Kemi, at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and Finland on the river Kemi, is chiefly remarkable for a church built in the Grecian stile, which singularly and painfully contrasts with the miserable wooden huts that compose the town. In the middle of the river is a small island, where an annual salmon fair is held.

At the north extremity of the gulf of Livonia are the islands CESEL and DAGE; they are not high, and are composed chiefly of calcareous rock, free stone, sand, and clay. Their pastures are proper for sheep, and they also have a small breed of horses. CESEL is fifteen leagues long, and four to six broad. Its south point is named Swaverort, on which is a light, and the north Palmerort. This island produces some corn and flax for export, as well as cattle. Arensberg is the only town, but it has some considerable villages, particularly Hundswik on the N.W.

DAGO is separated from CESEL by Esel Sound; its shape is very irregular. The north point is Syburg Ness, forming two distinct points, with a reef off each; but between them a clear space, with good anchorage. Dagerort, the west point, has a light. Round Esel and Dagoe are many small islands, inhabited by pilots and fishermen.

Of the numerous islands and rocks in the gulf of Finland, the most worthy of notice areBjorka islands, three in number, off the south point of the entrance of the gulf of Wyborg.

Russian
Islands.

Exholm.

Elgo, Aspo, and Leskar rocks, four league's south of Frederickshamn.

Fisher's, great and little; Hetti, between Frederickshamn and the gulf of Wyborg.

Hochland, nearly in the middle of the gulf, has two lights on the north end.

Kokskar, with a light.

Kalbaden reef, with seven feet, eight leagues south of Borgo.

Levenskar, Peni, Sommeos, Narva, Serkor, low, and covered with trees, all lay west of Dolgoness point.

Nargen island, before the bay of Revel.

Nyground, three fathoms water, N.E. of Odensholm.

Odensholm island, with a light, two miles N.W. of Spinthammar point.

The archipelago of ALAND is composed of one considerable and many lesser islands, islets, and rocks, aboye eighty in all. They are, in general, elevated, rising in rocky peaks, with numerous caverns their base is a reddish granite, mixed with feldspath, mica, and quartz. A few caleareous spots are also observed, one of which is 1,000 feet from the shore. Masses of limestone, rock christal, clays, argile, and vast quantities of shells, cover the primitive rock, and traces of lead ore have been met with. The whole archipelago possesses only about 4,000 acres of arable land, which produces wheat, barley, rye, and oats, sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants,

whose

Islands.

whose numbers have increased in the following in progression:-1749, 8,938; 1790, 11,384; 1800, Archipelaga 12,354; 1805, 13,340.

The principal trees are pines and birch, and though they have been long cut for exportation, they still afford above the consumption of the islands 12,000 cords a year, which is sent to Finland and Sweden. The grass is short and poor; the cattle are numerous but small; and the cows have seldom horns. In 1806, there were 2,760 horses, 140 bullocks, 3,780 young oxen and heifers, 8,100 cows, and 12,380 sheep. In the mountains are numbers of wild goats; and the woods antiently had stags, but which have been all destroyed. The lakes and torrents are numerous, and full of fish, of which, however, they want two species which abound in the waters of Finland,-salmon and eels.

There is no town on the islands, and but few collections of houses that even deserve the name of villages. Besides fire-wood, they export salted beef, tallow, hides, and butter, chiefly to Stockholm. The pilchard fishery, and the oil and skins of seals, also afford objects of export. The islands are divided into eight parishes, with each its church; the revenue they produce to government is near 20,000 rix-dollars; and they furnished 398 registered seamen to the fleet. The Alanders are a colony of Swedes, and speak the Swedish language. They were ceded to Russia with Swedish Finland, in 1809.

The

of Aland

Russian Islands.

Archipelago

of Aland.

The principal isle of Aland is nearly round, and twenty leagues in circumference. On the west side, and on a nearly insulated rock, are the remains of the ancient fortress of Castle-holmen, one of the prisons of Eric XIV. Its ruins are surrounded by a little village, consisting of the post-house, some shops, and peasant's huts. Fredenby, on the west, has only a house for the reception of travellers, and a peasant's cabin. Harroldsby, on the east, is equally insignificant, but has several mills turned by a stream.

Signal Scar, the western island, has no trees, and only a few peasants' huts: a telegraph on it communicates with another at Grislehamn, in Sweden. Ekero, west of Aland, is of some consideration, containing sixty royal farms, fifty windmills, and a church. It produces corn and is well wooded. Skopas, has only a house for travellers, and three or four peasants' cabins. Vergata, Kumlinga, Brando, Versala, Helsinga, have only a single habitation each, but all have wood. Lumperland and Waldoe are almost of as little consequence; and Himois Laitis, Nymen, Kyloe, and Humi-Kyloe of still less; all the rest to the number of above sixty are generally barren rocks.

HISTORICAL ESSAY

ON THE

RISE, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT STATE

OF THE

COMMERCE OF THE BALTIC.

First Period.-To the Crusades.

Though the commerce of amber probably produced some relations between the people of the south and those of the north, in remote antiquity, the traces of them are too obscure, and the indications to be found in the writings of the antients, as to the native country of this production, too vague to establish by what route it arrived at Tyre, at Alexandria, and at Rome, the successive emporiums of the commerce of the Mediterranean; for although it seems certain, that the greater part of it was procured from the north, it is impossible to decide whether it was from the coast of Germany, and the Cimbrick Chersonesus on the German ocean, or from the coast of Prussia.

When the devastations of the barbarians had ceased, and knowledge and industry again dawned in the countries of the south, the Baltic and the neighbouring seas began to be known, though not yet as the theatres of commerce. These seas were then covered with hardy adventurers, who

feeling