The Town Itself Closes The Prospect By Occupying The Whole
Upper Shore Of The Lake, And Is Flanked By The Suburbs At Either
Side.
The Ritterholm church, with its cast-iron perforated towers,
and the truly grand royal palace, which is built entirely in the
Italian style, can be seen and admired from this distance.
We had scarcely cast anchor in the port of Stockholm, when a number
of Herculean women came and offered us their services as porters.
They were Delekarliers, {52} who frequently come to Stockholm to
earn a livelihood as porters, water-carriers, boatwomen, &c. They
easily find employment, because they possess two excellent
qualities: they are said to be exceedingly honest and hard-working,
and, at the same time, have the strength and perseverance of men.
Their dress consists of black petticoats, which come half way over
the calf of the leg, red bodices, white chemises with long sleeves,
short narrow aprons of two colours, red stockings, and shoes with
wooden soles an inch thick. They twist a handkerchief round their
head, or put on a little close black cap, which fits close on the
back part of the head.
In Stockholm there are entire houses, as well as single rooms,
which, as in a hotel, are let by the day. They are much cheaper
than hotels, and are therefore more in demand. I at once hired one
of these rooms, which was very clean and bright, and for which, with
breakfast, I only paid one riksdaler, which is about one shilling.
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