A line of railway is now (August, 1855) in progress of construction from Stockholm to Goteborg, sweeping round the north shore of Lake Maier, through Koping, Orebro, and down the isthmus between the Wener and Wetter lakes. Another railway has been spoken of from the head of the Kelder Wik, up the valley of the Ronne, and through Christiansted to the port of Ahua on the Baltic.
Lake Wetter, which occupies the centre of Southern Sweden, extends from south to north about 80 miles, and its width is about 10 miles.
The surface is 238 feet above the sea, while at the distance of a few miles east and west the level country is several feet lower. It is sur rounded by rocks and hills except on the north-east, where for nearly 20 miles it is contiguous to the plain of Linkoping, and the shores rise only a few feet, above its level. All the streams that flow into it are only torrents. The lake in one place is more than 70 fathoms deep. It is subject to heavy gales.
The river llfogola issues from this lake on the north-east, and after having traversed the plain of Linkoping and the lakes of Boren, Roxen, and Glen, carries its waters to the Bay of Braviken, nu inlet of the Baltic which rune up to the town of Norrkoping, 21 miles inland. The whole course of the river, exclusive of the lakes, is only about 25 miles ; and it descends 288 feet, or 11b feet per mile. The channels by which the lakes are connected with one another are too rapid for navigation.
About 25 miles N.B. of Wetter Lake is Lake Ificlmar, which is about 40 miles long and 2 miles wide at both extremities; but it enlarges in the middle to 12 miles. The surface is 78 feet above the sea-level. It communicates by a canal (and locks) with the river Arboga, which runs into Lake Millar.
The Molar Lake differs greatly from n11 the other lakes of Sweden. It consists of many small lakes, united by abort channels, which inclose islands. The number of these small islands is in some places very great.
Hardly a clear sheet of water of a mile square can be found. From what may be called the main body of the lake several narrow arms branch off to the south and north, and penetrate to a great distance inland. One of them, which extends northward, is more than 25 miles long. All these numerous arms and branches are navigable for
boats. If we consider the town of Stockholm to be built at the eaateru extremity of the lake, the length of the Miner Lake exceeds 70 miles. It is nearly ou a level with the Baltic.
The advantages of the navigation on Lake Maier have been increased by the SOdertelge and Stramsholms canals. The Sodertelge Canal is a cut about 2 miles long, which unites a southern arm of Lake Millar with a inlet of the Baltic called the Jaime Fiord. By means of this cut the steamers and other vessels that reach the Baltic by the Gina Canal ply to and from Stockholm without passing through the long channels that lead to that city. This canal is about 18 miles west-eouth-west of Stockholm. The Stromsholms Canal joins the lake not far from its western extremity, and comes from the north. It leads to the interior of the Region of the Mines, and terminates in the Lake of Barken, which is 327 feet above the sea-leveL Its length, including the lakes Barken and Amaaiugen, which together occupy more than 20 miles, exceeds 50 miles. It can only be navigated by vessels drawing 4 feet of water, and has 25 locks.
Tha only navigable rivers in Sweden are those which have been rendered so by art. The rivers south of 60* N. lat. have generally a abort course, but north of 60' N. lat there are several which niu above 300 miles. descending from the higher portion of the liiolen range, and falling into the Calf of Bothnia. Nearly all of them run from north-west to south-east. The largest is the Pal, which is formed by the junction (near Falun) of the Oster-Dal, which traverses the Siljan Lake, and the \\ aster-Dal, or Fulu. Both of these head-streams run nearly southeast from their sources on the eastern slope of the moun tains that Inclose Lake Fiimund. Near 60' 20' N. lat., Dr 20' E. long., the Dal turns east by north, and expands into a series of lakes for about 50 miles. At Elf Carlby the Dal contracts and forms a magnifi cent oRtaract, below which it runs In a compact stream for about 6 miles nearly duo north into the Gulf of Bothnia, a little south of Gefle.