were the beds for the family, ranged in kinds of cupboards in
the walls, about four or five feet from the ground; at the upper
end were three rooms, a kitchen without a chimney, a fitting-
room, and a bed-chamber juft large enough to contain two
beds j and the landlady was much furpriied that we infilled
upon both beds, afferting that one 'was fiifficient for two gentlemen.
On her putting on a pair of fheets which did not feem
clean, I gently remonftrated; as an apology, the good woman
allured me that they were perfedtly clean, no one having
ilept in them but her hulband, who was as wholefome as an
emperor. Unwilling to affront the good woman in the perfon
of her huiband, I acquiefced; but took them off when I went
to bed, and palled the night in my clothes.
The next morning we continued our route to Moellen, though
not the neareft way to Lubec, in order to examine the navigation
of the Steiknitz, which unites the Elbe and the Trave. This
water-communication is formed by the two final! rivulets, the
Steiknitz and the Devenau, the former of which falls into the
Trave, and the latter into the Elbe at Lauenburgh. Profeffor
Buefch of Hamburgh informed me, that they were united by a
canal cut by order of the government of Lubec, in the fourteenth
century; and fuppofed to have been the firft canal which
had double fluice-gales. The average depth of water being
only three feet and a half, no heavy-laden veiiels can pafs
along. The watermen belonging to fome barges carrying corn
and planks told me, that they had employed eight days in coming
from
from Lubec to Moellen, which is only thirty-fix miles by land;
and did not expedt to reach Lauenburgh in lefs than eight
days more. Seventeen locks mull: be palfed by all veffels going
from Lubec into the Elbe at Lauenburgh; yet, notwithftanding
this inconvenience, about 440 veffels annually navigate this canal.
The country around Moellen is agreeably diverfified with fine
woods of oak, beech, and birch.
Ratzeburgh is a fmall fortified town, prettily lituated on an
illand in the midft of a lake about thirty miles in circumference;
the banks whereof are abrupt, and pleafantly feathered with wood.
The town partly belongs to the dutchy of Mecklenburgh Strelitz,
and partly to that of Saxe Lauenburgh. The buildings are of
brick; and almoft every houfe is lhaded with a tree, which
forms a Angular and agreeable appearance.
From the lake of Ratzeburgh iffues the river Wakenitz,
which joins the Trave near Lubec, and thus facilitates the water-
communication between Lubec and thefe parts.
The dutchy of Saxe Lauenburgh belongs to the king o f
England, as eledtor of Hanover.
The road winds at a fmall diftance from the lake of Ratzeburgh,
commanding diverfified views of wood, water, and fields
of corn and pafture. We entered the territory of Lubec about
the diftance of three miles from that city, and paffed over much
fand and barren heath, till we drove into its gate.
Lubec, the head of the Hanfiatic league, was formerly the
moft commercial city, and moft powerful republic o f the north.
B 2 Her