B°nK ^lac' ^een once joined to each other and to the continent, but
: ; i undermined and feparated by the fea.
We changed horfes atVaryat,Scarpats,Haroliby, Enkerlu,
and Trebenka. Between Scarpats and Harollby we defcended
into a broader and more cultivated plain than we had ob-
ferved fince we had quitted Finland r it contained arable and
pafture land, a lake, and a river. In the midft o f this plain
ftand, upon an infular rock o f red granite, the ruins of an,,
antient palace, called Caftelholm, which, as it is remarkable
in the hiftory o f Sweden, we flopped to examine. It commands
a pleafing, though bounded profpecft o f two fmall lakes,
whofe banks rife into gentle eminences iheeted with wood.
The caftle is partly built with red granite o f a very beautiful
colour and grain, and partly with brick. To this folitary rock
Eric XIV. fon and fucceflbr o f Guftavus Vafa, was, in 1 5 71,
confined by his brother John- III. The dungeon in which
he was imprifoned- ftill bears the name of the apartment of
Eric. In order togain acceft to it, we crawled through an
arch upon our hands and knees, on account o f the heaps of
ftones and bricks which obftrutfted the- paflage 1 we then
came into the ihell-of a-large apartment, from whence we
entered a fmall room, and having afcended a ladder of nine or
ten fteps, many o f which were broken, and which from its
antiquity was probably the very ladder that exifted in the days
o f the royal prifoner, we palled through a trap door into the
apartments of Erie. It is about 20 feet long and r 1 broad;
low and vaulted; andhas only one fmall opening to admit the
light, which is fcarcely more than two inches in breadth.
I (hall have occafion in another place to mention- the fuffer-
ings. and cataftrophe of this very unfortunate fovereign;
Having gratified our curiofity at-Gaftelholmj we continued
our route during the n igh t: the fnaw being all- melted by
the
the thaw, our journey was tedious and difagreeable; our chap.
fledges were flowly dragged over the rocky and fandy roads, v.~„ -
lb that we did not, before five in the morning, reach the
place of embarkation upon the weftern Ihore o f the illarid.
The wind blowing diredtly contrary, we took up our lodging
at the poft-houfe, and retired reluflantly to reft, but were
awakened about ten with the agreeable news that it was
ihifted, and that we might be able to crofs the Gulf. The
only decked vefiel which this place afforded being'ice-bound,
we had no other refource but two open boats, manned with
a pilot, five or fix filhermen, and about ten peafants ; but,
as the weather was fine, we ordered our baggage on board,
and embarked at mid-day. The diftance to the oppofite coaft
is 49 miles. The firft part o f this paflage was interfperfed
with feveral fmall rocky illands, one o f which appeared
inhabited; but from the extremity o f the laft illand,
which is about 35 miles from the continent o f Sweden,
the fea is entirely open: from that point we had a fine
breeze, which carried us at the rate o f feven knots in the
hour; and we were within fix miles o f the coaft about
fun-fet, with the profpecft o f a fpeedy difembarkation; but
foon afterwards the hreeze flackened, and was followed
by a calm, which lafted about half an hour.; when the
wind rofe in the oppofite quarter, and blew direcftly from
lhore. In this fituation the night overtook u s ; the gale frelh-
ened, the fea ran bigh, the coaft was rocky and full o f
breakers, our veflel a crazy open filhing boat, and the greateft
part of our crew wholly unexperienced. We in vain endeavoured
by tacking and rowing to reach the fhore; and we
began to be ferioully alarmed- left we ihould not be able to
Weather the ftorm; in this ftate o f anxiety we continued
T t 2 until