C H A P . XI.
Carlfcrona.— New docks.— Swedifhfleet.— Sailors.— Chrifti-
anftadt.— Helfingborg.— General remarks on the mode of
travelling in Sweden.— Pofl-borfes.— Roads.— Similarity
between many general expreflions in the Engliih and Swediih
tongues.
BOOK p A I l L S C R O N A derives its origin and name from
— ^ Charles XI. who firft laid the. foundations o f a new
town in 1680, and removed the fleet from Stockholm to this
place, on account o f its advantageous fituation in the center
o f the Swedifh feas, and .the fuperior fecurity o f its harbour.
The greateft part o f Carlfcrona flands upon a fmall rocky
ifland, which rifes gently in a bay o f the Baltick; the fub-
urbs extend over another fmallrock, and along the mole
clofe to the bafon where the fleet is moored. The way info
the town from the main land is carried over a dyke to
an ifland, and from thence along two long wooden bridges
joined by a barren rock. The town is fpacious, and contains
about 18,000 inhabitants. It is ad.orned with one or two
handfome churches, and a few tolerable houfes o f brick;
but the generality o f buildings are o f wood. The fuburbs
are fortified towards the land by a flone wall.
The entrance into the harbour, which by nature is ex-
tremely difficult from a number o f fhoals and rocky iflands,
is -ftill further fecured from the attack of an enemy’s fleet
by two ftrong forts built on two iflands, under the batteries
o f which all veflels mutt pafs.
During our flay at Carlfcrona, we received great civilities, chap.
and were entertained in the moft hofpitable manner by many ■
perfons of the firft diftinftion; and had no difficulty in obtaining
permiflion to infpeit the dock-yard, and the whole
fleet.
Formerly veflels in this port, when careened and repaired,
were laid upon their fides in the open harbour,
until a dock, according to a plan given by Polheim, Was
hollowed in the folid rock: it was begun in 1714, and
finifhed in 1724; but, as it was too fmall for the admiflion
o f men o f war, it has lately been enlarged, and is now
capable of receiving a fhip o f the firft rate. Its dimenfions
are in length 190 Swediih feet; in depth 33 ; and in
breadth 46. It contains 300,000 cubick feet o f water, and
is ufually emptied in ten hours. Ninety men are employed
in pumping at the fame time, and are relieved every half hour
by the fame number.
This being at prefent the only receptacle for the repairing
o f fliips, new docks have been begun upon a ftupendous
plan worthy of the antient Romans. According to the original
fcheme, it was intended to conftruct thirty docks, for
building and laying up the largeft fliips, at the extremity
of the harbour.
A large bafon, capable o f admitting two men o f war, is
defigned to communicate, by fluices,with two fmaller bafons,
from each o f which are to extend, like the radii o f a circle,
five rows of covered docks: each row is to be feparated by
walls of ftone; and each dock to be provided with fluice-
gates, foas to be filled or emptied by means o f pumps. Clofe
to the docks magazines for naval ftores are to be conftructed,
and the whole to be enclofed with a ftone wall.
Vot.. II. T t t The