B° ° K as Suckdorf; and it was computed that the whole would be
— .— ' completed in 1 7 84. The work was performed by contract:
1024 cubick feet* of earth were taken out for Sr. ; and the
whole expence was to amount to about ^200,000. Between
the Flemhuder lake and the rivulet Lavens is the
higheft point; on each fide whereof the waters take different
courfes to the Baltick and German Ocean : in this part the
ground mult be opened to the depth o f 5 o feet. The perpendicular
fall towards the Baltick is 25 feet 6 inches ; and
that towards the Ocean 23 ; and the veffels will be raifed or
let down by means o f the fix following fluices : Holtenau,
Knorp, Suckdorf, Shinkel, Niederholten, and Rendiburgh.
The breadth o f the cut is 100 feet at top, and 54 at bottom ;
the fluices are 27 feet in breadth and 100 in length ; and
the lowell depth of water 1 o feet. The canal will be fur-
nifhed with water as far as Steinwarp from theE.yder, and
the lakes Flemhuder and Welter, and from thence to
Rendiburgh by the Wetter lake, from which flows a rivulet
that joins the Eyder. Common merchantmen of about 120
tons burden will be able to navigate this canal.
The utility of this important undertaking will be evident
from a mere infpedtion o f the map of Denmark. At prefent
even the fmalleft veffels, trading from any part o f the Danifh
dominions in the Baltick to the Northern Sea, muft make a
circhit round the extremity o f Jutland, and are liable to be
detained by oppofite winds. This navigation is fo tedious,
that goods fbipped at Copenhagen for Hamburgh are not
unufually fent by fea only to Lubeck, and from thence by
land to Hamburgh. But the completion of this canal will
enable veffels of a certain burden to pafs immediately from
the Baltick into the German Ocean; proceed-without unlad-
* T h e fo o t u fe d in th is c h a p t e r is to th e -E n g l i i b a s 21 to 2 2 ,
ing
ing to Hamburgh; or, faff to Holland, which, in-times o f C^APwar,
receives great fupplies o f fugar, and other Weft Indian _<
commodities, from Denmark.
April the 12th. After .having examined the canal and
tow'n o f Kiel, we continued our route, and, in about 18
miles, reached a fmall village beautifully feated between two
lakes, in the midrt of a romantick country, interfperfed with
feveral forefts of beech and oak. The largeft o f thefe lakes
is that of Ploen, the banks o f which were adorned with the
town of Ploen, the capital o f the dutchy, which efcheated to
the king o f Denmark in 1 7 6 1 , upon the deceafe o f the laft
duke Charles without iflue male.,. The palace, formerly the
ducal refidence, rifing in the midft o f the town on an elevated
fpot o f ground and overlooking the lake, was a -pic-
turefque objeit.
On the enfuing morning we traverfed a w'aving and variegated
country, abounding in pafture, corn, and pleafantly
fprinkled with w-ood ; and, after a few miles, we quitted his
Danifh majefty’s dominions, and arrived about mid-day at
Lubeck.
During my progrefs through Sweden and Denmark, 1 remarked,
with attentive curiofity, many o f thofe regular circles
o f ftones which are fo frequently fcattered over the face,
not only o f thefe countries, but our own. According to the-
plan I have generally followed in the courfe o f this work, I
ill all firft defcribe thofe which fell under my immediate ob-
fervation; and ihall then throw together a few7 remarks upon
their probable origin and deftination.
In the province o f Weft Gothland, betw'een Kalange and
Lidkioping, I obferved upon the top o f an hill two rude
maffes o f red granite placed upright on each fide o f the high
road. The talleft meafured 15 feet in height, five' fpans
4 G 2 ' and