ORIGINAL ACCOUNT OF SWEDEN. Baltic, forming within the recess of its coast the gulph of Finland, which divides it from Livonia: an immense territory, containing about 216,000 square geographical miles. The face of the coun. try is diversified with a great number of high mountains, extensive lakes, and considerable rivers. of Sweden. As Sweden possesses no work in her own language, which can be called statistical in the strictest acceptation of the word; as almost all foreigners who have written concerning this kingdom, such as Wraxall, Coxe, and Mr. Wollstonecraft, have incurred the just reproach of being deficient in accuracy; as the memoirs of Canzler, though much to be commended on Whether its proximity to two large capitals be account of the ample information which they an advantage or a disadvantage to Sweden, may contain upon many subjects, are already out of be questioned. Its small distance from Copendite and defective in a variety of particulars; as, hagen and P. tersburg affords it, in time of peace, finally, the Tableau general de la Suede, by Cat- a ready market for its manufactures and the proteau, leaves still a great deal to be wished; for duce of the country, and in time of war enables these reasons we think we have a right to expect it to threaten these cities with a sudden and that the public will give a favourable rece; tion powerful attack. On the other hand, the natur to the following account of a country, that has effect of this dangerous vicinity has been to in always been deservedly in high esteein through-spire the two neighbouring powers with the proout all Europe, and which at the present momen⚫ject of extending their boundaries at the expence engages the particular attention of the world. The Swedes have, indeed, a great number of topographical descriptions of their towns and of particular districts; the Swedish language abounds in detailed notices relative to agriculture, politics, and finance, in celebrated historians and geographers, such as Dalin, Lagerbring, Botin, Fant, Djurberg, and Tuneld, particularly distinguished for his geographical accuracy; but we do not hesitate to assert, that all these different works are nothing more than unconnected materials, the arrangement of which into an interesting statistical account, is reserved for some future writer of judgment; and it is a matter of sur prise, that in a nation, so celebrated for patriotism, and in which the love of literature has struck such deep root, no writer has yet undertaken a tas at once so useful and laudable. Whilst we wait in expectation of seeing this subject ela. borated by a more able pen, we shall in the mean time endeavour in some measure to supply the deficiency, by a selection of various details relative to this important country, extracted from the new edition of Toz s statistical work, with the commentary of professor Heiaze. The vast country of Sweden, which appears on the map of Europe in a kind of semicircular figure, extends from 55° to 70° N. lat. and from 28° to 48° E. long. To the east, it is bounded by that part of Finland which at present is subject to the empire of Russia; to the west, it borders on Norway, throughout a long extent of boundary; to the north it likewise borders on Norway, and on Norwegian and Russian Lap land; and to the south it is bounded by the In the southermost provinces the air is in ge neral sufficiently temperate; in the others the heat during the summer is excessive, on account of the great length of the days and the reflection of the rays of the sun from the mountains; and during the winter the cold is dry, intense, and rarely interrupted by thaws. Frequent winds purify the atmosphere, the salubrity of which, together with the robust constitutions of the inhabitants, renders instances of extreme longevity common amongst them. If the duration of the winter could be determined with any degree of precision in a country of such vast extent, we might say that it commences about the middle of October, and ends about the middle of May. It has been remarked, that near Helsingfors, in Finland, coaches were used instead of sledges on the Christmas eve of one year, whilst on the d of October of another, they had already frost and snow. The first day of May is generally considered as the commencement of spring, and is kept as a kind of festival and visiting day amongst the inhabitants, who on this day endeavour to indemnify themselves, by feasting and amusements, for the uncomfortable manner in which they have been obliged to pass their time during the preceding tedious and dreary season, At Stockholm and Stelingfors, tulips are always in bloom at Whitsuntide; in other parts, where the thick forests intercept the rays of the sun, patches of snow are still found in the middle of June. It is remarkable, that of late years the spring has been scarcely distinguishable in the north of Europe; it has appeared to be hardly any thing more than a prolongation of the season which it ought to banish. Those who are not acquainted with the northern climates, will scarcely be able to conceive the regret which this change has occasioned. They can form no idea of the voluptuous