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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 385
Herring Fifhery. This important branch of commerce, which for a while was anni-
nilated, owing to the difappearance of the herrings, has now refumed its wonted brifk-
nefs; the fale amounts at prefent to fix hundred thoufand barrels of falted herrings,
and thirty thoufand barrels of oil. ‘Ten or twelve barrels of herrings yield about one
barrel of oil. ‘The price of a barrel of frefh herrings is generally four filver dollars ;
the expence of falting them, cafk inclufive, (which cofts about * 16 or 20 fkillings), is
five or fix dollars: the price of a barrel of falted herrings is from twelve to thirteen
dollars, thus leaving a profit of from a dollar and a half to two filver dollars per barrel
for the curing. The barrel of oil fells for 12 rix-dollars, it contains an awmt; that Is
to fay, about one hundred and eighty common bottles. All the cafks are gauged, and
uniformly contain from a thoufand to twelve hundred herrings. The fifhery begins in
O@ober, and lafts till February, and even March, according to the feafon. The greater
part of its produce is exported to different places in the country, the coats of the Bal-
tic, and the Mediterranean; they export alfo (particularly to the fouthern nations),
dried and fmoaked herrings; thefe are of higher price than the former. Some adven-
turers at this place have attempted the whale fifhery, but without fuccefs.
Generally, if afked to dine, it is an invitation for the day, and fupper as well: this is
the cuftom throughout all Sweden, and even at Stockholm, but there it is confined to
the fecondary ranks in fociety. Grace before and after meat, and a bow to the matter
of the houfe, are cuftomary every where: at times indeed, the length of this ceremony,
and the ferious countenance aflumed by the Swedes, would incline us to laughter but
for the intervention of refle€tion. At ceremonial dinners, healths are drunk in an
enormous goblet full of Rhenifh wine or Champagne ; the goblet is handed round, and
each takes a fip: there are certain formalities to be obferved, in which you are inftruCted
on the fpot, and the penalty, in cafe of omiflion, is to empty the goblet ; to our minds
rather an arduous undertaking : we were prefent at this ceremony for the firft time at
the houfe of the Bifhop of Gottenburg, a well informed, and very amiable perfon : he
is confidered the beft preacher in Sweden, and is indebted to himfelf alone for his emi-
nent ftation in life, being the fon of a peafant. Apothecaries at Gottenburg are men
of better information than in other countries, and what is fingular, they are held in
higher efteem than either furgeons or phyficians.
It is cuftomary for the band of the regimént in garrifon to come and play under the
windows, or even at the door of ftrangers who arrive: you difmifs them at the expence
of a trifle, or without giving them any thing, (as we were recommended to do,) by de-
firing them on their beginning to go about their bufinefs. There is no other than yel-
low bougies at Gottenburg, and it ftruck us as fomewhat fingular, that at a grand fup-
per, to which eighteen or a {core perfons were invited, given by the richelt merchant
in the town, who is reputedly worth 400,000 rix-dollars, and who in 1791 built a
wooden houfe which coft a fourth of that amount, there was none but tallow candles
on the table. Many articles are dear in this town, if compared with their price in
towns of fimilar dimenfions in France.
Landing of the Dans in 1788. ‘The Prince of Hefle came to Gottenburg in 1788,
fhortly betore the landing: on this occafion he was received with the greateft demon-
{trations of civility by the governor, and the Duke of Sudermania, who was there at
the time: he took advantage of this to acquire fuch information refpecting the place,
as might be ufeful to him. He could eafily have plundered the whole of the Eaft In-
* Vide table of Swedifh money. + See table of meafures.
VOL. VI. 3D dia
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