“ and llatutes o f the kingdom.” I repeat here what was (aid by
•the peaiant almofl word for word, as it may giye fome idea o f the
way o f thinking on this fubjecl that prevails among that clais o f
■people in this part o f the country. Wh at encreafed our furprife
at this man’s intelligence was, that he had received no education,
nor over read any books; what he laid was merely the refult o f
his own obfervation. Our philofopher intermixed in his conver-
flation fome meteorological obfervations, and predicted a very late
fummer from fome fpots he had remarked in that great luminous
belt which goes acrofs the heavens, and is called the Milky-way.
He related lome anecdotes o f the lait war in Finland, and told us
that the battle o f Hogland was not fo decilive in favour o f the
Swedes as it might have been, had every thing been executed in
due manner: but Prince Frederic could not fend the flotilla to
fuccour the fleet, which was ihort o f ammunition. This is or.e
o f the mod remarkable circumflances in the whole hiftory o f the
war ; and o f the truth o f it I was well allured afterwards by per-
fons who had the belt opportunities o f knowing the fa il, and
whole veracity was above all doubt. The following was the litu-
ation of affairs: T he land army was polled at Lavila, under the
jo in t command o f Prince Frederic and General Toll. When the
battle began, Prince Frederic, knowing that the Swedifh fleet
was in want o f ammunition, was delirous o f lending it a lupply
by the flotilla which lay at anchor in the road o f Lavifa, and gave
orders to General Toll to that purpole : but the general refufed to
execute the prince’s intentions; and when the latter was proceeding
to enforce obedience, the general pulled out o f his pocket a
paper in which he had been inveiled privately with the exclufive
command o f the flotilla. By this paper the prince learnt how
little confidence was placed in h id ’ by the king. Had the Ruffians
held out but one hour longer, the whole Sewdiih fleet mull
have been taken. T he two fleets were equally crippled, and it
was the retreat o f the Ruffians alone that conilituted the Duke o f
Sudermania the hero o f that naval engagement.