Sweden is as remarkable for the number of its rivers as of its lakes; though of the former, none deserve notice on account of its size or extent of course. They are indeed in this respect compara tively uninteresting. Not a few of them exhibit the form of creeks, or, like the Motala already men tioned, form outlets to the lakes. The most im portant is the Gotha, which, as already stated, serves as the outlet of Lake Wener, and which falls into the Cattegat by two branches, the one passing through the town of Gottenburg, the other a few miles north. This river, soon after leaving its pa rent lake, being impeded by rocks, forms at Trol hetta one of the finest cataracts in Europe. The width of the river between the falls and the lake varies between 300 yards and a mile; but at Trol hetta, two opposite ridges of mountains approach its banks so closely that the stream is confined within a channel of 400 feet. There are four suc cessive falls, the perpendicular height of the whole, considered as one, is about 100 feet. The falls are separated by whirlpools and eddies, " forming," as Coxe remarks, " during the whole way, the most awful scenery, ever varying, and too sublime to be accurz tely described." " The roar of waters." says Mr. Conway, " was greater than that of any fall I had ever before visited; and now that several years have elapsed during which I have travelled in other countries, I may say greater than that of any water-fall I have ever since seen." The river Dahl, next in importance to the Gotha, is also cele brated for a cataract, described as scarcely inferior to that of the Rhine at Schaffhausen. This river. which rises in the Norwegian alps, and which, after a course of 260 British miles, falls into the Gulf of Bothnia, presents the cataract in question, not far from its mouth. The breadth of the stream is about 400 feet, and the perpendicular height of the fall is between SO and 40. A ridge of rocks and a high islet about a quarter of a mile in circumference, divides the stream into three parts, making as many falls. The basin below is scarcely 100 feet wide, so that the white spray rising in dense clouds, and the struggling of the waters for vent, constitute one of the most striking features of the scene. (Irraxall's Northern Tour, p. 158). The Tornea forms the boundary between Sweden and Russia on the north, and after flowing about 300 miles. enters the northern extremity of the Gulf of Bothnia. In addition to the rivers previously given, we may mention the Angermann, the Umea, the Skelleftea, the Pitea, the Lulea, the Calix, all flowing into the Gulf of Bothnia. Their course varies respectively from 200 to 300 miles; and though in winter their channels are comparatively empty. owing to the frost-bound mountains from which they flow, in summer, when the snow melts, they not unfrequent ly overflow their banks, and inundate large tracts of the adjacent districts.
As connected with the rivers and lakes of Sweden. reflections on its internal communication imme diately obtrude themselves on our attention. There is no country either in the old or new world on the same parallel of latitude. in which such communi cation is under more favourable circumstances. Where the river Gotha is rendered innavigable by the intervention of the cataracts of Trolhetta, a canal has been cut through a solid rock of granite of two miles in length, and 150 feet in height. This stupendous work had been long contemplated; and during the last century many plans were succes sively adopted, all of which proved abortive; and it was not till the year 1800 that it was completed. The execution of it was reserved for a private com pany; and it gives us pleasure to state that during the year after it was opened, there passed through it no fewer than 1380 ships of various sizes, laden with iron, steel, timber, herrings, grain, and flour; and that it pays 12 per cont. on the capital invested on it. A canal uniting the lakes in the province of Darlecarlia with the Mader has been completed. Other similar works are contemplated, or have been begun, or are finished. The canal of Gothland, ex
tending from Gottenberg to Norkioping on the Baltic, thus connecting the two opposite seas, is either finished or nearly so. It passes through the most fertile portion of Sweden, and promises to be of incalculable advantage. Its length is 240 miles, including the lakes through which it flows. Lake Hielmar communicates with the capital by means of a canal; and two others of smaller extent are forming. The government is very liberal in spend ing money on such works; indeed, considering the scanty means of the nation, the present sovereign is entitled to the greatest praise for what in this de partment he has achieved. Several of the largest of the rivers are navigable, as well as many estu aries and inlets of the sea.* Sweden is not more celebrated for any thing than for the state of its roads. " The high roads," says Mr. Coxe, (Travels, vol. iv. p. 35), " wind agreeably through the country, are made with stone or gravel, and are as good as our turnpikes in England; and yet not a single toll is exacted from the traveller. Each landlord is obliged to keep in repair a certain part of the road in proportion to his property; and for the purpose of ascertaining their respective por tions, small pieces of wood or stone marked with numbers and capital letters are placed at different distances on each side of the way." " Such indeed are their goodness throughout the whole country, that during several thousand miles which I travelled in this and my former tour in 1779, I scarcely met with fifty miles that deserved the appellation of in different. They are also as pleasant as they are good, and in many places look like gravel walks carried through gentlemen's grounds and planta tions, as they wind through the fields and extensive forests, the lofty trees casting a gloomy shade with their overhanging foliage." (Coxe, vol. v. p. 65). These observations have been confirmed by more recent travellers. Sweden, in truth, has been gra dually making improvements in the departments in question, especially in the eastern and southern di visions of the kingdom, and she already is incom parably superior to Norway, Denmark, and Russia, and is not much inferior to the most civilized countries of Europe.
When treating of internal communication, and of the state of roads, the transition is easy to the con sideration of the modes of travelling that obtain.
or is less praise due here than on the former head.
There is no regular supply of post horses kept, ex cept in those places where the thoroughfare is very great: but they may at once be had by a traveller sending forward a peasant to bespeak them. The usual mode of supplying such horses may be ex plained in a few words. Horses are supplied by the country people in proportion to the quantity of land they rent; most persons generally send one or more horses to the nearest post-house, where they remain twenty-four hours; during which time, if employed, compensation is of course obtained, but, if otherwise, no remuneration is received. Travelling - is unusually cheap, because one-half only of the charge is paid by the hirer, the other being defrayed in the shape of a tax, by the land holders. " I found," says Coxe, " travelling so exceedingly cheap in Sweden, that during a course of 500 miles, my whole expenses, including the prime cost of my cart, the hire of post-horses, the gratuities to the drivers, and the accommodations on the road, did not amount to 201., the drivers being the peasants themselves, who usually attend with their own horses, and are contented with a small acknowledgment of about 2d. or 3d. for each post. The horses are small, but lively and active, and they generally went at the rate of six or seven miles in an hour." (vol. iv. p. " To Swe den," says Mr. Conway, " I give the travelling pre mium over every other country. I may still farther state that the traveller is in no danger of being im posed upon; and he will everywhere find clean inns, passably good fare, cheap bills, and civil people." (p. 286).