Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1

13th.[–16th].<a xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" href="#DQA01d518n1" class="note" id="DQA01d518n1a">1</a> JQA 13th.[–16th]. Adams, John Quincy
13th.–16th.1

This morning Mr. Schiebe set out for Gottenburgh Göteborg. I am to overtake him to morrow morning in Linkiöping. I dined at old Mr. Wadström's and in the evening I went to the assembly. At about 10 o'clock I return'd and supped at old Mr. Wadström's; went to my Lodgings and ordered horses, and at about 2. o'clock. A.M. of the 14th. I set out for Linkiöping where I arriv'd at about 7. o'clock. It is only 4. Swedish miles from Norrkiöping. I found here Mr. Schiebe, and at about 10 o'clock we set out to continue our journey to Gottenburgh, where we arrived on Thursday the 16th. at about eleven o'clock at night. The distance is about 250 Engh. miles. One part of the road is very good because of the snow, but there are some places in the province of Scania Skåne where there is no snow at all. It is very troublesome to travel these roads in the winter because from Stockholm to the entry of the Province you cannot go otherwise than in slays, and then very often you find no Snow at all; thro' the whole Province of Scania there is never Snow enough for 165Slaying until the latter end of this month: and sometimes not even then.

1.

This diary entry continues through 16 Jan. without a pause or break; the datelines for the 14th and the 16th (omitted here) are in the margin.

17th. JQA

1783-01-17

17th. Adams, John Quincy
17th.

This Day I went with Mr. Schiebe to the exchange, and met there with Count Greco, who has been here already a week. He proposed to me to go with him and two other gentlemen to take a tour to Drolhetta Trollhättan where there are famous water falls about 8. Sweedish miles from this Place; he told me they shall set out to morrow, and I agreed to go with them. In the afternoon I went and delivered a letter of introduction to Mr. Lars Kåhre, a capital merchant of this town.

18th. JQA

1783-01-18

18th. Adams, John Quincy
18th.

I left Gottenburg this morning in Company with Count Greco, Mr. Khrumppöck a Sea officer in the Dutch service, and Mr. Gadelius a young Swedish gentleman who belongs to Uddevalla, we are at present (10 o'clock. P.M.) about half ways to Drolhetta; the roads are not very agreable (as we are with a coach,) on account of the Snow.

19th. JQA

1783-01-19

19th. Adams, John Quincy
19th.

We arrived at Drolhetta at about 5. o'clock this afternoon, but at the last post we were obliged to leave our carriage on account of the quantity of Snow, and take Slays.

20th. JQA

1783-01-20

20th. Adams, John Quincy
20th.

This morning we went to see the falls which did not answer my expectations, but this place is still more famous for the expence the Sweeds have been at to cut a canal from hence to the sea so that Swedish vessels might come from the Atlantic, without being obliged to pass the Sound:1 but after all they have not been able to succeed in their enterprize.2 After having seen everything remarkable here, we return'd in Slays to the first Post and then we took our carriage; but could not get further on than Wennersborg Vänersborg, which is the first Station. The road we took could have taken to return is not the same as the 166one we went. And there has fallen more Snow here than on the other road. Here the Count left us at about 10 o'clock in the evening and set out to return to Gottenburg in A Slay; as he is obliged to continue his journey.

1.

That is, Öresund (the Sound), the strait between Sjælland Island, Denmark (on which Copenhagen is located), and southwest Sweden, connecting the Kattegat, an arm of the North Sea, with the Baltic. At its narrowest point the strait is two and one-half miles wide.

2.

The Göta Canal, a waterway of canals, lakes, and rivers which passes around the Trollhättan Falls and connects Göteborg with Stockholm, was not completed until 1832.