Passenger, tho' they fee him coming. The Natives are very dextrous at Skating; and, when the Rivers and Dykes are frozen up, both Men and Women skate from Place to Place, upon their Bufinefs: It is incredible how fwift some of them move in their Skates; no running Horfe, it is faid, can keep Pace with them. When the Snow is upon the Ground, and frozen over, young Gentlemen and Ladies appear abroad in the most magnificent Sledges; each Sledge is drawn by a Horse, decked with rich and glittering Harness; in thefe they run Races upon the frozen Snow: Great Numbers of these being feen in the Streets together, especially at Amfterdam, make a very beautiful Shew.

Of DENMARK.

TH "HERE are a great Number of Islands on the Coaft of Nor way, and others belonging to that Kingdom, at a Distance from it; the most confiderable of which is Iceland, the Northern Part of which lies under the Arctic Circle. Its Mountains are always covered with Snow.

Denmark.

CLIMATE.] The North Part of Denmark is faid to be very cold, and not very wholfome, especially near Copenhagen, which is fuppofed to proceed from its low Situation and frequent Fogs. There is scarce any Medium between extreme Cold and Heat; for the Spring and Autumn are of a very short Duration, and the Productions of the Earth are accordingly very speedy in their Growth. The Air, in the Southern Part, in general, is allowed to be good, and the Country pleafant enough. Denmark produces good Corn, and feveral Parts abound in Cattle, Hogs, and Horfes. The longest Day, in the Northmoft Part, is about 18 Hours, and, in the Southmost about 17: Therefore this Country lies in the 10th, 11th and 12th Northern Climates, The Air of Norway and Lapland is fo extremely cold, efpecially towards the North, that it is but thinly inhabited. The Face of the Country is very much incumbered with Mountains, and formidable Rocks, which produce fcarce any Food for Man or Beaft, and are almost continually covered with Snow.

Norway and
Lapland.

GOVERNMENT.] Tho' the King of Denmark is an abfolute Prince, he is pleafed, however, to act by Laws and Rules of his own and his Ancestors framing, which he takes the Liberty of repealing and altering, as he thinks fit.

REVENUES.] The whole Revenues of the King of Denmark amount to about 500,cool. Sterling upon the best Calculations;

culations; which, in that Part of the World, will go near as far as three times that Sum with us, confidering the Cheapness of Provifions and Labour in these Countries.

RELIGION.] Lutheranifm is the established Religion in Denmark, and no other Denomination of Chriftians are tolerated. The established Religion in Norway is the

fame as in Denmark, only that, on the Borders In Norway. of Lapland, they differ but very little from mere Heathens. The Inhabitants of Iceland, who own In Iceland. Allegiance to the Danish Crown, are generally the

fame in Religion with the Danes; but the uncivilized Natives, who commonly abfcond in Dens and Caves, ftill adhere to their ancient Idolatry. Alfo in Wardhuys, or Norwegian Lapland, the Natives are generally In Lapland. Pagans ftill, tho' they are ufually denominated Chriftians; and, by the Innocence of their Lives, perhaps deferve to be ranked in the firft Clafs, but feem to have very confused Notions of its Doctrines.

Of the Danes.

CUSTOMS.] The Danes in their Funerals are exceeding magnificent; and it is not uncommon to depofit a Corpfe in a Vault, in or near the Church, many Months together, in order to make Preparations to folemnize the Burial with the greater Pomp. The poor People, indeed, are buried with lefs Ceremony; but even they are attended to their Graves by a Set of Mourners, hired by every Parish for that Purpose. Holidays are obferved as ftrictly as Sundays; and, in the time of Divine Service, the Gates of Copenhagen are fhut. It is cuftomary with the Danes to be contracted feveral Months and Years, and live in the most intimate Familiarity, before the Marriage is folemnized at Church, but then thefe Contracts are very folemn, before Friends.

Of the Lap

landers.

A Laplander, when he intends to marry, looks out for a Maid well stock'd with Rain-deer; for it is the Custom in Lapland, for Parents to give their Children, as foon as they are born, fome Rain-deer, which, for ever after, with all their Increase, belong to the Children. The more Rain-deer a Maid has, the fooner fhe may expect a Husband; for Laplanders do not regard Beauty, or fuch Qualifications as are valuable to others. It is natural for fuch as live in barren Countries, to be most folicitous for their Subfiftence, which because the Rain-deer chiefly afford them, they look upon them as their greatest Riches, which may beft fecure them against Wants. The poorer Sort are content to marry a Man's Daughter, who lives in a conve

nient

nient Place for Hunting and Fishing. After a Laplander has pitched upon one he intends to marry, he, in company with two or three Friends, undertakes a Journey to her Father. Being come to the Hut, they are all invited in, except the Suitor, who ftays for fome time without, and paffes away his Time in fome trifling Employment or other, perhaps in cleaving of Wood, till at last he alfo is invited in; for, without an exprefs Invitation, it is looked upon as a great Piece of Rudenefs for him to come in. After they have fortified themselves with a Dram, the Spokesman begins to declare his Suit, defiring the Maid's Father to beftow his Daughter in Marriage upon the young Man; and, if the Father confents, that the young Man may pay his Refpects to the Virgin, he goes directly out of the Hut to his Sledge, and puts on his beft Apparel; after which they falute with a Kifs, and not only prefs their Lips, but likewife their Nofes together, otherwife it would not pafs for a true Salute. After this, he makes her a Present of a Rain-deer's Tongue, and the like, which fhe refufes to accept in the Prefence of others; but, being fecretly called afide, without the Hut, if fhe accepts of the Prefent, the Suitor begs the Favour of her to let him fleep near her in the Hut, which if the grants, the Marriage is as good as concluded, but if the refufes, the throws the Prefents at his Feet.

