BOTHNIA, a division of Sweden, is separated into east and west by a gulf of that name. It is bounded on the north and west by Swedish Lap land, on the east by Russia, and on the south by Sweden Proper, and Finland. Were we disposed to dwell on the curiosa of etymology, we might derive this word fioni the Latin term Bothnia, used by Ga len to denote the roots or fangs of the teeth, ossa qua subeunt dentium foranzia, some of which bear an exact resemblance to the form of this country, as divided by the Bothnic Gulf.
Bothnia contains a vast number of lakes and rivers, with a considerable quantity of wood : its largest lo rests are upon the frontiers of Lapland. The pas turd grounds are excellent, but the rein-deer find a sufficient subsistence on the high mountains, which yield only moss. Much of this country is level, and the soil fertile. Trough the seed is put into the ground latc, the corn will ripen in six, seven, or eight weeks, as it happens to lie more or less to the north. The frosts of July often prove excessively injurious.
It has a number of pleasant islands along the coast of the Bothnic Gulf, one of which, the Isle of Ado, produces black marble and touchstone.
East Bothnia is in length about 300 miles, and from 60 to 210 in breadth. A chain of mountains, running along its eastern frontier, separates it from Russia and Finland Proper. This province contains three departments, under one governor. It is but very thinly inhabited, the population not exceeding 80,000 souls. It is divided also into 28 parishes, in cluded in the bishopric of Abo, nine of which only are in the possession of Swedes, the rest are occu pied by Finns. The soil (particularly in the two pa rishes of Stockiro and Liminga) is found remark ably fertile ; hut it is somewhat low and marshy to wards the southern coast. Vegetation, though fre quently checked and destroyed by sudden frost, has been known, at other times, to proceed with asto nishing rapidity. Corn has been sown and reaped in the space of six weeks, and instances of this have been observed and recorded as far north as Uleaborg. This rapid maturity has been ascribed to the longer presence of the sun, which, to the inhabitants of Tor flea, is for some weeks visible at midnight. The lakes and rivers afford abundance of salmon. There is a particular fish which the inhabitants name muilczt, and of the roes of which they make caviar. In some
of the rivers have been found pearls. Besides fish ing and agriculture, the inhabitants employ them selves in grazing, hunting, and ship-building ; they export cattle, butter, salmon, suroinmg, and other fish ; skins and fat of the sea-dog, pitch, tar, and whale oil. They traffic also in timber, joists, brick. chalk, and other commodities. Veins of silver are said to have been discovered in the parish of Kicmi. Other parts of this province contain granite, asbestos, mountain crystal, and alum. There is also to be found an iron ore, of a reddish brown colour, from which is prepared a sort of metallic sand. The inha bitants use the language of Finland, excepting a few Swedes upon the coast. The principal towns are Cafana Ulea, Brahestad, Gamla-carleby, Ni-carleby, Jacobstadt, Rasa, and Christinestadt.
As much of the western province is still waste, and without inhabitants, its extent, as a whole, has not yet been ascertained. The inhabited part, reach ing to Upper Tornea, has been estimated at 58 Swedish miles in length, and from 16 to 18 in breadth. It belongs to the see of Hernosand, has two provincial jurisdictions, and is subdivided into four inferior governments. The soil is fertile, and the country has several mines of copper and iron. The inhabitants are remarkable for sobriety, courage, and perseverance, and find their chief employment in hunting, fishing, grazing, and agriculture. They have a singular practice of using, in their bread, a mixture of chaff and pounded pine bark. This cus tom, though at first perhaps the result of necessity, must, in time, have become agreeable : they are known to practise it even when their crops are most abundant. Their chief articles of traffic arc, timber and shingles, dried pike, salted and smoked salmon, feathers, bread, cummin, pitch, tar, and train oil. They export also a great variety of skins ; those of the black and blue fox, the ermine, bear, hyxna, wolf, marten, goulas, and rein-deer, the skin and fat of the sea-dog, and hats made of otters hair. Part of these, by a contraband trade, are transported to Russia and Norway : they dispose of the rest in Sweden. Umea, Pitea, Lulea, and Tornea, are the chief towns, each of them lying on the Bothnic Gulf, and seated at the mouth of the river of the same name. (v)