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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 557
Sweabourg. ‘This fortrefs is compofed of feven {mall iflands or rather rocks, three
of which are joined to each other by bridges. Jt requires half an hour to pafs from
Helfingfars over to the principal ifland (Guftafholm), on which the governor’s houle
is fituated. No communication between the fortrefs and the town is practicable during
the prevalence of a {trong fouth-welt wind. The con{truétion of this place was begun
in 1748, and although it be not yet complete, it is in a perfedly defenfible condition,
but would for that purpofe require a garrifon of fix thoufand men. The garrifon in
July 1791, confifted of three battalions of infantry (levies), and two of marines, making
together two thoufand men. ‘There was befides a company of artillery, but that was
in another ifland, where alfo is the arfenal, and magazine for the land forces only. On
coming from Helfingfors, you leave this ifland on the left. Independent of the garri-
fon, there are other inhabitants, which, with the wives and children of the foldiers, may
make the whole population amount to four thoufand. It has neither {pring nor well,
but an immenfe refervoir for preferving rain water. The buildings are extenfive and
well finifhed ; cafemates are fafhioned for five or fix thoufand men, with feveral powder
magazines, three of which alone are built of brick. (The powder cofts His Majefty
10 rix-dollars the quintal.) There is a complete ftaff here, and all defcriptions of
workmen requifite toacolony. ‘There are befides common prifons in the citadel. The
harbour is excellent, being capable of containing fixty fail of the line: large veflels can-
not enter but by an extremely narrow channel, commanded by the guns of the fortrels ;
we faw, exclufive of mortars, one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, which point upon
this paflage, and nearly.a thoufand pieces altogether, including the land batteries in the
different forts. Many of the works are cut out of the rock. A very handfome dock
is now making, which when finifhed, will be able to hold fifteen veffels under cover,
twelve of which for the fake of prefervation, and three at the extremity of the dock for
repairs, between two fluices. This dock is three hundred and feventy-two Swedifh feet
in length, by one hundred and fifty in breadth. Another new one is conftruct-
ing, which will foon be finifhed, and be capable of containing the largeft fhips of the
line.
This is the firft ftation of the flotilla. Here are xebecs, frigates, praams, floating
batteries, gun boats and yawls in dry dock under cover, but no galleys. The number
of thefe vefiels is very confiderable, many of them frigates of thirty-fix guns, and fhips
called Teurma, which carry twenty-four thirty-fix pounders, and are the more tremen-
dous, from their ports being no more than four feet from the water. Thefe contri-
buted greatly towards the victory obtained at Svenkfund. We faw fome veflels, which
looked like xebecs, carrying ten guns placed in the middle, and which can be turned
in any direction. On board the galleys the fupply is one hundred broadfides, the fame
for the yawls and gun boats; thefe latter carry from fixty to fixty-four men, in which
cafe fifty foldiers, eight failors, and fix gunners. ‘The complement of the yawls is
eighteen men, commanded by a petty officer; they carry one gun of from eighteen to
twenty-four pounds, fixed in fuch a manner, that the boat recoils upon its being fired
and not the piece itfelf; in front is a fort of projection, with a platform, from which the
gun is loaded, after which the man re-enters the boat. A divifion is generally com-
pofed of ten gun boats and fix yawls, fometimes more. Colonel Kiercher, commandant
at Sweabourg, (of whofe civilities we cannot fpeak too highly,) has contrived akind of
bomb ketch, which has not yet been put in fervice. It confifts of a very large veffel,
the maf{t of which is made to lower at pleafure; the mortar is ftationed near the main-
maft, in the middle of the veflel; it is couched on a frame of {trong planks, under
which is a heap of birch bark of great depth, for the purpofe of diminifhing, by the
ela(ticity of the bark, the violence of the recoil, The mortar is calculated to throw a
; bomb
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