The Laplanders make ufe of Bows, in Hunting, of about three Yards long, two Inches broad, and one thick, made of two Pieces of Wood join'd within one another; and within the Piece of Birch, they put a Slip of Pine-wood, which, by reafon of its refinous Subftance, is flexible, and confequently the most proper for drawing together, and fending forth the Arrows. They make ufe alfo of Skates in Hunting, one of which exceeds the Length of the Perfon that wears it by one Foot, and the other is one Foot shorter, both turn'd upwards before, and fomewhat broader than the Soles of the Feet: They faften thefe Skates to their Feet with a With, run thro' on both Sides, but not thro' the Bottom, which would hinder their fliding, or wear foon out by continual ufing; this comes directly over the Midft of the Feet; and one half of the Skate is before, and the other behind. They ufe a Staff in fliding, at the End of which is a round Piece of Wood, which is to force themselves over the frozen Snow. Those that are Mafters of Skating are scarce ever tired, tho' they travel never fo far: They will purfue the Chace over the flippery frozen Snow with that incredible Swiftnefs, that they outrun the wild Raindeer and Wolves; and, by various twifting of their Bodies, and Windings and Turnings in their Way, they afcend the

highest

highest Mountains, and likewife defcend from the Top of these fteep Mountains down to the Bottom, without any Danger of Falling. This feems next to an Impoffibility; but I find it afferted by Rheen, and quoted by Scheffer. The Laplanders travel in Sledges during the Winter Seafon; he who fits in it governs the Rain-deer with a fingle Halter, which does not pafs through the Mouth, but is only faftened to the Head and Horns; this he holds in his Right-hand, with a Stick at the End, and throws it sometimes on the Right, and fometimes on the Leftfide of the Rain-deer, which turns to that Side where the Rope or Halter twitches. The Sledge, being of a femicircular Figure at the Bottom, is continually inclining to one Side or other, fo that it wants a conftant Balance, which must be done partly by the Body, and partly by the Help of the Hand of him who fits in it, for fear it fhould overthrow in the swift Course.

Of SWEDEN.

CLIMATE.] THE Air of this Country is very cold; but, if not too near Lakes or Marshes, fo pure and wholfome to breathe in, that many of the Inhabitants live to a great Age. During the Winter, which in moft Parts continues feven Months, and towards the North, the whole Country is covered with Snow a Yard or two thick, and the Lakes, Seas, and Rivers are all frozen up. The Air in the Northern Parts is fo exceeding fharp, it is faid, that Water sprinkled with one's Hand, will freeze before it comes to the Ground; and it is no uncommon thing, to find People who have loft their Nofes or Fingers by the extreme Cold; but the Snow is no fooner melted, than we fee, on a fudden, Part of the Earth covered with green Herbs and Flowers. The Soil is not very fertile in Corn; but that Difadvantage is recompenfed with pretty good Pafurage.

GOVERNMENT.] This Kingdom is very ancient, and was formerly elective; but after various Turns of Fortune, became hereditary under the Reign of Gustavus I. But it appears at prefent, that the Swedish Nobility and Gentry have of late not only fully recovered their ancient Liberties, but the States have invefted themselves with fovereign Power, and made their King entirely dependent on them; and Sweden may now be look'd upon rather as an Ariftocracy than a Monarchy. Where a Gentleman or Nobleman commits a capital Crime, he is fhot to Death. By the Laws of Sweden, the Father's Estate, whether hereditary or acquir'd, is divided among his Children, every

3

every Son having an equal Share in it, and a Daughter half as much as a Son.

REVENUES.] The public Revenues of Sweden arife, either out of the demefne Lands of the Crown, or from the Customs, the Coin, Copper and Silver Mines, Tythes, Poll-money, Fines, ftamp'd Paper, and other Duties on Proceedings at Law; all which are computed to amount to a Million Sterling, whereof the Cuftoms produce about a Fourth-part, and the Demefne Lands a Third.

RELIGION.] The English affume the Honour of planting the Gospel among the Swedes, in the Beginning of the ninth Century. The Reformation was begun in Sweden in the Reign of Gustavus Erickfon, at the Beginning of the fixteenth Century, who promoted it, as well upon politic as religious Views. The Clergy, in general, were his Enemies, and exceeding rich, which were two very ftrong Inducements to seize their Lands, and unite them to the Crown; and this he accomplish'd in his Reign, leaving the Clergy but a flender Maintenance. Lutheranifm prevails here; nor will they fuffer any other Denomination of Chriftians, whether Natives or Foreigners.

CUSTOMS.] People of Condition of either Sex, are seldom married before Thirty, because their Parents, perhaps, cannot afford to make Settlements suitable to their Quality in this poor Country, where they live, notwithstanding, to the Height of their Income. Among the common People, it feems, the Wife hath much the worst of it, being put to all the Drudgeries both within and without Doors, and looks upon herself to be rather in the Condition of a Servant, than a Companion to her Husband; and confequently there is very little Wrangling and Difputing between them.

of MOSCOVY, or RUSSIA in Europe.

CLIMATE.] THE Air of this Country muft be very different, it being of a vaft Extent: Towards the North, (as in Swedish Lapland, and the Northern Part of Sweden) the Air is fo exceeding fharp, that the Natives fometimes lose their Nofes or Fingers; however, in many of the Northern Parts, it is fo wholfome to breathe in, that the Inhabitants live to a very great Age. The moft Northern Provinces are very barren, producing very few of the Neceffaries of Life. During the Winter, which in moft of the Southern Provinces continues feven Months, and towards the Northern nine, the whole Country is covered with Snow; which supplies

the