Up The Baltic Part 52

"And in some of them all hands are boys."

The boats seemed to contain nothing but the engine and boiler, which were in a compact ma.s.s, without covering. All around them were seats.

Forward of the engine was a little steering-wheel, hardly more than a foot in diameter, at which the pilot--often a boy--was seated.

"I want a complete view of the city," said Captain Lincoln, at this moment coming into the waist with the surgeon and Norwood. "I think I can get it from the main cross-trees."

"I am too stiff to go aloft," replied Dr. Winstock; "but I commend your plan."

"I'm with you," added Norwood, as he followed the captain up the main rigging.

From this lofty position on the cross-trees the two officers obtained a good idea of the situation of the city. The three islands which form the central portion of the city lay in the strait leading to the Maler Lake. The north and south suburbs were on each side of it. Skeppsholm, Castellholm, and the Djurg[)a]rden--Deer Garden--were other islands, lying nearer the Baltic. The finest portion of the city seemed to be the northern suburbs. While they were studying the panorama of the place, all hands were called to lecture, and they hastened to their places in the steerage. Professor Mapps was at his post, with the map on the foremast.

"Sweden is called _Sverige_ by the natives; La_ Suede_ by the French; _Schweden_ by the Germans; _La Svezia_ by the Italians; and _Suecia_ by the Spaniards. It contains one hundred and sixty-eight thousand square miles--a territory equal in extent to the six New England States, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware united. Its population is a little over four millions--about the same as that of the State of New York. It is nearly a thousand miles long from north to south, with an average breadth of two hundred miles. By far the greater portion of it is very spa.r.s.ely settled, for it extends from fifty-five degrees of north lat.i.tude up to the arctic regions. It contains no important rivers, though its large lakes and arms of the sea are valuable as avenues of navigation. Over eighty lakes are mentioned."

The instructer described the Wenern and Wettern Lakes, and the Gota Ca.n.a.l, which pa.s.ses through them.

"Sweden is an agricultural country, and its princ.i.p.al manufactures are lumber and iron. It has six hundred and thirty-eight miles of railway, and the steamers which you see at the quay, mostly of iron, and built in Sweden, ply to all parts of the country.

"The average of the temperature in Stockholm is forty-two degrees, or twenty-five degrees for winter, and sixty-two degrees for summer. From what you have already seen of Sweden, I think you will consider it very like New England. The interior has about the same physical features, and you will see there similar houses, barns, and fences.

"The government is a limited monarchy, based on the const.i.tution of 1809, and since amended. The king must be a Lutheran. He has an absolute veto on the acts of the legislature. The Diet, or Parliament, consists of two houses, the upper of which is composed of one hundred and twenty-seven members, or one for every thirty thousand inhabitants. The lower house consists of one hundred and eighty-eight members, fifty-five of whom are elected by the towns, and the rest by the rural districts, at the rate of one for every forty thousand people. Property qualifications are required for either house, and all members must be Protestants. They are paid a salary of three hundred and thirty-five dollars of our money, and their travelling expenses, for the session of four months.

"I have incidentally spoken of the history of Sweden in connection with that of Norway and Denmark. The kingdom was founded by Odin, and for a long period the history of the country is a record of the wars with Norway and Denmark, and it was finally conquered by Margaret, and by the Union of Calmar the three kingdoms were consolidated in 1397.

It became a Christian nation early in the eleventh century. Sweden was doubtless the first anti-slavery power; for, during the reign of Birger II., about 1300, a law against the sale of slaves was enacted, with the declaration that it was 'in the highest degree criminal for Christians to sell men whom Christ had redeemed by his blood.'

"In 1520 Gustavus Ericsson excited a rebellion against Christian II., of Denmark, who had murdered his father and many other Swedes. This revolution was successful three years later, and its leader made king, under the t.i.tle of Gustaf I., often called Gustavus Vasa, or Wasa. He was succeeded by his son, and the throne continued in his family; but the next notable sovereign was Gustaf II., or Gustavus Adolphus. His grandfather, Gustavus Vasa, had established the Protestant religion in Sweden; but his nephew, Sigismond, who had been elected king of Poland, and had become a Catholic, succeeded to the throne.

