CHAPTER XI.
Grijlehamn— The Paffage acrofs the G u lf to Finland dangerous in
Summer to navigate, and in Winter frozen over fo as to hear Sledges
— The Authors Journey acrofs the Ice. Difficulties attending it,
and Adventures that happened— Seals, or Sea-Calves, living on and
under the Ice. Manner o f hunting them— The Ife s o f Aland.
Some o f them mentioned by Name: the Fortrefs o f Cafllcholmen
— Anecdotes from a Converfation with a Peefant.
^ "^ R IS L E H AM N is a fmall poll town, where all travellers flop
in their way to or from Sweden or Finland, whether in
fummer or winter. T he navigation Of the ftraits here is extremely
dangerous, as well as difagreeable. There is only one paflage for
large veflels, and the mariners are always in terror o f ftriking on
the rocks which are every where fcattered in this formidable fea.
In winter a paflage is very rarely attempted, but when the whole
iurface is frozen to fuch a degree o f folidity as to bear a fledge.
When this is not the cafe, as fometimes happens during a mild
and open winter, thofe perions who have occafion to travel from
Sweden, either to Finland or Ruflia, are under the neceflity o f
going by the way o f Tornea all round the gu lf o f Bothnia. Grifle-
hamn is not remarkable on any account, except its being a place
o f