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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN, 547
make, As there is no poft-houfe at Skantzen, it will be requifite to bargain with the
pottillion who drives you from Kolbeck, to proceed to Skult:na or Welteros; in cafe of
his refufing, you mult of neceflity return to take horfes at Kolbeck.
‘The canal of Stromfholm begins at Norberg, in Weftmania, and ends at Stromfholm,
where it joins lake Meeler; it is ten miles in length. In fome parts the river was found
to be navigable, but in moft it was either deepened or new channels cut. The firlt
lock is at Semla, fix miles and a half beyond Skanizen, and the laft at Stromfholm :
there are to be five and twenty. ‘This canal was begun in 1777, and poflibly may be
compleated in 1794 if great exertion be ufed ; throughout the whole length there is fix
feet depth of water, at the bottom it is fixty feet broad, and at the furface ninety ; the
largeft veflels which the canal will bear are forty-feven feet in length, draw five fect water,
and are one hundred and fifty {chippunds burthen, (about forty-five tons). When we
faw it, veflels proceeded no farther than to the fixteenth lock: twenty-nine pafled annu-
ally, but this number will be vaftly increafed when the canal is entirely finished ; the
paflage by it is clofed in November and refumed in May. Above the lock number
fourteen, there are fix hundred fathoms of mafonry, on account of the quality of the
foil. Three hundred fathoms below this, is lock number fifteen ; and a hundred fa-
thoms beyond number fixteen; at a diftance thence of one thoufand five hundred
fathoms are numbers feventeen and eighteen cut out of the rock, after which the canal
makes a fharp turning through the natural rock to the left. The original plan was
changed in this fpot. Five hundred fathoms from number eighteen are the locks nine-
teen, twenty, and twenty one, which are together. One fingle lock cofts 100,000 dol-
lars hoppermunt, 1330l. fterling ; the doubleand triple locks in proportion. Each lock
has a fall of nearly fixteen Swedifh feet from furface to furface. ‘lhe total fall of the
canal is one hundred and ninety-two fathoms: in lefs than half an hour’s walk you meet
with eight locks, that is to fay from number fourteen to number twenty-one, from the
firft to the laft the fall of water is fixty-four fathoms; in the neighbourhood of
number fixteen is a fteel furnace; near to twenty-one a fmall hammer for iron. Tne
matts of the veffels are fixed fo as to lower at pleafure, as on many of the locks there
are bridges. Over the fixteenth lock is a very pretty {mall bridge, with para-
pets and corner ftones of granite, with this infcription in the Swedifh language:
«This bridge, the firft built of Swedifh granite, was conftructed in the reign of Gufta-
vus III. the granite hewn by order of the fenator Baron Charles de Sparre. The work
was directed by John Ufitrceum, the peafantry hewed the {tones in 1787.’’ Employed
on this work are about five hundred men, who are paid from 16 to 48 {killings per 3 of
a cubic fathom, according to the nature of the ground. _Veffels pafling along the canal
pay 14 {chillings 8 rundfticks per {chippund, of which 6 f{chillings 8 rund{tiicks towards
the locks. ‘This canal will be of great utility for tranfporting at {mall expence the pro-
duce of the mines, which is very abundant in the part where it begins; once arrived at
Jake Meceler, the after expence of tranfport to Stockholm will be very trivial. It will be
neceflary tie traveller fhould obtain a letter of addrefs to Mr. Berger, the director of
the canal. From Skantzen to Skultuna is two anda quarter miles, on the way you crofs
the Swartz : there isno inn at Skultuna nor any remedy but in taking up your abode
with the proprietor of the manufactory.
Skultuna. Were is a brafs manufactory. M, Galen in his work on the art of trans.
forming copper into brafs, which makes a part of the arts and trades, has very well
deferibed this operation ; he took his detail from the manufactory eftablifhed at Nord-
kiceuping, to which all in Sweden bear refemblance. At that at Skultuna are three
large kilns, the chimneys of which, built of brick, rife to a confiderable height ; in one
of thefe kilns there are five furnaces, four in the fecond, and three ia the third, altoBe:
4A 2 ther
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