and vivifying influence of the first fine days of the spring in these climates. An universal metamorphosis takes place; new life and rejuvenescence seem to pervade all nature, animate and inanimate. Whilst, in more southerly latitudes, the plants spring up imperceptibly, and the buds expand by slow degrees, producing in the mind only gently pleasing sensations; here one imagines one sees the roots extend themselves, every leaf unfold itself, and with an admiration that fills the soul with extacy, follows the whole rapid progress of vegetation. longer and the more profound the sleep of winter has been, the more brilliant appears this resuscitation of nature, and the mote powerfully it exerts its influence upon all beings. The Beyond Gefle and Bioerneburg, fruit-trees are rarely to be met with; in the rest of Sweden peaches and grapes are with difficulty brought to maturity, and figs can never be made to ripen, unless they have been kept during the winter in a hot-house. The soil produces all that is requisite for the wants, and even the luxuries of life; it were however to be wished that the inhabitants knew better how to content themselves with the produce of their own country, and to dispense with superfluities imported from abroad, which can only tend to impoverish them, if they become too much habituated to tlreir use. Their horses and oxen are small; the pasturage in the southern provinces, and even in Finland, is however so rich, that their cattle form an article of exportation. The small size of the horses is attributed to the peasants employing them in labour too young, and loading them with burdens disproportionate to their strength, as also to their often galloping with them up acclivities, which in so mountainous a country are very frequent and steep. Their swiftness is such, that it is common for the postcoaches to travel at the rate of a Swedish mile (equal to two French leagues), or more, in an hour, even when the carriage is loaded with a considerable quantity of luggage. During the course of the last fifty years, the breed of sheep has been much improved by means of those imported from Spain and England. Sweden, nevertheless, imports annually a large quantity of foreign wool. Game is very abundant, especially wild fowl, such as wood-cocks, pheasants, &c. which are killed in the forests of the northern provinces, and conveyed during the winter upon sledges to Stockholm and the southern parts of No. XXIV. Vol. III. the kingdom, where they are less abundant. The elk, an animal of extraordinary swiftness, and which it is almost impossible to tame, is common in this country, as are also bears and wolves, two species of animals that possess far less courage than is usually imagined; the latter may be kept from approaching men by kindling a small fire, or even by a lighted torch, which travellers fix to the hind part of the sledge. The sea, the rivers, and the lakes abound with such a quantity of fish, that, besides the home consumption, they furnish a very important branch of commerce. The most considerable article of this kind are the herrings, the fishery of which amounts, at an average, to 200,000 tons per annum, and yields, besides the great exportation to foreign countries, a vast quantity of oil. The fish called by the inhabi tants strommingar, is taken annually to the amount of 200,000 tons. Attempts have been made to introduce the cultivation of the silk. worm; but they have hitherto not been productive of any material advantage to the country, The attempts that have been made for naturalising the rhubarb-plant have scarcely been more successful. Were it not for the numerous forests with which this land is overshadowed, the pro. duce of the mines would not be very lucrative; nevertheless, the inhabitants are not sufficiently careful to spare their woods, so that the want of timber begins to be felt in many places, and has excited the attention of the government, which has lately adopted various measures in order to induce the inhabitants to plant trees, &c. Turf also begins to be more einployed as fuel than formerly, and fortunately it is here very plentiful, and of excellent quality. Some beds of pit coal have likewise been discovered, particularly in Scania, and furnish a new resource to the country. In a land where in many parts the habitations are far distant from each other, and the woods very frequent, it often happens, during the summer, that the peasants are obliged to pass the night in the open air, in woods near to the road. In such cases, they kindle a large fire of the branches of trees, round which they lie down to sleep, and frequently neglect to extinguish it be fore they proceed on their journey in the morning. Hence arise those terrible conflagrations, by which, in some instances, all the branches of whole forests have been consumed; for the trunks of the trees are not attacked by the flames. This practice is very common amongst the peasants," who go into the woods in the spring to catch birds; for these, having often to separate themselves to a great distance from each other, fix upon a place of rendezvous, where they kindle a large fire in the evening, near