siderable to reach them, yet necessary, in order to avoid the forts, whilst the immense chasms and ravines in this part of the desert, to go round which there was scarcely a camel's track, rendered any attempt to bring heavy artillery almost impossible; and as the number of troops to maintain the post must have been proportioned to the strength of the garrison, the great want of water would have rendered its occupation nearly impracticable; yet if these obstacles could have been surmounted, the citadel was so weak, that a very slight battery would have crumbled the whole into dust. "The French, for the further defence of the town, constructed on the high hills of rubbish, which laid on the north and east fronts of it, small square stone towers, at such distances as to flank each other, and the line of each front was commanded by a principal fort; that to the north was called Fort Camin, that on the east Fort Dupuis. "All of these towers were bomb proof, a deep ditch surrounded them, and a gun from the upper story was worked out of a covered embrasure *. Each was provided with a cistern; the door was in the centre, and a moveable ladder the means of ascent: so fortified, they defied as sault, and would have required the battering of heavy artillery, when they might have still resisted four or five days; but, nevertheless, as they could bepassed in an assault by night, they were to be considered rather as a strong chain of works to an intrenched camp, than the defences of a fortified city. "Behind these was a line of intrenchments, in front of which was dug a very deep ditch, and the walls of Cairo formed the last line of defence. "The southern front was protected by an aqueduct (with the cavity of the arches built up), extending from the citadel to a large building on the banks of the Nile, and in which were the works to throw up the water into the aqueduct. This building was converted into a fort by the French. In front were several small detached forts, and the remains of Old Cairo †, which place was not fortified except by a few batteries on the bank of the Nile, open in the gorge, consequently not to be defended against an army which had crossed the river higher. Fort Ibrahim Bey and Fort L'Institute formed the second line. This was the weakest side in regard to fortification, but strong from position, as the Nile was to be passed, * Each tower was intended to be manned with fifteen men: it was such a tower as those which at Corsica resisted for three days several men of war, one of which was set on fire, and another dismasted; nor was it taken until a landing was made by some troops. + In Old Cairo, except the granaries of the patriarch Joseph, which are only large pieces of ground enclosed by walls, and divided into compartments, there is nothing remarkable. The greater part of the place is in ruins. Here the Greek patriarch resided, and who was a very fine venerable old man. Babylon, founded by Cambyses, stood on the scite of this city; a quarter of the town, called Babout, marks now its position. A large canal, supposed by some to have been constructed in the time of Adrian, and by others in the reign of one of the Pharaohs, commences a little above Old Cario, and crosses the middle of the new town trom the west to the north-east, but forms no defence, as it is only filled with water during the months of August, September, and October. A splendid ceremony takes place when the water of the Nile is let into this canal. 6K4 and "The western side is defended by the Nile and the island of Rhoda, on which were several heavy batteries, particularly at the northern point. At the dry season of the year, the interior channel, which runs by the farm of Ibrahim Bey, is fordable in several places, so that the Nile must be considered then as the only river to be forded. "The island of Rhoda is the prettiest spot in Egypt: very fine sycamore treescrev along its banks, atfording the most gratifying shade, yet do not provide a sufficient barrier to the whirlwinds and clouds of dust, which, although having to pass the Nile, are still here intolerable. On this island is celebrated he mekias, by which the height of the Nile is ascertained: a redoubt, with six pieces of cannon, served as the tête du pont to the bridge which connects Giza. Giza is a dirty village, which the French have improved by building half a dozen houses, and establishing in it their manufactories of arms, shot, &c. The chiefornament of the place is a palace of Morad Bey's, much in ruins, and an excellent coffee-house, kept by a Frenchman, who remained behind, was acknowledged to be its most agreeable embellishment. "The works of Giza are very contemptible; a wall surrounds the whole, except on the northern front, where Morad Bey's house forms the defence. This wall is very thin, and not high enough to render an escalade difficult; but to delay the immediate approach, a chain of redoubts was thrown forwards about sixty yards; yet the whole resistance would have proved insignificant, if the strength of the garrison had not prevented an assault. Such were Cairo and its outworks. In this state, defended by ten thousand men, and with three hundred and sixty-three serviceable pieces of cannon, including the fifty removed by the French, did the whole surrender without the firing of a short." We have gone to unusual length in this article, because it must be more interesting to the English reader than any other subject, so long as national glory and British valour, which shine so conspicuously