Endeavoring to change the established religion, he was deposed, and the succession changed. This caused a war between Sweden, and Russia, and Poland. Gustavus was only eighteen when he came to the throne, with this war bequeathed to him. He was full of energy, and defeated his enemies on all sides. Austria was the leader of the Catholic party in Europe, which was striving to restore the papal supremacy. Gustavus Adolphus held a similar relation to the Protestant party. He was engaged in the Thirty Years' War, and won many decisive victories. He captured Munich, and overran Bavaria, but was finally killed in the battle of Lutzen, in 1632. By his prowess and skill he raised Sweden to the rank of one of the first kingdoms of Europe.

"He was succeeded by his daughter, Christina, then only six years old.

She reigned but seven years after she became of age, abdicating in favor of her cousin Charles X. She died in Rome, after a dissolute and shameful life, and was interred in St. Peter's Church. Charles was at war with the Danes during his brief reign, and achieved the daring military feat of crossing the Great and Little Belts on the ice, which enabled him to dictate his own terms of peace with the Danes. The Swedes consider him one of their greatest kings. His son, Charles XI., followed him, and ruled for thirty-seven years. After a brief period of peace, another war with Denmark ensued, which resulted to the ultimate advantage of Sweden. This king contrived to obtain from the Diet the gift of absolute power, which, in the hands of his son and successor, Charles XII., nearly ruined the nation. Russia, Poland, and Denmark combined to rob him of a considerable portion of his kingdom, and Charles XII., at the age of sixteen, displayed an energy and a skill far beyond his years. He conquered a peace with Denmark first, and then turned his attention to the rest of his enemies, whom he overwhelmed and subdued. With nine thousand men he defeated a Russian army of forty thousand, under Peter the Great, at Narva. He vanquished the armies of Poland and Saxony, and attempted the conquest of Russia, but was utterly defeated in the battle of Pultowa, and escaped into Turkish territory, where he remained for five years. Here he brought about a war between Turkey and Russia, and the army of the former shut up that of Peter the Great in the Crimea. The lady who was afterwards Catharine I. bribed the grand vizier with all her jewels to allow the Russians to escape, and this event utterly ruined the hopes of the monarch of Sweden. Finally the Turks drove him from their country, and, after various vicissitudes, he arrived in his own, and was killed, in 1718, at Frederikhald, in Norway. While he was away, his enemies had been appropriating his territory, and Sweden was reduced to a second-cla.s.s power.

"The Diet elected Ulrica Eleonora, sister of Charles, queen, who resigned in favor of her husband, Fredrik I. Another war with Russia followed, and Sweden lost more of her territory. Adolf Fredrik succeeded to the throne in 1751, who was elected by the Diet. Still another war with Russia was carried on during his reign. His son, Gustaf III., with the aid of his soldiers, increased the powers of the crown; but he was a.s.sa.s.sinated at a ball, in 1792, and his son, Gustaf Adolf IV., came to the throne. His policy involved the nation in a war with the allies, and he lost Finland and Pomerania. He was so unpopular that he was compelled to abdicate, and his uncle, Charles XIII., was raised to the throne in 1809. He had no children, and the Prince of Holstein-Augustenburg was elected as his successor; but he was a.s.sa.s.sinated, and one of Napoleon's generals, Bernadotte, was chosen crown prince, and in 1818 he succeeded to the throne as Charles XIV. His reign was a successful one, and his efforts to secure Norway to his adopted country made him popular even before he was king. He espoused the cause of the allies against Napoleon, and was well cared for by them when the affairs of Europe were finally settled.

"His son Oscar was his heir, and came to the throne at the death of his father in 1844. He was followed by his son, Charles XV., the present king, in 1859.