the places where they know the birds to have their haunts and to build their nests, that they may not have far to go in K k order to catch them before sun-rise; and after having slept a couple of hours at their fire, they leave it in the morning, either to burn out of its If, or to communicate to the rest of the forest. The only means of stopping the progress of such a conflagration, is to dig a broad ditch round the place where the forest is in flames, in order to prevent their communicating to the other trees, and to suffer those that are already on fire to burn out. The building of ships, and particularly of small vessels, is carried on with the greatest activity, and large quantities of planks and other requisites for naval architecture are exported. The cultivation of grain is pretty considerable in Scania, East Gothland, Smaland, Sudermania, Upland, and Finland; but the produce of the harvest is not near sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants; particularly as the season is seldom favourable enough to ensure a good crop, and as the expenditure of grain in the distilleries is immense. The importation of grain alone from foreign countries costs Sweden annually upwards of a million of dollars. The cul tivation of tobacco has succeeded very well throughout the whole country; it grows in the greatest abundance in the neighbourhood of Stockholm and Abo; and perhaps Sweden, at the present moment, does not require any importation of this article from abroad, except in order to have it of a quality superior to that of its own growth. Many orchards of fruit trees have of late been planted, which proves that the country does not as yet abound in fruits; and in fact, horticulture is too much neglected by the peasants. It is rather singular that the best culti vated lands are not to be found near the principal roads, which is, undoubtedly, in part owing to the circumstance, that the ancient inhabitants, whilst exposed to the incursions of the Tartars or Bohemians, thought it prudent to conceal their best pasturages and most cultivated plantations, by choosing the situations behind high mountains, and a considerable distance from the public roads, where they are found at the present day. If the vegetable kingdom be rather barren in this country, the same cannot be said of the mineral. At Adelfors in Smaland, is a gold nine that has been opened since the year 1738, but which scarcely defrays the expence of working || it. Another mine of gold is in the province of Westmania. The most ancient and productive silver mine is that of Sala; it yields annually about 2000 marks of silver, if the accuracy of the returns can be relied upon. The other silver mines are scarcely worth mentioning; but one of the principal sources of wealth to this country consists in its mines of copper, which are not inferior in quality to that of Japan. The most | important of these copper-mines is that of Falun, which however has yielded less ore of late years than formerly. The mine of Otvidaberg, in East Gothland, is the second in importance. The iron mines are still more productive and numerous, These are found in all the provinces of the king dom; the most lucrative are those in Westmania, Wermeland, and Upland, amongst which that of Dannemora and the foundery of Laufsta are particularly to be noticed. The export of this article alone produces to the country a revenue of more than two millions of dollars. Amongst the valuable stones of Sweden, the por phyry, which is of the most superb quality, is the most remarkable. Various kinds of marble are also common; but in general they are inferior to those of Italy. The water of the sea furnishes the kingdom with a quantity of salt, but not sufficient for the consumption of the inhabi tants; besides it is unfi for salting provisions, particularly herrings. A great number of mines of sulphur are also found here, and several mineral springs. The kingdom is divided into five principal di visions, namely, Sweden proper, Gothland, Nordland, Lapland, and Finland; comprehending in all twenty-eight governments. These are reckoned to contain not more more than 105 towns, most of which are very small and thinly inhabited; which affords a presumption that the citizens, who have enriched themselves by commerce, leave the towns to purchase landed possessions. There are very few towns in the northern provinces, and in some governments not a single one. Sweden possesses in the north of Germany, anterior Pomerania, as far as the river Pene, with the island of Rügen, the town of Weimar, and the bailiwick of Neucloster, situated in the dutchy of Mecklenburg. By that part of Pomerania that extends along the coast of the Baltic, the Swedish territories border on those of Mecklen burg and Prussia. Swedish Pomerania, together with the island of Rugen, form a territory of 1120 square miles in extent, with a population of from 100,000 to 110,000 souls. The climate is toler ably temperate, and the soil in general fertile. It produces all kinds of grain in abundance, and plenty of cattle; the geese of this country are remarkable for their uncommon size. The sea, as well as the rivers and