The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

130 SCANDINAVIA.Spitzbergen and the arctic waters. They are the most advanced European outpoststowards the pole ;yet nature, though severe, has its charms in these highlatitudes, and during the long winter night is relieved by the fitful play of thenorthern lights. These remote towns are even cheerful, feasts, dancing, theatricals,succeeding each other without intermission. Strangers are warmly welcomed andhospitably entertained. Like the wealthy merchants of Genoa and Marseilles,those of Tromso have also their country retreats scattered over the neighbouringterraces and hills, and nestling in forests of birch. Ilammerfest marks thenorthern extremity of the arc of the meridian, stretching across 26° of latitudethrough Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltic Provinces, Poland, and Austria-Hungary to the Danube. A column of Finnish granite commemorates the happycompletion of this grand work of triangulation, carried out under the direction ofStruve.Swedish Towns.There was more space available in Sweden than in Norway for the foundationof towns, which were not here compelled to crowd under the hills or encroachon the beach. The plains of the interior lay open to them, and many haverisen far from the Baltic and Kattegat on the shores of the large lakes, or elseat the crossing of the great highways in the open country. North of the Dalbasin, however, the scanty populations were obliged to group round the rivermouths, the only places giving easy access to the outer world. Nearly allthe Swedish towns, having plenty of room for expansion, occupy areas equalto those of the great cities in France or Italy. Their streets would elsewherebe regarded as avenues or public squares ; the houses, standing apart, at leastin the suburbs, are low, spacious, generally very clean, painted, in yellow, green,or more frequently a dull red, and fitted with outside steps to facilitate escape incase of fire.The chief town on the Kattegat coast is Goteborg, situated on one of themouths of the Gota, which here bifurcate, not round an alluvial delta, but in themidst of a rocky district. The second largest city in Sweden, its prosperity is dueto its favourable position on the banks of a river, now navigable beyond the rapidsall the way to Lake Wener. There are several other good harbours on this coast,but Goteborg is especially distinguished as the intermediate station between theentrance to the Baltic and the Gulf of Christiania. It also faces the Skaw, ornorthern extremity of Denmark, so that goods coming from Stockholm and therest of Sweden may here be conveniently shipped, either westwards by the SkagerRak, or southwards by the Kattegat. Frequently rebuilt after destructive fires,Goteborg is now an imposing city, with stone houses and well-kept streets, intersectedby canals crossed by swing-bridges, and surrounded by a wide belt of publicpromenades, occupying the site of the former ramparts. Abridge connects it withthe low island of Hisingen, and the quays and river, nearly always free from ice,are very animated, for, though inferior to the capital in population, Goteborgexceeds it in its foreign trade and industries. "Water and steam power are largely