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OUTHIER’5 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH, 265
Which they make. ‘Thefe houfes are painted in red, not only for neatnefs’ fake, but alfo
to preferve them: above the timber-work planks are nailed, which are covered with
birch-bark firft, and afterwards with turf or earth. Many of the ftone-houfes are co-
vered with iron plates, or wrought iron; fome are covered with copper, others with
ridge tiles. ‘To fome of their windows they have Venetian blinds, which move on a
pivot fo as to increafe or diminifh light at pleafure.
- Every night after ten o’clock a number of men parade the ftreets, crying or rather
finging the hour, and afterwards a kind of prayer; they watch as well to prevent any
fioife or diforder during the night : they are armed with a ftaff, at the end of which is
a machine with fprings ; the ule of it to feize by the neck or the leg thofe whom they
are defirous of ftopping, or who infult them, and it is impoffible to get loofe from it.
While we were at Stockholm a fine palace for the King was being conftru€ted. There
are in the town many handfome and large churches; that of St. Catherine is perfectly
new, and built with a dome, the great altar of it is very handfome: I noticed there a
ainting of the Purification of the Virgin, very well executed. On one fide of the altar
1s Hope holding an anchor ; on the other, Religion holding a crofs and a chalice. They
have in almoft all their churches a very handfome pulpit, with an hour-glafs.
In the great church of St. Nicholas, clofe to the King’s caftle, there is a large paint-
ing of the Judgment, thirty-three feet high by twenty-two broad. There is alfo another
which reprefents Chrift upon the Crofs, all the circumftances of his paflion being re-
. prefented in different baflo-relievos, and a handfome ftatue of St. George.
The church of St. James is in the fame tafte as that of St. Catherine, new and nearly
of the fame fhape.
That of St. Claire is built fimilarly to ours; it is beautiful and large. The chapel
of the Ruffians, or Greek fchifmatics, which is at the town-houfe, is of no confideration,
and very badly lighted; neverthelefs there are many figures of faints gilt, and: fome
fculpture, but badly proportioned, and fomewhat after the Chinefe tafte : the fanGtuary,
where the altar is, is kept fhut; the prieft opens and {huts it feveral times in perform-
ing the office. At Stockholm are many Roman Catholics, who exercife their religion
freely, in the chapels of H. E. the French ambaffador and the envoy of the Emperor.
In the mean time we thought of our work, and of proceeding in as little time as
. to the moft northern parts of the ftates of Sweden. We amufed ourfelves in
ooking about the city, only when we could not occupy ourfelyes in accelerating our
voyage: every thing at mae was ready ; M. de Maupertuis had made every neceflary
arrangement. At Stockholm he met with M. D’Hegreman, fon-in-law of the burgo-
mafter of Torneo, a little town fituated at the bottom of the Gulph of Bothnia, and
through him he had fecured a veflel to carry our luggage and inftruments. M. de
Maupertuis hired as well a fervant, who fpoke Swedifh and French, befides which H. E.
the ambaflador gave one of his own; and as our intention was that the operations
fhould be carried on on the coafts of the gulph, his excellency infifted on our fhipping
his own boat in the veflel which carried our luggage and inftruments. M. Sommereux
and moft of the fervants went on board, and failed on Sunday the third of June.
Monday, the fourth, after dining with the ambaflador, he prefented us altogether to
take leave of the King of Sweden. We had bought two coaches to travel from Stock-
holm to Torneo by land: M. de Maupertuis fet off in one, with Mefirs. Clairaut and
Celfius, on Tuefday morning, the fifth, to vifit M. le Comte de Horn, who was at his
country-houfe, and proceed thence to Upfal, where we were to meet together. M. de
Maupertuis always intended that we fhould have purfued our route from Stockholm to
Torneo by fea; but we prevailed upon him to alter our plan, from the repugnance to the
VOL. I. M M fea
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