Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-23
PROCEEDINGS In THE SENATE.
A SCANDINAVIAN EMBARGO.

Private letters from distant parts of the world
often contain matter not less amusing for the
public than for the correspondents themselves
Thus in letter Of the 18th March, from an
American gentleman residing in Stockholm to his
friends at home, he lets US into the way in which
the good people on the Baltic are cut off during
a large portion of the winter from that most era
wing of all artificial wants, aeVs, to say nothing
of letters, and the curious expedients by which
a naked and isolated item is signalled across the
frozen sea into ice-bound Scandinavia. A half
dozen French revolutions might almost blaze and
die out or half dozen new States be added to
the American Union, between the shutting and open
ing Of the gates of the Baltic and the millions of good
people beyond remain all unconscious of it. What
bud gets of news to be devoured, and what excite
ment must pervade all ranks, when the return of
spring dissoyes the icy barrier and lets in the rush
of long pent-up tidings from the outer world
MARCH %, 1868.
ne the very victims Of winter; and having little
eso for you to-day, l viii tell you how. There is
lite rock island in the midst of the Great Danish Belt
cse prog5 and this little isle is the uttermost limit
OF intelligence since the 10TH The Great Belt is the
dyng estuary between the islands Zealand and Funen
AM IN the winter the only postal route connect
ing the whole of Scandinavia this side at least of Jut
land and the of the world lies this said Belt
Al other communication with Russia has been cut
OF for five or six weeks land in fact, send to-day a
piece of news taken by the Stockholm papers from
Russian newspaper which hither the Great
Bet 1t is twenty-five miles wide at its narrowest point
being than the Strait Of Dover You viii per-
haps suppose it frozen but there is such good
luck for US, and possibility Of such frost History
81 -.
bic winter Of 1867, when Charles X, Of Sweden more
daring general than his famous grandson Charles
1linvading Denmark from the south, crossed the Belt
the ice with his whole army, horse artillery and foot
surprised the Danish general breakfast and dictated
terms and peace in front of Copenhagen. This is a
favore subject for Northern painters and poets and
on the walls of of the state apartments at the palace
is fine fresco of the WELL dear mother in the
midst of this famous Belt is the little island Sprogo
On its southern side plain of ice is safe bridge
Of ten miles to Funen but the north rolls the deep
and rapid tide main channel between the Baltic and
the North Sea; and here should be the navigation out
let but for crowd of dangerous islands which choke
its eastern mouths Hence the narrow sound" at FL
sinsre is usually the great highway On the north of
little island however rolls the deep and rapid tide
with huge of ice floating and fro and threat
ening destruction to the a barque that might attempt
TO pass Near and along the shore drift ice is pack
cd rising and falling with the surgng waters impene
trabe barrier to all approach The courers have made
daring efforts TO cross but all in vain and thus coo
Of people, Swedes, Danes, Norwegans Firms, and Lapps
beside five Americans, know nothing of the of the
world since the 10th Of the month: am wrong how
On the little island of Sprog5 there an ancient
tower, from which, with rude Semaphore telegraph,
the poor couries have gnaed their dsresses and also
four little items of which have duly reached the
Stockholm papers These select extracts presume
fair specimens of couriers ideas of what may most in
terest hungry prisoners You shall Judge We are per-
mitted to know that the Austrian Emperor went to
church day to thank God he had escaped with life
from the assassin 3D. that Gen Haynau is dead 3D. that
the bin in the British Parliament for admission Of the
Jews to the House Of Commons had gone through
cond reading and, 4th "a climax relates certain in
teresting circumstance carrying joy to the hearts Of
thirtysx millions of Frenchmen in the promise Of pro-
longation Of the Empire) concerning the late Mile Mon
tgo. Not word, however, of beloved country:
not word from the chursh courers of what of
letters, and how many for The household You may i'm
agne that conversaziones have not been brilliant
OF the four items by the courier only one seems
probable that about the Jews although opinions vary
wonderfully about the concerning the late Mile
Montigo you, however, that the whole four
have been put into four hundred different FORMS and
have still been insufficient oppose the natural tenden
cy Of man stupidity in times Of starvation People
moreover driven to mind other peoples business
and, in short, apart from longing and mpatience the
morale Of all deprivation is regretable
The last news from sprog0 tells of eleven different
courers with their precious bagsthree from England
(and American FIVE from France, Belgium, &c., and
three from Berlin. The island is called Sprog6, from
Sprog, Qanguage,) and ., Gsland, because it often
thus becomes a Babel of couriers. In Denmark it is
looked upon uncomfortable hateful place. and po
lite people who wish escape bores instead Of desiring
their departure to nameless place, civly wish them
at sprog5-a proverb Every one to his fancy as for
should like uncommony pass few hours there,
aUsc chou des Males (but not as would say, mails
pas des maux.)
On the 18th Of March, 1885, we landed at Copenha-
gen, after delicious steam passage from Luz
bec but since December last vessel has been ahoat
this side the Skaw. We have beautiful weather. how
ever, with steady, healthy cold about 40 sometimes
lOo or l2o) below zero Of Fahrenheit
NEW YORK CITY BLOCK.