in Geography, with its dependant islands, to the number of eighty, is situated between the gulfs of Bothnia and Finland. These islands lie between N. Lat. 59° 47' and 60° 30', and between E. Long. 19° 17' and 22° 7'. Aland constitutes the smallest of the possessions belonging to the crown of Sweden. It contains about seventy-seven square English miles, and is in length about twenty English miles, and fifteen in breadth.

Aland has been supposed anciently to have been governed by its own monarchs; it is certain, however, that since the fourteenth century it has made part of the bishopric and government of Abo, with the exception that in the year 1743 Aland and the other islands submitted to Russia, and swore allegiance to the czarina, but were soon after restored to Sweden by the treaty of Abo. These islands in former times frequently suffered from the invasions of the Ruffians, and the inhabitants had been forced to fly from their houses and fertile plains. But in 1718 a congress was held here for the restoration of peace, by which the enjoyment of tranquillity was secured to them.

Aland and the several isles contain eight parishes, each of which has a church; and besides these places of worship, there are seven chapels.

The Laplanders and Fins were undoubtedly the earliest inhabitants of these islands, and their residence here is plainly to be traced in the names of places which still remain.

Several lakes are met with in these islands, and but one rivulet, which, however, is sufficient to work two mills, one of which is a saw-mill. The mountains are numerous; the highest of them is called Ulfslubs Klint.

The revenues which the crown of Sweden receives from Aland and the other islands, amount annually to nineteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-five rix-dollars. Two hundred and ninety-eight sailors are registered in these islands, which cost the king of Sweden about five thousand rix-dollars yearly.

Aland contains about three thousand seven hundred and fifty acres of land in cultivation, which produce rye, wheat, oats, and barley, in the proportion of seven for one. The annual growth of wheat is about twenty-two thousand five hundred barrels. There is one parish which has no arable land, and in this respect resembles Lapland. The inhabitants of this parish employ themselves in fishing, and purchase all the corn they have occasion for of their neighbours. They catch vast numbers of pilchards, of which they make great profit; it being the chief traffic of these islands.

It has been in agitation to build a city in the isle of Aland, but the project has not hitherto been carried into execution, owing, it is said, to the difficulty of choosing a proper spot for it.

The usual route from Sweden to Finland is from the post-office of Grillehamn in Uppland, which is eleven and a half Swedish miles, to Eckero in Aland; and from that place across the island to Abo, which is five miles more. A Swedish mile makes between six and seven English miles.

In the year 1792 the number of inhabitants upon the island of Aland amounted to eleven thousand two hundred and sixty, which is upwards of a thousand to every square Swedish mile; a very great number when it is considered how mountainous the island is. The inhabitants of these islands live to very great ages. From the year 1692 to the present time, nine persons are recorded to have died at the great age of one hundred years; and perhaps the number had been found greater, had it been thought worth while to notice this particular. In 1793 there died a woman named Anna Berg, who was one hundred and nine years old; and at Kumblinge, in the year 1766, another person of the same sex died at an age of upwards of one hundred and twenty years. One fifth part of the inhabitants are above fifty years old; old; a circumstance which affords a convincing proof of the healthiness of the place.

The sea which surrounds the isle of Aland is very seldom frozen, and was less so formerly than at the present time. In 1546 it was remarked as an extraordinary event, that in that year the sea was so frozen as to be crossed on the ice. It seems latterly that these severe frosts happened once in ten years. The winter of the year 1702 was remarkably mild, so that barley was sown on the twenty-fifth of March, at which time there was plenty of pasture for cattle: considering its high latitude, Aland enjoys a very favourable climate.

In their manners and customs the inhabitants of Aland do not differ greatly from the peasants of Up-land. Their marriages and funerals are celebrated much in the same manner.

The Alanders commonly use nourishing food; their bread is generally made of rye, even when the crops of that kind of corn have proved unfavourable. Fresh fish, and fish dried or salted, together with milk, butter, cheese, and flesh-meat, are their usual fare. They make use of the flesh of seals; and prepare a dish called *fiskkroppa*, composed of collops of the flesh mixed up with flour and lard; and this they reckon excellent. In their voyages by sea they lay in a good stock of provisions, and at those times are not sparing of meat and butter.

The dress of the Alanders is becoming. The men wear, in general, short jackets, which on holidays are commonly of blue cloth. The young peasants commonly wear cotton stockings, and many of them have even watches. The women, when full dressed, wear a petticoat and apron of camlet, cotton, or printed linen, and sometimes of silk. Their dress in mourning is generally of black silk, with a camlet petticoat.

The dwellings of the peasants are very neat and convenient, kept in good repair, and well lighted. They are usually built of wood, fir, or deal, and covered with the bark of the birch tree or shingles. Their outbuildings are mostly thatched. As they have no running streams and water-mills, scarcely any peasant is without a wind-mill.

The Alanders are an ingenious, lively, and courteous people; and on the sea display a great degree of skill and resolution. They are far from being superstitious, but are said to be of a litigious disposition.

No bears or squirrels are to be found in these islands; and the elk, which formerly was uncommonly numerous, is now no longer seen in them. The animals chiefly found are wolves (which are said to cross the sea from Finland, when it has happened to be frozen over), foxes, martens, hares, cranes, bats, moles, rats, mice, &c.; otters are but rarely met with: on the coast are found seals, &c. Above a hundred species of birds are found in the islands. Fish are in great abundance. The number of insects amounts to eight hundred species, some of which are extremely destructive to trees and newly built houses. The mountains are chiefly formed of red granite. (*Acerbi's Travels*).