -have coft eighty thoufand
crowns. The oratory of the King, which is behind the chapel, and where he hears the
fervice, isa place in which nothing has been fpared for the purpofe of rendering it mag-
nificent. We were conducted through all the apartments of the palace, in which we
obferved nothing remarkable, except the great hall above, the ceiling of which was
beautiful ; the variety of colours forms a charming fcene, the fight of which highly gra-
tifies the beholder.
- After leaving Frederickfburg we arrived at Elfineur, where we flept. This is at the
ftrait of the Sound, where the veffels pay toil to the King of Denmark. Swedifh veffels
pay no toll, on account of which the greater number of fhips which pafs here take
Swedifh colours, which are blue with a yellow crofs. The paflage is guarded by a
ftrong fortrefs ; but I do not believe that it would be very difficult to pafs without paying
any thing. We flept at the houfe of the agent of the King of France, who is an Irith-
man: We croffed next day to Elfimburg with an unfavourable wind. -This town de-
fended itfelf in» the late wars for a confiderable: time again{t the Danes. During the
fiege fix thoufand men were deftroyed in eight days : they took it at laft ; but they gave
it back, with all the other places which they had taken; to the crown of Sweden.
On our paflage we faw Riga, Engelholm, Holm, and Halmftadt, a fortified town,
and famous for the laft battle which the King of Sweden fought there. This was the
VOL. I. ? u firlt
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