b o o k I J I . The military Eftablifhment.
, The Swedilh army is divided into- national militia and»
garrifon regiments. The latter,, or troops upon the German
footing, are compofed o f natives and foreigners duly
inlifted, and are ftationed in the feveral garrifons,.and receive
their pay in money. Although the national militia firft took
a regular form under John III. yet its fixed'eftablifhment,,
as it fubfifts at prefent, was fettled by Charles-XI.. That
prince refumed the grants of thecrown-demefnes which had
been laviihed by his predeceffors : fome he reftored on condition
that the proprietors of. a certain portion-fhould furniih
a foldier ; others he allotted for the maintenance of the officers.
It was alfo enadted during, his reign, that the lands-
thus afligned for the fupport o f the national militia, fhould:
for ever remain appropriated to that purpofe ; and thefe regulations
were further confirmed and augmented- in 17.23,
with the additional claufer that they fhould be eonfidered as-
a fundamental part o f the conftitution,.and fhould never be.-
abolifhed. . . . .
In order to comprehend the nature of the Swedifh militia,,
it is neceflary to obferve, that the kingdom is divided into-
diftridts, which are refpedtively bound to furniih and maintain
a ftipulated number of troops. With this view, each
holder of a certain quantity o f crown-land, called a Hrnimany
provides a foldier, affigns for his maintenance a fmall.portion
of ground, a cottage, and a barn; and allows him 100
copper dollars, o r£ i . 7* H d- Per annum,; a fuit of coarfe
clothes, and two pair o f fhoes. When thè foldier is a b f e n t ,
either with the army in time o f war, during the annual
reviews, or is employed in the fervice o f government, the
landholder cultivates his ground * for the fubfiftence of his
* In my route th rou gh Sweden, I flopped to examine a p o r tio n o f g roun d a p p r o p r i a t e d
-w i fe
wife and family; and, when he is prefent, may call upon ci*ap.
him to work at the rate of the common wages beftowed u p - 1— w—/
on a labourer *. Upon the death o f the foldier, his widow
and children are obliged to cede the ground and houfe to his-
fucceffor, whom the landholder is bound to provide within
the fpace o f three months upon pain o f being, fined.
With refpedt to the cavalry, a certain number o f hemmans
are joined to furniih a man and horfe fully equipped, and to
maintain them both.
Befide rat id . annually paid by the proprietors of each.
hemman, towards defraying the expence o f the foldiers uniforms,
fome crown-demefnes are fet apart for the fame pur—
pofe, but in fo fmall a quantity,, as to be fcarcely adequate to
the charge o f clothing two regiments. On this account, as
the-national troops are not, in time o f peace, under arms for
a longer fpace than three weeks, they are feldom provided-
with new uniforms oftener than once in eight or nine years..
Upon a fimilar principle, the officers o f thefe national,
troops receive, inftead of their, pay in money, certain eftates
in land,, called beftalle, which are fituated in- the fame province
to which the. regiment belongs. They are allowed an;
additional appointment in corn from the king’s tythes. Each.
province being divided into a number o f hemmans fufficient
to fupport a- regiment, the fmaller provinces furniih the regiments
of infantry, and the larger thofe o f cavalry. The.-
eftate appropriated to the colonel* is-fituated towards the center
o f the province, and of the grounds afligned to his regiment
; that .of the captain in the middle of thofe belonging
to-his company ;. and in a fimilar gradation to the corporal.
to the maintainence-of a co rpo ra l o f in fan» rio means fufficient fo r th e fu b iiflen c e o f th«v
t r y : it meafured 147 yards in len g th , and corporal and his fam ily .
117 in b r e a d th ; bu t as it was in general a * W h ich in fome parts th a t I v ifited .
deep fa ml, on ly p a rt was capab le o f b eing was abou t 3^. p e r day*,
advantageoully cu ltiv a ted , f a th a t ic was by.
Im