lakes, are plentifully stocked with fish, and a considerable quantity of amber is found on the coasts. This dutchy contains many trading towns, which export merchandize to a very considerable amount; the revenue of the crown is stated to be upwards of 20,000 dollars. The King of Sweden, in his quality as Duke of Pomerania, has a vote at the Diet of Rati bon. The states of the country consist partly of the nobles who possess fiefs, and partly of the deputies of the towns. The governor, who is nominated by the King, and resides at Siralsund, presides over the regency. The university established at Greifswald has a valuable library, and several of its professors deservedly enjoy a high reputation in the literary world. The number of students is nearly one hundred. The principal causes of the university not being more frequented are, undoubtedly, its vicinity to other more celebrated universities, and its distance from the centre of Germany. It has, however, several Swedish students, and one of the professors is a native of that country. Sweden has only one colony; namely, the Island of St. Bartholomew, one of the Antilles. ON COMETS. A COMET, vulgarly called a blazing star, on aecount of its appearance, is a very extraordinary sight; for though the number of them be great, yet, on account of the long period of their revolution, they but very seldom appear. They are supposed to consist of a very compact and durable substance, capable of the greatest degree of heat and cold without being subject to dissolution, and, like the planets, shining only by reflexion. At length came the prodigious Comet of 1680, which descending almost perpendicularly towards the sun, arose from him again with equal velocity, and was seen for four months together. Not long after, the illustrious Newton demonstrated, not only what Kepler had found did necessarily obtain in the planetary system, but also that Comets observe the same law, moving in very long eclipses round the sun, and describing equal areas in equal times. The revolutions of only two Comets (or the number of years necessary for performing a jour By the ancients, Comets were considered as vapours, or meteors; and of this opinion was Aristotle, the celebrated Greek philosopher.-ney round the sun) are known with any certainty. These phenomena were therefore treated with neglect, until the time of Seneca, who observed two very remarkable ones, which he scrupled not to place amongst the celestial bodies, though he owns their motions to be governed by laws not then known. Dr. Halley declares, that notwithstanding all his researches into the histories of Comets, he found nothing satisfactory; until a Constantinopolitan historian and astronomer, in the year A. D. 1997, pretty accurately described the paths of a Comet amongst the fixed stars. The next Comet which appeared, was in the year 1472, and was observed by Regiomantanus; it was the swiftest of any that have hitherto appeared, and the nearest to the earth. This Comet, so dreaded on account of the magnitude of its body and tail, moved at the rate of forty degrees of a great circle in the heavens, in the space of one day, and was the first of which we have any proper observations. In the year 1577, a remarkable Comet visited this earth, to the study of which Tycho Brahe sedulously applied himself. This great astronomer, after many faithful observations, found that it had no perceptible diurnal parallax; and consequently could not be an aërial vapour. Tycho was succeeded by the sagacious Kepler, who discovered the true physical system of this world. | The one is that which appeared in the years 1456, 1531, 1607, 1682, and 1759, and is ascertained to move round the sun in seventy-six years; it will therefore make its appearance in 1835. The other is the Comet seen in 1680, in 1106, in 591, and soon after the death of Julius Cæsar, about forty-four years before Christ. It is mentioned by many historians of those times, and by Pliny in his Natural History, where Augustus Cæsar says concerning it," In the very days of our games, a hairy star (Sydus Crinitum) was seen for seven days in that part of the heavens which is under the Septentriones; it arose about the eleventh hour of the day, and was clearly to be seen all over the world." The period of this Comet is therefore ascertained, to be about five hundred and seventy-five years. Its next appearance will be in the year 2255. The number of Comets belonging to our system is unknown, but it has been ascertained, that more than four hundred and fifty have been seen, but the number whose orbits are settled with sufficient accuracy for us to ascertain their identity on their re-appearance, is only about fifty-nine. The orbits of most of these are inclined to the plane of the ecliptic in large angles, and in their perihelion they come much nearer the sun than the earth does. Their motions in the heavens are also different from those of the planets. When a Comet arrives within a certain distance of the sun, it emits a prodigious fume or vapour, called its tail. These tails seem largest and most splendid immediately after they return from the sun, because, being then hottest, they