ed what seamen call a little swell, a dreadful storm; and they
will probably tell at home of the dangers they have passed. Storms are,
fortunately, not so frequent. I have travelled many thousand leagues,
and have often met with stormy weather, especially on the passage from
Copenhagen to Iceland; but I only experienced one real storm, but a
violent and dangerous one, as I was crossing the Black Sea to
Constantinople in April 1842.

We arrived at Gottenburg at nine instead of at six o'clock in the
morning. I landed at once, to make the celebrated trip through the
locks, over the waterfalls of Trollhatta, with the next Stockholm
steamer. By the junction of the river Gotha with some of the interior
lakes, this great construction crosses the whole country, and connects
the North Sea with the Baltic.

I found the town of Gottenburg very animated, on account of the presence
of the king of Sweden, who was spending a few days here on his way to
Christiania to prorogue the Storthing. I arrived on a Sunday, and the
king, with his son, were in the church. The streets swarmed with human
beings, all crowding towards the cathedral to catch a glimpse of his
majesty on his departure. I, of course, mingled with the crowd, and was
fortunate enough to see the king and prince come out of the church, enter
their carriage, and drive away very near to me. Both were handsome,
amiable-looking men. The people rushed after the carriage, and eagerly
caught the friendly bows of the intelligent father and his hopeful son;
they followed him to his palace, and stationed themselves in front of it,
impatiently longing for the moment when the royal pair would appear at a
window.

I could not have arrived at a more favourable time; for every one was in
holiday attire, and the military, the clergy, the officials, citizens and
people, were all exerting themselves to the utmost to do honour to their
king.

I noticed two peasant-girls among the crowd who were peculiarly dressed.
They wore black petticoats reaching half way down the calf of the leg,
red stockings, red spensers, and white chemises, with long white sleeves;
a kerchief was tied round the head. Some of the citizens' wives wore
caps like the Suabian caps, covered by a little black, embroidered veil,
which, however, left the face free.

Here, as in Copenhagen, I noticed boys of ten to twelve years of age
among the drummers, and in the bands of the military.

The king remained this