T h e city o f Abo is a Stapelftad,* and belongsto the Lane ;j-
that is to fay, the government and dioeefe o f Abo. It is fituated
in 60 degrees 10 minutes north latitude, upon a promontory
formed by the gulfs o f Finland and Bothnia. It is forty-one
Swedifh miles from Stockholm, feventeen from Bjorneborg, forty-
one from Wafa, fixteen from Tavaftehus, and twenty-two from
Helfinfors. It ftands on the fide o f the river Aurajocki, and is
enclofed on all tides by hills, being itfelf in rather a low fituation.
The river Aurajocki, near the town, is from about fixty to a
hundred yards broad; its waters are muddy and unfit for culinary
purpoies. The town, four thoufand nine hundred and forty yards
in length by two thoufand four hundred and fifty in breadth, "is
divided into five quarters, three o f which are fituated fouth eaft
from the river, and two to the north weft, being joined by the
communication o f a wooden bridge. There are three open places
or fquares in the town, namely, the great fquare, which is fur-
rounded by different public and private buildings all o f ftone;
the new fquare, enclofed by wooden houfes, among which is a
fort o f magazine, containing materials for town buildings; the
other buildings are chiefly butchers’ fhops ; and laftly, church-
place : contiguous to this is the academy. The ftreets and lanes
in Abo together amount to one hundred and two : the number
* In Sweden the towns are divided into Stapelilader, which have permiilion to
trade with foreigners ; Upftader, which have no fuch permiffion ; and Bergftader,
which are fituated on the mountains.
f The Swediih provinces are divided into lanes or governments, which are
under their refpeftive governors.
o f
o f houfes, including thofe that were building, is upwards ■of one
t h o u f a n d °a e hundred ; which in , 780 c o n » » « ! two thoufand
and forty-eight f iu n f a . . There .r e no fewer then five cuftom-
houfes in this city.
' T h e cathedral church o f St. Henry is covered with wood in
thin plates, or fiungles, laid one over the other. In length it is
one hundred and' fifty yards by fixty-three and a-half f b^ ;
and feventy-five in height. It is the only church in Abo, and is
' equally appropriated for the purpofe o f public worfhip according
to the »Finlandifh-and the Swediih ritu a ls .. T h e Swedifh congreg
a t io n begin their forvice at fix o'clock in the morning, th at of
the Finlanders at nine'. T h e tower is covered with a copper roof,
and furni(lied with a clock, w h ich is expofed, like all objefts that
are railed high in the air, to be ftruck w ith lightning | this ac-
' cidciit having befallen it on different occafions, i t is now protefted
by a conductor, . , . ...
T he academy, confifting.of two ftones, is built o one, wi
three auditories, and a chamber for. the academical confiftory.
Hard by is a falqon for gymnaftic exercifes, and over it two apart-
' ments for the 'library. ' The'cathedral fohool is not effentially different
from other fchpols, a^'the bufinefs o f education there is the
f am e with what you find in every town, namely, a little Latin
and Hebrew. T he honourable appellation ^ of' cathedral « given
to I merely becaufe it happens to b^ at a place which is the re- ’
fidence o f a bifoop. V T he chcnucd laboratory and the diffeamgroom
are included in the fam^ buildirig ; one in the firft, and the
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