C H A P T E R IV.
N At oral Ge ogra p h' y.
Climate and Seafons.— Face of the C o u n t r y Soil and
, :' Lakes.— Mountains.— Forejis.— Botany.— Zoology. — Mineralogy. — Mineral
Waters.— Natural Curiofities. \
ClIMATB
- AND
S ea so n s .
T HE different parts of Sweden p'refent confider^-ble varieties pf,tem--
perature, but even ih the middle regfom* wintep maintains, along
and. dreary fway. The gulph. of Bothnia beqoixres one-field of ;
and travellers pafs on it. from Finland hy the ifles ^f ^land. | In ,%e
moft fouthern provinces, where the grand ma^of the population^ is
centered, the climate may be compared, to that of Spp^land, which lies
under the fameparallel; but the weftern ga|es.‘frqm the Atlantic,; whjph
deluge the Scotifh Highlands with perpetual rain, and form the-chief
obftacle to improvement, are little # . In the' nort'h'the fummeys
hot, by the reflexion of the numerous, mountains, and. the^ extreme
length of the days ; for at Tornea, in Swedilb Lapland,. the fuu'ls„fpr
fome weeks vifible at midnight; and the winter in return, preffnts
many weeks of complete darknefs. Yetthefe long: nights are (qmqwhat
relieved, by the light of the moon; by the. reflexion of the fiiow, and
by the’Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, which dart their ruddy
rays through the Ik y , with an almoft conftant effulgence. Of late
years it has been remarked that the fpring is more cold than formerly ;
yet at Stockholm the tulips blow at Whitfunday. Beyond,Gefflejfruit
trees are rare. In a further latitude the beech difappears; and the oak
dwindles, till it is followed by the birch, a tree which feems the moft
capable of bearing cold.
No
5 3 9
*■ No co u n try c a n be diverfified in a more pbfturefque manner, with
extenfiye lakes, large tranfparent rivers, winding ftreaixSwa®-'catara£ts,
gloomy forefts, verdant vales, ftupendous rocks, a n d . .cultivated fields.
T h e - foil is not the moft propitious ; but agriculture is co n d u c ed with
fkill and rnidfiftry, fo as much to exceed th a t o f Germany, and- D enmark.*
Even Finland prefents many rich paftures, and not a few fields
o f ry e , oats, and barley. I t is(J_jfi3tp|)®'fed Thapin thpjtfouth o f Sweden
b y draining a n d 1-. qffikpeilmpfbyem^rifcs^Sa: fnfficient quantity o f wheat,
might be raifed for the fupply o f the kingdom.
' Sweden is in te rfe red by numerous rivers, the largeft o f which are
in the native language calledI Elbs, or Blfs. T h e moft corifiderablc
flow from the lakes, without any- great len g th o f co u rfe ; fifeh as the
G o th a , the Only outlet of the vaft lake of Wener, b u t unhappily
impeded by many rocks and cataracts. . - M an y other rivers in the fouth
rathepiaflitme thöfff rtnp^^crpeks,' and :ou)dgM,Iof^t&^lakIsalas -the.
Motala, which is the outlefjof ifie lake AVetPppafiiblp by Nprkioping;
and fcarcely can a'flrream be named,of conhderabieToürfe,.>.ti]bwe reach-
the river Dahl,..the moft important in.'Sweden, ?<mnfift{n,g;o£t two conjunct
ftreams, the eaftern and weftembDahl, which rife-in Norwegian
Alps, give name to the province of Dalarn, or,'Dafecarlia; and.
after a courfe of about 260 Britilh mileA-ebter the Bothnic gtilph,^about
yo miles to -the eaft of; Gfeffle, prelèntiqgpnpt, far,, foam 'Sts ^rdouth,
aii'detebrated cataract, .efteemed. little inferior to that öf the*Rhine at
Schaffhaufen, the Breadth, of ithe--river bejag, ,nëar a'quafter of a .railed
.and the perpendicular height of the fall betwfeep^SiQtraneft40 fe£b*^jpfhet
furrounding feenery alfo afiifts the effedt, .wfijagb is truly fis^ime^} ?
i- Further to'the north, and in Swedifh Lapland,'- are: many; c8fifidei'%
able' riyehs^.which alfo rife “from the' Ntirwhgian.Aj.psjJlin'jd^’flo.'w ihtP
thd gulph idf £ Bothnia, ‘ after .circuits of »about^-alao* milpsi^,, „The: cpief of
the Lapl'andib' ftreams ia the Tbrrièa-, which Tpriqgsi from ja' -lake
the fame name ; and after receiving the Kengis^and -other' cqrïfi disable,
rivers, joins the-northern extremity-of the Bothnic, having run about'
.jjbo Britifh miles.
F a c e o f th e CODNTEV.
Soitani-^
Agriculture.
River*.
Bail."
1 Marfhall, iii. 93; 1 Wraxall’s Northern Tour, :p,, 158. Coxe, v. 99. B
3 z 2 - >* x -- iv 1 ‘Tihland,