emit the greatest quantity of vapours, and are always opposite those parts which the body of the Comet leaves in its descent, which is agreeable to the nature of smoke and vapour. They also appear broader on their upper part than near the head of the Comet; like all vapours, the higher they rise the more they dilate themselves. The tails of Comels are extremely long, some of them having been computed to be not less than eighty millions of miles in length, and the tail of the Comet, which is now visible, is computed to be three hundred thousand miles long. The celebrated Comet of the year 1680 came so near the sun, that it was not a sixth part of the sun's diameter distant from its surface; and therefore its heat must then be two thousand times hotter than red hot iron. And from thence it took its course from the sun to the distance of above eleven thousand millions of miles, which is at least fourteen times farther than the orbit of Saturn. At their first appearance, Comets are computed to be as near to us as Jupiter, and therefore considered to be less than that planet: the present one, (which has passed its perihelium) is supposed to be eight times larger than our globe, and to move with the amazing velocity of sixteen thousand miles a minute. The conjecture respecting Comets are various. The ancients believed they were harbingers of divine vengeance :-thus Homer "A fatal sign to armies on the plain, "Or trembling sailors on the wat'ry main." Some of the moderns, particularly Sir Isaac Newton, are of opinion, that they are ordained by Providence to supply the sun at stated periods, with matter peculiar to its nature; and to make up the deficiency which must arise from the continual emission of the particles of light. These, however, are mere hypotheses. The same also may be said of every thing that can be advanced concerning their being inhabited worlds, for if animals can exist there, they must be creatures very far different from any of which we hav the least conception. Some who have in. dulged themselves in visionary ideas, think they are appointed as the place of torment for the damned; that each Comet is, properly and literally speaking, a hell, from the intolerable and inconceivable heat and cold which alternately take place in these bodies. It is supposed by some, that Comets are the means appointed by the Almighty for the de struction of this world, and all the planetary sys tem, by involving the glabe of the planets in their atmosphere of water, in their return from the cold regions. Amongst those who have written upon this subject are, Mr. Whiston and the learned Dr. Halley. The former is of opinion, that this world will be destroyed by a ge neral conflagration, occasioned by our globe be. ing involved in the tail of some Comet, after it has been prodigiously heated in its passage from The latter declares, that it is possible the sun. for a Comet to produce some change in the situ ation and species of the earth's orbit, and in the length of the year, and says, "But may the great God avert a shock or contact of such great bodies, moving with such force, (which however is manifestly by no means impossible,) lest this most beautiful order of things be entirely destroyed, and reduced into its ancient chaos." Indeed, it has been shewn that the Comet of 1680, November 11th, at one o'clock in the afternoon, was at so small a distance from the earth's orbit, that had the earth been near that part of its orbit, God only knows what the consequence might have been! If then a Comet should encounter the earth at its return from the sun, it would undoubtedly consume the earth and all its inha. bitants, as so many moths; it might convert the matter of the present earth into a different kind of substance, and render it an habitation fit for beings of a quite different nature from ours, Yet some circumstances render it very improbable that such an event should happen at all, with regard to the definite time, though it is pos sible in nature, for the planes of all the Comets' orbits are raised above those of the planets, so that there is but one particular place in the orbit of a Comet where its tail can pass over the orbits of the planets; and it is so many chances to one, that a planet happen to be in that part of its orbit at that particular time. But should any of the Comets approach so near us as to be more attracted by the earth than the sun, we might indeed, by that means, acquire another moon, which would be a change to our advantage, ra ther than a subject of terror and dismay. Dr. Halley is of opinion, that the great Comet of 1680, appeared near the time of the general deluge, and that it probably was the occasion of that catastrophe, which he therefore believes the Almighty caused to happen by a natural cause. If a Comet passed near the earth it might undoubtedly raise a very strong tide, the effects of which would be, that it would lay all places under water; and drown the inhabitants so far as it reached. For if so small a body as the moon, at the distance of sixty of the earth's semi-diameters, be able to raise a strong tide of twelve or fifteen feet in height; a Comet as big as the |