"The army organization is similar to that of Denmark, and about one hundred and fifty thousand men are available for service. The navy contains four monitors on the American plan, which were invented by John Ericsson, a Swede, two iron-clad gunboats, twenty-one steamers, and sixteen sailing vessels, besides a great number of floating batteries, and other stationary craft. Although only about six thousand sailors are actually in the navy, nearly thirty thousand can be had in case of war."

The professor finished his lecture, and the students hastened on deck, to see more of the sights which surrounded them.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE CRUISE IN THE LITTLE STEAMER.

"What's the use, Stockwell?" said Sanford, as the absentees seated themselves on the train for Malmo, under the charge of the head steward. "Blaine got his despatch from the princ.i.p.al last night, but he didn't say a word to us till this morning. He's playing a sharp game."

"That's so," replied Stockwell. "He don't mean to trust us out of sight again."

"Don't say a word to any fellow," whispered the c.o.xswain. "You and I will fight it out on our own hook."

"I understand. It is plain enough that Blaine regards us as runaways, and I suppose the princ.i.p.al will do the same."

"Very likely; and when we get to Russia, all we shall have to do will be to count our fingers in the steerage, while the rest of the fellows are seeing the Russians," continued Sanford, who now appeared to regard "the independent excursion without running away" as a failure.

"We shall not even see anything more of Stockholm. I don't like the idea."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" asked Stockwell.

"At the first chance we will leave this train, and make our way back to Stockholm," whispered Sanford. "There is a steamer to St.

Petersburg twice a week, and we have money enough to carry us through."

"Right; I am with you."

"We will take Ole, if you like, to do the talking for us."

"I don't object."

The train stopped at Katherineholm about half past nine. The boys had taken nothing but the Swedish early breakfast of coffee and a biscuit, and the head steward allowed them to have a more substantial meal, each paying for himself. They entered the restaurant, where, on a large table in the centre of the room, were great dishes of broiled salmon and veal cutlets, with high piles of plates near them. Each pa.s.senger helped himself at these dishes, and then seated himself at one of the little tables. When he had finished his salmon, he helped himself to veal cutlets; beer and coffee were served by the waiters.

Sanford and Stockwell hurried through the meal, and went to the counter where the woman received payment. She asked them some question and they were obliged to call Ole, to know what she said. She asked if they had had beer or coffee, which was extra, the meal being one and a half rix dalers. She gave them a tin check; for at this place they seemed to be sharper than the Swedes usually are, and the check was to enable them to get out of the restaurant. A man at the door received it, and no one was allowed to pa.s.s without it; and thus none could leave without paying for the meal.

"Finished your breakfast, Ole?" said Sanford, carelessly.

"Yes; and that salmon was very good."

"First rate. Come with us, Ole," added the c.o.xswain, as he led the way out of the restaurant.

The trio entered the station, and as no one followed them, they left by the front door. Dodging behind the buildings, they soon cleared the station. Taking the public road, they walked for half an hour at a rapid pace, and then halted to consider the situation. The train had gone, for they had heard its departure; but whether Mr. Blaine had gone or not was an open question.

"What next?" said Sanford, as he seated himself at the side of the road.

"Take the train back to Stockholm," replied Stockwell.

"Perhaps Blaine did not go on, after he missed us."

"Of course he did. But whether he did or not, the train has gone, and he cannot take us to Copenhagen. If we find him at the station, why, we took a little walk, and lost the train, you know."

"That's played out," replied Sanford. "We have missed the train too many times, already. What time does the next one return to Stockholm?"

"I don't know. Let's go back to the station."

This course was adopted, and on their arrival they learned that they could return to Stockholm at half past two in the afternoon. The man in charge said that the gentleman with the young men had been looking for them. Sanford replied, through Ole, that they had lost the train, but would return to Stockholm, and start again the next morning.

After dining in the restaurant, the runaways--as they certainly were now, if not before--departed, and arrived at their destination in about three hours. They immediately went to the office on the quay, and learned that a steamer would leave for St. Petersburg at two o'clock on Friday morning.

"Can we engage places now?" asked Sanford,--for the clerk in charge spoke English.

"Certainly."