This motley group, amounting in all to thirteen persons, without a rag to cover them, squatted themselves upon the floor in the middle of the chamber, and began altogether the business of their brief toilette. The women put on two pairs of woollen hose, and over these a pair of greasy boots. The toilette being ended, they all with one accord began to blow their noses into the palms of their hands, and to wipe them upon their clothes. Then the men kindled their tobacco-pipes; and a universal hawking and spitting commenced. Nor were the women unoccupied; for a large fire being lighted, the females of the family quietly took up their petticoats, and sate before it, very leisurely gartering their stockings. This being done, a girl now handed round their breakfast; it consisted of, first, a dram to each person, served in a small silver cup; secondly, a portion of black biscuit, with about two ounces of fresh butter. At this meal they sate without ceremony or order, each where and with whom he pleas ed, chatting and laughing in groups, apparently contented and happy. It was rather new, to see mothers with children at their breasts disengage their tender infants from the nipple, to pour down their little throats a portion of the dram which came to the mother's share; but still more remarkable to see these young dram-drinkers lick their lips, roll their eyes about, and stretch out their puny hands, as craving more; showing how accustomed they were to this beverage. Perhaps the practice may explain the frequency of dwarfs in the Northern countries of Europe; as in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. But the author, venturing a mild remonstrance upon seeing an affectionate mother pouring brandy down her child's throat, was told, "It is good for them our children are not troubled with wind or with rickets; and our adults," giving one of the sturdy peasants a notable thump, "see how hardy and healthy they are!" There was no reply to such an appeal; for of the Olanders, in general, it may be said, that a more vigorous race can hardly be found; and all of them have imbibed with their milk their morning drams of brandy. It is in scenes like that which the interior of this hut exhibited, the mind is forcibly struck with a conviction of the relative nature of human happiness; that it belongs to no rank or situation in life as a peculiar possession; but that in all stations, gifted with health, and virtue, and just government, Providence has vouchsafed an equal portion of this blessing.' p. 328.

The inhabitants of the Oland Isles amount to between five and six thousand. The agricultural produce of the land is trifling; but they carry on a considerable trade in several kinds of fish, which are conveyed in well-vessels, and salted in the reservoirs at Stockholm. The increase of wolves among these islands, and in all Sweden and Finland, of late years, is one of the most remarkable events in the history of the country. This change began in the time of Linnæus, who, in

his Fauna Suecica, having mentioned the wolf as common in the Swedish woods, adds these words: Ante viginti annos rarius animal in Suecia.' And the increase is now so great as to call the attention of the government towards their destruction. They next reached Sattunga, occupying a central point amidst the innumerable rocks and inlets which almost fill the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia. In these islands, the Swedish language is said to exist in its most ancient and pure state; and approaches so near to the English, that Dr Clarke's servant was able to understand, and sometimes to converse with the inhabitants; Dr Thomson has also remarked, that, to a native of Britain, the Swedish language is not attended with much difficulty. The occupation of the islanders in winter, consists in fishing, or in killing seals. Few people are such expert marksmen: The seals are forced to come up from the water for air, through some apertures in the ice: the moment a seal-shooter sees one of them thrusting his nose through the hole to breathe, he levels his gun and kills it.

Our author pursued his journey across the frozen channels of the Gulf of Bothnia, suffering from the extreme severity of the weather; nor could any thing be conceived more revolting or disgusting, than the manners and habits of the people in some of the hovels in which he was obliged to pass the night. In this part of the route, he noticed a remarkable phenomenon. When the door of the apartment was opened, the rushing in of the cold air converted the warm vapour of the room into a whirling column or cloud of snow. Maupertuis and the French academicians made a similar remark while they were on their journey to Torneo, to measure a degree for ascertaining the figure of the earth. Dr Clarke next reached Oho, the largest town, after Stockholm and Gottenburg, in all Scandinavia. Its name as an University, and the character of its learned men, are scarcely known, on account of the want of facilities of communication with the rest of Europe; but many of the members would have done honour to any seat of science. Among those to whom Dr Clarke was introduced, we may mention Frantzen the poet, Professor of History; and Professor Porthan well known for his valuable works relating to the ancient history of his country. The Chemical department was under the superintendance of Gadolin, distinguished by his various scientific dis coveries; and the Botanical chair was filled by the celebrated Hellenius. The library contains a few Greek and Latin manuscripts, some early editions of the classics, and many works relating to Swedish and Russian history.

In comparing the merits of the Universities of Obo and Up

sala, Dr Clarke does not hesitate to give the palm of superiority to the former, where science was the subject of real and industrious research; but in the latter, was made more the matter of conversation. It is probable, that the union of Finland to Russia, an event so much deprecated by our author, and which has taken place since he visited the country, will prove advantageous to Obo. We find, from Mr James, that the buildings of the college have been renewed at the expense of the present Emperor of Russia, who now carries on the plan that was intended to have been put into execution by Gustavus IV.

Although many of the ornaments in the Cathedral of Obo have been destroyed by conflagrations, and various calamities to which it has been exposed, the structure itself is an object of curiosity. The style of architecture observed in the interior is Gothic; but the outside exhibits a pile of plain brick-work. There are many monuments of interest; and Dr Clarke has, with very commendable industry, collected and preserved many inscriptions relating to bishops, saints, heroes and warriors, of former times. There is a monument raised to the memory of a Scotch officer in the Swedish service, Samuel Cockburne, who died in 1641, with an inscription in Latin verse-though Dr C., who copies it, does not seem aware of the fact.

