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382 FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
around the room, ferving as feats by day, and in lieu of bedfteads by night. Before
you enter Gottenburg is a cuftom houfe, at which the officers are very rigid: it is not
however difficult to obtain allowance for one to attend at your inn, where you may dif-
mifs him, according to cuftom, at the expence of 24 fkillings. Complaint is made that
the officers of the cuftoms here are, as almoft everywhere, infolent, knavifh, and coun-
tenanced in their infolence.
Gottenburg. At the poft-houfe you meet with indifferent accommodation, but will
find better, although at a greater expence, at the Mi/s Mullers’. ‘This city is very
pretty, it is the fecond in the kingdom, but much inferior to the towns in France of the
third order: it contains at moft but fourteen or fifteen thoufand people, for although
five hundred and eighty perfons died here in 1790, this number comprized many
foldiers who returned fick from the army: the births were four hundred and ‘thirty-fix.
The town is interfeéted by canals, which are planted with trees, and which in fome
places give it the appearance of a Dutch town; yet the houfes are far from being of
equally good conftruction, few being of brick ; neverthelefs the appearance of the new
town has in it fomewhat pleafing. The fuburbs is built on an eminence: here the
failors refide, who are very numerous, as well owing to its being the ftation of the Eaft
India Company’s veffels, as of a number of King’s frigates.
Its hofpital was founded by Mr. Sahlgren, a wealthy individual ; its revenue is 1500
rix dollars; it contains thirty beds, two of which for lying-in women; this number
however, in cafe of neceffity, is augmented by two, and the whole has occafionally
amounted to feven at once. Any woman in this condition may ring at the gate at any
hour of the day or night, and be gratuitoufly admitted. In this houfe forty-five aban-
doned children were born in the year 1789, and in 179@, thirty-fix. ‘The fick have
each a bed to themfelves, and the whole eftablifhment appeared to us to be well at-
tended: when we faw it, it contained but thirteen invalids. If defirous of fending
thither a Gottenburger, you pay fix fkillings per diem, if a ftranger, eight: patients
affliéted with venereal complaints are the only ones not admitted. The fick are not
allowed tea. There is one phyfician belonging to the hofpital, who is at the fame time
both direétor and treafurer, and one furgeon. ‘The moft common and moft dangerous
maladies of the country are milliary fevers: thofe of an inflammatory nature are very
rare; the hofpital is feldom full, unlefs in May, which is the unhealthy month. The
fluor albus is very common ; it isattributed to the frequent ufe of tea, the cloth drawers
which women are accuftomed to wear, and the want of cleanlinefs. All the beds in
the hofpital are without top covering even when the curtains are drawn, in order that
the air may have free circulation. All the kitchen utenfils are of caft iron.
Cabinets. The Count de Sparre has about three fcore paintings, eight or ten of
which by Teniers, Wouvermans, Gerard Dow, &c. are worthy of attention.
Mr. Neeurn the director of the cuftom houfe, poffeffes a very compleat collection of
Swedith coins and medals; his cabinet confifts of none befides: among other valuable
coins he has one of Count Oxenftiern, which is extremely rare: notwith{tanding this
colleGion was only begun in 1783, it already comprizes three thoufand diftinét pieces.
Rejineries. "There are three fugar refineries here, but on no very large fcale, two of
them without the town; the third, belonging to Mr. Jacobfon, is on an ifland formed
by a canal, and feparate from any other building for fear of fire; it has four boilers,
which however are not at all times employed; it feldom works more than two hundred
and fifty hogfheads per annum. The fugar from it is extremely white and lu‘ftrous,
but not very fweet, and fells at from 10 to 13 fillings per Ib. according to quality.
6 Commerce.
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