TROLLHATTEN, a town of Sweden, in the department of Elfsborg and province of East Gothland. It is peculiarly situated on the river Gothelf or Gothelbe, which flows from the lake of Werner, and falls into the sea near Gottenburg, and here forms a very great cataract, or rather a succession of cascades. Before the stream reaches this spot, it is compressed, by the narrow passage it has
reed through the rocks, into a state not unlike that in which water rushes from a pipe, and thus has a surprising velocity. It falls by four cascades about 100 feet; and as the lower of these cascades slopes at the bottom, the whole rushes down with such impetuosity that the noise which it makes is heard at the distance of twelve miles. As the shores of this lake produce vast quantities of iron and of timber, which would become of increased value if the falls could be avoided, the government was induced to construct a canal, which was begun in 1793 and completed in 1800, at a great expense for so poor a country. This canal is a prodigious work, and though scarcely more than two English miles in length, has nine locks, by which vessels descend more than 100 feet. Each of these locks is twenty-two feet long and seven feet wide. More than 3000 vessels passed it in one year, paying tolls, which produce a good return for the money expended. A project is now in progress which will make this canal still more beneficial. Canals are forming to unite the lake of Werner with the Selmar and Maler Lakes, by which, when accomplished, vessels will be enabled to pass from Stockholm to Göttingen, across the kingdom, and thus avoid the passage of the sound and the Danish tolls. Trollhatten was only a village when the works began, but is now an increasing town, and has several iron-works, whose machinery is set in motion by the falls. It likewise has some considerable establishments for building ships.