Sawolax, an inland province to the north of Nyland, ex tends about 70 leagues from north to south along the con fines of Russia, and about 30 from west to east. It is cov ered with forests, rivers and lakes. The lake of Saima, which is nearly 160 miles in length, and 25 at its greatest breadth, lies partly in this province; and partly within the Russian territories, and has a communication with lake Ladoga by means of the rapid river Voxen. Its principal town, Nylot, is situated near the south border.
Keymenegard, which lies on the south-cast extremity of Finland, is naturally fertile, but thinly inhabited, and almost destitute of cultivation. Its chief town is Kuopio ; but the districts of Carelia and Kexholme, once belonging to this province, have long been included in Russian Finland.
Russian Finland, forming the province of \Vybou?g, was ceded by Sweden, partly in 1721, at the peace of Nystadt, and partly in 1741, by the treaty of Abo ; and contains six districts,—Wybourg, Fredericksham, \Vilmanstrand, Ny slot, Kexholme, and Sardobol. The whole of Finland, in deed, is now to be included by the geographer, within the wide extent of the Russian empire. After having been the scene of many blGady struggles between the Swedes and Rus sians, it was completely overrun by the latter power in 1808, and soon after formally ceded by treaty. It was lost by the folly and incapacity of the late monarch of Sweden, who left its brave defenders to sink under art overwhelming force, while he was vainly intent upon the reduction of Norway and of the Danish islands in the Baltic.
Finland contains about 48,780 square miles, and 700,000 inhabitants. It is covered with numerous lakes, which give rise to several rivers, generally rapid, but soon reaching the end of their chief of these are the Ulea at Uleaborg, which is naitigated by trading vessels, though its stream is so rapid, that the ships run down the river at the rate of 18 English miles in the hour ; the Cano, which passes Biorneborg ; the Aurajoki at Abo, about 100 yards broad, and remarkable for its muddy waters ; the Kymen, which flows into the middle of the Gulf of Finland, and forms the boundary between Swedish and Russian Finland.
The mountains of Finland often contain a brown mixture of felspar and mica. Lead ore is found in various parts, and a ferruginous earth from which iron is extracted. There are, in many places, very extensive forests, and one particularly to the north of Abo, about 80 miles in length. Great devastations are occasioned in these forests by the tempests of winter, which seem to find access to the very centre of the wood, by descending in the manner of a tornado, and which tear up by the roots, or break in the middle of the trunk, or bend to the earth, the most enor mous pines. Frequently also similar ravages are com mitted by conflagrations, occasioned by the carelessness of the peasants in smoking their pipes and making fires in the woods; and sometimes, it is suspected, intention ally kindled, from an interested motive, as the inhabi tants are allowed to cut down, for their own use, any trees in the king's forests, which have been injured by the burning.
The climate and seasons of Finland vary considerably in different parts of the country, according to their latitude and situation. At Uleaborg, which is the most northerly town, the winter commences in October and continues to the end of April. The spring is limited to the month of May; the summer begins in June, and lasts three months ; the autumn, like the spring', is confined to one month, and both commences and terminates in September. Even in
summer the night frosts are pretty sharp, paiticularly about the middle of August ; and in the end even of July, the pot herbs in the gardens have been known to suffer from the frost. From the beginning of summer, however, the progress of vegetation, as in most other northern lati tudes, is remarkably rapid ; and there have been instances of grain being sown and reaped in the neighbourhood of Uleaborg, in the space of six weeks. In the southern parts of the country, near the Gulf of Finland, the heat in summer is equal to what is generally experienced in Portugal ; and the long continuance of the sun above the horizon increases the temperature above that of more southern countries. At Uleaborg, the middle temperature of the lour seasons, according to a mean proportion of 12 years, was found to be in winter 10 degrees below zero, in spring and autumn six degrees above the freezing point, and in summer The surface of the country, besides what is occupied by large lakes and forests, is frequently covered with marshes and masses of stone ; but not more so than other 'Acts of Sweden, and, excepting East Gothland, is not less fertile and populous. The soil is generally of a sandy nature, or clay ; and it is only in the valleys or banks of rivulets, that the proper earthy mould is to be seen. Finland, how ever, presents to the view many rich pastures, and fields of grain, of rye, oats, barley, and even wheat. The principal exports of the country are salt, iron, copper, pitch, tar, deals, rye, butter, oil of seals, skins, tallow, salt beef, dried fish, and vessels built of fir; but the mode of agriculture and kinds of produce are so similar to those of Sweden in general, that we refer to the account of that country for a more particular statement on the subject. It may here, however, be remarked, as a curious circum stance, that the Finnish plough is of a very ancient model, and resembles the primeval instrument of agriculture in Egypt and other eastern countries. Its form is that of an alpha placed horizontally, and having one side shorter than the other ...t% , which, being tipped with metal, enters the ground, while the cattle are attached to the longer limb : (See Clarke's Travels, vol. iii. p. 216.) The Fins appear to have been the original inhabitants of Sweden, and to have proceeded from their settlements around the white Sea, a country formerly styled Permia, or Biarmia, and still exhi biting remains of their ancient prosperity. They are short in stature, with flat faces, dark grey eyes, a thin beard, tawny hair, and a sallow complexion; but those who inhabit the more southern and western districts of Finland, while they retain the national features, have a superior appear ance, and are scarcely to be distinguished in their manners from the Swedes. In Russian Finland, however, they have a slowness of motion, a depression of spirits, a simplicity, and almost stupidity of look, which form a striking con trast with the lively aspect, alert movements, and cheerful humour of the Russians; but these circumstances may be chiefly owing to their condition as a conquered people, imitating and dreading their masters. More hardy than the Muscovites, they are not so warmly clothed, and seldom wear the sheep skin ; but have a coat of coarse woollen stuff, made without regard to shape, and tied round the body with a band, a pair of coarse linen drawers, or loose pantaloons, straw shoes, and pieces of woollen cloth or ropes of straw wrapped round their legs.