in every page of the work, shall have the power of inspiring him with the principles of patriotism and honour. Travels through Sweden, Finland, and Lapland, to the North Cape, in the Years 1798 and 1799. By Joseph Acerbi. T HE author of this highly interesting work being a native of Italy, we do not consider him accountable for a very few inaccuracies of style which may occur in the course of two vols. in 4to. whilst we feel ourselves bound to bestow great praise upon him as a laborious, enlightened, and judicious travels ler. His observations are those of a discriminating mind, and bear every mark of truth; but from a certain vein of satire by which they are accompanied, we are inclined to think that this work, like Dr. Johnson's Tour to the Hebrides, will find more admirers in other countries than in that which it describes. Mr. A. landed at Helsingburg, from Denmark; from thence he proceeded to Gottenburg. He remarks, with great truth, that the mode of travelling in Sweden, every circumstance considered, is little cheaper than 1 1 than in other countries, though it - may appear so from the price of each horse. The roads, he admits, are excellent, but "between Helsingburg and Stockholm, a distance of near 400 English miles, nothing that can be considered as an inn is to be found." Having described Gottenburg, the fecond city in Sweden, our author conducts us to Trolhätta, the cataracts and canal at which place he describes in the following words: "Trolhätta is a place where the admirers of natural beauties, if they could be tolerably accommodated, would be tempted to stop for several days, as it is scarcely possible in less time to have any satisfactory view of the famous cataracts, and the canal, which is one of the boldest and most amazing works of the kind in the world. The cataracts are a series of cascades formed by the river Götha, which issues from the lake Wennern, and being united after many breaks, fall, in its whole and undivided stream, from a height of upwards of sixty feet, into an unfathomable abyss of water. "The canal of Trolhätta has been wrought through the midst of rocks, by the means of gunpowder. Its object was to open a communication between the North Sea and the lake Wennern, by continuing the navigation where the Götha, dashing down in cataracts, ceases to be navigable. All the bar-iron of Nericia, Warmerland, and other provinces, is transported in small boats across the lake of Wennern, and along the Götha, as far as the falls. By means of the new canal, the water carriage is prolonged beyond the cataracts to where the Götha becomes again navigable, and from thence the goods are easily conveyed on the river to Gothenburg. The obvious importance of such a cut had long attracted the attention of the Swedish government, and they employed immense sums, at different times, during almost a whole century, for the execution of it; notwithstanding which, this vast enterprise proceeded so slowly, and with so little effect, that it seemed to mock every human effort of strength or skill. Its actual accomplishment was reserved to teach a very important lesson to governments, and all great bodies of men, that though any undertaking should languish and fail under their direction, yet it may be quickened, and may succeed, when it becomes the interest of individuals not to embezzle the general stock; when their fortune depends on their entering minutely into all the details of labour and expense, and on bringing the work as speedily as possible to a just and happy conclusion. An association was formed of Gothenburg merchants, and others; a joint stock was raised; the privilege of a toll on the future canal was granted and secured by government; shares in the eventual produce were sold at higher and higher prices as the work advanced, and in the course of five or six years the work was completed. The length of this canal, on which there are nine locks, is nearly three miles; the width 36 feet; the depth, in some places, nearly 50. Basins are formed, at convenient distances, for various purposes, which it is unnecessary to enumerate. is not easy for any one to form an idea of the difficulties that were to be surmounted in the formation of this wonderful canal, unless he had been an eye-witness. The spectator now views the smooth level as if it had been so always, and loses sight It of cut of the heights and rugged substances through which it was necessary to penetrate before that level could be effected. I saw the canal not only when it was accomplished, but in its laborious progress towards completión. This canal, undertaken and begun by Charles XII. formed part of a grand plan meditated by Gustavas Vasa, and attempted by some of his successors, for joining the Baltic with the North Sea, by means of a communication through the kingdom. If ever a canal should be extended from the lake of Wennern, which is the largest in Sweder, being about 500 miles leng, and 75 broad, by Orebio, to the lake of Hiclmar, the Swedes may thee, by a conjunction of this lake with that of Mälar, through the sluices of Arboga, transport all kinds of merchandize in the same vessel from Gothenburg to Stockholm. Thus a passage wou'd be opened between the North Sea and the Baltic, and, among other advantages, the duty of the Sound would be avoided. The canal of Trolhätta may justly be considered as in some respects characteristical of the Swedish nation; for it represents them as they are, prone to the conception of grand enterprises, and distinguished by