the purport of which I could not guess, excepting that I
was the occasion of it, be it what it would. The sequel was his leaving
the house angrily; and I was immediately informed that he was the custom-
house officer. The professional had indeed effaced the national
character, for, living as he did within these frank hospitable people,
still only the exciseman appeared, the counterpart of some I had met with
in England and France. I was unprovided with a passport, not having
entered any great town. At Gothenburg I knew I could immediately obtain
one, and only the trouble made me object to the searching my trunks. He
blustered for money; but the lieutenant was determined to guard me,
according to promise, from imposition.

To avoid being interrogated at the town-gate, and obliged to go in the
rain to give an account of myself (merely a form) before we could get the
refreshment we stood in need of, he requested us to descend--I might have
said step--from our car, and walk into town.

I expected to have found a tolerable inn, but was ushered into a most
comfortless one; and, because it was about five o'clock, three or four
hours after their dining hour, I could not prevail on them to give me
anything warm to eat.

The appearance of the accommodations obliged me to deliver one of my
recommendatory letters, and the gentleman to whom it was addressed sent
to look out for a lodging for me whilst I partook of his supper. As
nothing passed at this supper to characterise the country, I shall here
close my letter.

Yours truly.

LETTER II.

Gothenburg is a clean airy town, and, having been built by the Dutch, has
canals running through each street; and in some of them there are rows of
trees that would render it very pleasant were it not for the pavement,
which is intolerably bad.

There are several rich commercial houses--Scotch, French, and Swedish;
but the Scotch, I believe, have been the most successful. The commerce
and commission business with France since the war has been very
lucrative, and enriched the merchants I am afraid at the expense of the
other inhabitants, by raising the price of the necessaries of life.

As all the men of consequence--I mean men of the largest fortune--are
merchants, their principal enjoyment is a relaxation from business at the
table, which is spread at, I think, too early an hour (between one and
two) for men who have letters to write and accounts to settle after
payin