As the time for the annual fair was now approaching, the inhabitants, from distant provinces, arrived in numbers every day; and this gave our author an opportunity of examining their modes of life, and customs, manners, and dresses. Ä great resemblance is observable between the Finns and Laplanders. The Russian traders were distinguished by their long bushy beards, naked necks, and lambskin caps; the Finns by dark unbending hair, sallow countenances, eyes extended length-ways and half closed, sharp chins, and elevated cheekbones. The trade carried on with these tribes, from the interior of the country, constitutes a principal part of the commerce of Obo. Brandy and tobacco are the articles in the greatest request among the Finns.

The ancient history of the Finnish tribes is involved in great obscurity. It appears, from the information communicated to Dr Clarke by Professor Porthan, that their language is a dialect of that which is spoken by the Lapps, by many of the Russian nations, and, what is more remarkable, it has been identified with the Hungarian. The authors of the Universal History, we observe, deny the resemblance between the Finnish and Lapland idioms; but the instances quoted by Dr Clarke seem decisive of the question. Our author received from Professor Porthan a specimen of Finnish poetry, written by a girl on the

absence of, her lover. He has inserted the original with a lite ral translation; but, on comparing it with the version of Acerbi, we find some difference; the latter has also stated, that the girl was a servant of the clergyman of the village where she resided; a circumstance omitted by Dr Clarke, but necessary to be noticed, in order to understand the allusion in the last stanza. We subjoin part of the composition of the Finnish Sappho; and leave it to our readers who are acquainted with the original, to decide, whether the error in the translation belongs to Dr Clarke or to Mr Acerbi.

Dr Clarke's Version.

1. If my well-known should come, my often-beholded should appear; I would snatch a kiss from his mouth, if it were tainted with wolf's blood; I would seize and press his hand, if a serpent were at the end of it. 2. If the wind had a mind, if the breeze had a tongue, to bear and bring back the vows which two lovers exchange! 3. All dainties would I disregard, even the vicar's savoury meat; rather than forsake the friend of my heart, the wild game of my summer's hunting, the darling of my winter's taming.'

We subjoin Acerbi's version of the second and third stanzas, which is evidently less literal.

'Alas! why have not the winds understanding, and why is the breeze bereft of speech! The winds might exchange sentiments between my beloved and me; the breezes might every instant carry my words to him, and bring back his to me. How, then, would the delicacies of the rector's table be neglected! how inattentive should I be to the dress of his daughter! I should leave every thing to at tend upon my beloved, who is the dear object of my summer thoughts and winter cares.

There is nothing in the journey from Obo, through Finland, to Petersburg, that calls for any particular remark. The route which, in the summer season, is distinguished by great natural beauties, exhibits, in the winter, a dull uniformity of scenery. The whole of Finland, since the period when Dr Clarke visited the country, has been annexed to Russia; and Sweden, on the other hand, has gained an important accession of territory in the possession of Norway. Dr Clarke unfortunately arrived at Petersburg when the Imperial throne was filled by Paul, respecting whom he has communicated many anecdotes, illustrating the absurdity and insanity of his conduct; and presenting altogether a picture of folly and caprice almost without example in the history of the species. We are not disposed to question the accuracy of the statements made by Dr Clarke; and, indeed, any confirmation of them were necessary, we might find it in a work with which he was not acquainted, an Account of

if

the Reign of Paul, written by M. Depping, and inserted in the Continuation of Levesque's History of Russia. We translate a few passages from the French work, which the reader may compare with Dr Clarke's narrative.

• Exiles and arrests continued to take place every day. Numerous kibitkas were seen on the road conveying prisoners to Siberia, or the frontiers of Prussia. These departures were made with the greatest haste; the exiled person was often allowed only an hour to arrange his affairs; and was then sent to the rigorous climate of Siberia, without being allowed to ⚫ provide himself with any means of defence against the severity of the cold. The anger of Paul was directed indiscriminately against all classes of society. Courtiers, men of letters, persons of military rank, merchants, and women,-all suffer⚫ed the punishment of exile, or the knout, for trifling offences. • He had a horror of round hats and pantaloons, and would not allow them to be worn. In order to abolish the custom of wearing them, he acted as Peter the First did, when he wished that his subjects should shave their beards. Cossacks had orders to seize and tear every round hat which they observed in the streets. This singular determination occasioned strange scenes, which would have afforded amusement, if they had not been accompanied with acts of violence. Some were beaten by the soldiers, and sent to the army, because they resisted those who attempted to take away their hats: a person in office lost his place for having appeared in a frock coat, and ⚫ with a round hat. An Englishman, whose hat had been seized by a serjeant, said to him, examining him from head to foot "How I pity you for being a Russian!" Another gentleman, who was not possessed of an equal degree of coolness, resisted, and was beaten, and sent to prison.

*

Dr Clarke, at the close of his work, in speaking of the death of Peter the Third, delivers it as his own opinion, that Peter was acquainted with the licentious intercourse carried on between his wife and Orloff, and with the plans they had formed for seizing the reins of government ;-that he intended to take some steps to defeat their schemes;-that the Empress and the conspirators, seeing their danger, were in some sort driven to those measures which ended in his destruction. The friends of Catherine endeavour to acquit her of all participation in the foul deed of the murder of Peter; and the Prince de Ligne, in order to show that she could have no intention of committing the crime, refers to an anecdote, which we confess appears to

Histoire de Russie, tom. VI.