mechanical invention. As a work of art, and of bold and persevering design, it is not too much to say, that it is the first in the world, even the duke of Bridgewater's canal in England, and that of Languedoc in France, not except ed." Mr. A. was under considerable difficulties in procuring a lodging on his arrival at Stockholm, there being, properly speaking, no ions in the town. His topographical account of the capital is accurate and detailed; his description of a winter scene, lustrated by an engraving, is ex tremely curious to an inhabitant of the more southern latitudes. "The grand and most distinguished feature in the locality of that city, namely, being situated on islands amidst gults and lakes, is destroyed by the ice. The same water which divides the inhabitants of the differ. ent quarters in summer, unites them in winter. It becomes a plain which is traversed by every body. The islands are islands no longer; horses in sledges, phaetons, and in vehicles of all sorts, placed on skates, scour the gulf, and lakes, by the side of ships fixed in the ice, and astonished, as it were, to find themselves in such company on the same element. Those lakes which in summer were brightened by the clear transparency of their waters reflecting every object on their banks, and presenting the animated picture of skiffs, oars, and small sails, are now turned into a place of rendezvous for men and children mingling in one throng. They walk, slide, fly about in sledges, or glide along on small skates. In the exercise of skating, they display great dexterity and address, and amuse the spectators with the case and quickness of their various movements; darting forward with the speed of arrows, turning and returning, and balancing their bodies according to inclination and circumstances, in such a manner, that it is sometimes difficult to imagine what can be their principle of motion. There is no part of this great mass of water that is not arrested and subdued by the frost, except the current under the north bridge, and on the south near the king's stables. Here the water, which during the 1 keenest frost dashes and foams with a great 1 1 a great noise through the arches of - the bridge, sends up majestic clouds of vapour to a considerable height in the atmosphere, where, in the extreme rigour of winter, being converted by the intenseness of the cold into solid particles, they are precipitated down through their weight, - and presenting their surface to the sun, assume the appearance of a shower of silver sand, reflecting the solar rays, and adorned with all manner of colours. In the interior of Stockholm, throughout all its different quarters, every thing in winter, in like manner, undergoes a sudden change. The snow that begins to fall in the latter weeks of autumn, covers and hides the streets for the space of six months, and renders them more pleasant and convenient than they are in summer or autumn; at which seasons, partly on account of the pavement, and partly on account of the dirt, they are often almost impassable. One layer of snow on another, hardened by the frost, forms a surface more equal and agreeable to walk on, which is sometimes raised more than a yard above the stones of the street. You are no longer stunned by the irksome noise of carriage wheels, but this is exchanged for the tinkling of little bells, with which they deck their horses before the sledges. The only wheels now to be seen in Stockholm are those of small carts, employed by men servants of families, to fetch water from the pump in a cask. This compound of cask and cart always struck me as a very curious and extraordinary object, insomuch that I once took the trouble of following it, in order to have a nearer view of the whimsical robe in which the frost had invested it, and particularly of the variegated and fantastical drape ry in which the wheels were covered and adorned. This vehicle, with all its appurtenances, afforded a native of Italy a very singular spectacle; the horse was wrapped up, as it seemed, in a mantle of white down, which, under his breast and belly, was fringed with points and tufts of ice. Stalactical ornaments of the same kind, some of them to the length of a foot, were also attached to his nose and mouth. The servant who attended the cart had on a frock, which was encrusted with a solid mass of ice. His eyebrows and hair jingled with icicles, which were formed by the action of the frost on his breath and perspiration. Sometimes the water in the pump was frozen, so that it became necessary to melt it, by the injection of a red hot bar of iron. I have attempted to make a drawing of this carriage, but it is difficult for art to imitate the operations and effects of the frost; displayed in the various appearances of the ice, its transparency, and the fantastical beauty of its embroideries, are not easily copied. For the purpose of rendering the design more interesting, I have chosen the pump at the bridge near the mint; this gave me an opportunity of introducing into the piece that edifice which was very near the house called Rossenadleska, where we lodged, and formed an angle of the street leading to the square of Riddarholmen. In the same plate I have added a representation of one of those small sledges that are used for the conveyance of goods or luggage from one place to another, which are peculiar, I believe, to the city of Stockholm. Neither men nor women carry any thing on their heads or shoulders, but employ these sledges, which they push on before them, |