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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 377
paflage to the light. All thefe {tones afford {trong ground for prefumption, that the fea
at fome period overflowed this fpot. ‘The whole of this road is beautiful ; it conttantly
winds, and frequently affords moft charming profpects. In 1790, even at the clofe of
December, there were no fledges ufed for loaded carriages, yet the road was not lefs
excellent. This province contains mines of coal, alum manufactories, and yellow am-
ber; but the fpots where they are found are at a diftance from the courfe of the road.
At Rang, near to Skanor, in the fouthern part of the province, yellow amber is found
in large pieces. Andrarum and Raflunda adjoin each other on the road from Chriftan-
ftadt to Yftadt (where you embark to go to Stralfund). At the former of thefe two
places is a quarry and manufactory of alum; at the latter yellow amber is met with.
At Boferup, near Lund, is a coal-mine.
At a fhort diftance from the boundaries of Scania, on the road to Carlferoon, there
are many afcents and defcents, down which the peafants drive with great hardihood at a
violent rate. You cannot be deceived as to diftance on the high roads in Sweden, there
being pofts or ftones to mark it at every half and quarter of a mile. Villages in Blek-
ing are more numerous and large, but for the moft part make but a wretched appear
ance. In this quarter you fee a number of lone houfes fpread about the country, but
very few of brick, as aflerted by many travellers.
Carlf{croon was a pretty well-built town before the fire which happened in 1790,
when it contained from fourteen to fifteen thoufand inhabitants. At prefent it is almoft
wholly ruined, not one houfe in eight remaining. The naval arfenals, being feparated by
a wall from the town, were luckily preferved; a high wind {pread the fire fo as to
make it general, and almoft all the men who might have rendered affiftance were at
fea on board the fleet ; add to which, (for what reafon is unknown,) there was in many
houfes a quantity of gunpowder, the explofion of which confequently increafed the
diforder inevitable on fuch an occafion. ‘This town is fituated on an ifland, and built
on the rock itfelf, which has rendered unneceflary the paving of many of its {treets,
but which at the fame time makes it very unpleafant, as well for thofe in carriages as
fuch as goon foot. ‘The port is an excellent one, defended by two forts, as well as by
its pofition; there is held the department of the royal navy. The old dock is cut out
of the rock, and would certainly be worthy of notice, were it not for the excellence of
the new one, which is above all praife, and which the Romans at the height of their ce-
lebrity would not have blufhed to acknowledge: it is compofed of thirty-one bafons,
calculated to contain twenty fail of the line and eleven frigates ; the bafons are cut in the
folid rock, and are covered fo as to fhelter the veflels completely : only one of thefe ba-
fons are completed; fome of the reft are however began, but it feems doubtful whe-
ther a work of fuch immenfity will ever be completed, the advantage of fuch an eftab-
lifhment not being likely to compenfate its vaft expence; for it does not yet appear evi-
dent that veffels are better preferved by being under cover than expofed, or at lea(t
that their duration is likely to be fo far prolonged as to make the difference counterba-
lance the coft of the undertaking. A foreigner travelling to Carlfcroon will find it ne-
ceflary to write to fome correfpondent to procure him lodgings, as otherwife he mu{t
put up with fuch as the poft-houfe affords, which are wretched in extreme. Luckily the
naval department, which cannot be removed, will fecure the fpeedy re-edification of the
town. ‘The fleet is very confpicuoufly difcernible as you pafs along a wooden bridge,
on both fides of which are the fhips of the line and frigates. We counted fixteen of
the former (their number being diminifhed by more than a third part in courfe of the
war). The frigates fuffered lefs. Independent of thefe, three or four are always ftation-
ed at Gottenburg, and feveral at Sweaburg.
VOL VI. 3c At
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