1719. their People in the Ifland, had carried away the Cattle, burnt the Lord's House, and that they had done the fame at Griven-Haven. Soon after they were perceived near Ofter-Kamingen, within three Leagues of Stockholm, having burnt Duirfco, the Country-Seat of M. Hopken, Secretary of State. Upon which a Detachment was fent on that Side to prevent their penetrating any farther; but the Ruffians continued to ravage the Country, and burn the Houfes along the Scheeren: They divided their Gallies into three Squadrons; one of which went between Noord and Suder-Telge, another to the Coast of Geefle, and the third towards Nikoping. On the 27th of the fame Month of July, a Detachment of Coffacks and of Cavalry landed at Sandmar, and advanced as far as Wefterhaning, four Leagues from Stockholm, where, meeting with twelve Swedish Troopers, who had been fent out to reconnoitre, they put them to Flight, and killed their Captain. Another Party going on Shore, burnt Bo, with the fine Houfe of Count Teffin, within two Leagues of the Capital, The Prince of Heffe coming thither with fome Troops from the Camp at Tuna, the Ruffians were obliged to retire His Royal Highness returning into the City at Night, it very much recovered the Spirits of the Inhabitants, who were extremely alarmed to fee the Enemy fo near their Walls.. The Prince went the next Day to Carelsberg to the Queen his Spoufe, to give an Account of what paffed. It was known at the fame Time, that Admiral Norris was arrived in the Road of Copenhagen with a large Squadron of English English Veffels, from whence the Swedes had In the mean Time, the Ruffian Fleet advanced on the 28th as far as the Mouth of the River of Stockholm, with a Defign to furprize nineteen Barks loaded with Provifions for the City : They took five, but the reft efcaped under the Cannon of Fort Dalero. The 29th they burnt Vagelbro, Malmoe, Sab, Sand, Wally, Bratelund, Furftabolm, and Herembro, besides feveral Churches and Houfes, the Inhabitants of which, and among them many Ecclefiafticks, faved themselves in the Capital. On the 30th his Royal Highness the Prince of Hefe-Caffel caused his Army to advance towards the Sea, and took up his Quarters at Jours-Holm, about a League and a half from the City. The Ruffians fent towards the North, and burnt several Towns and Villages, and among the reft the whole Island of Soderoen, and all the Parish of Boertilles, with all the Works that depended upon it; the Towns of Oftkammer and Oregrund, and the Parish of Hokoywud. As it was in thofe Places that the most confiderable Iron Mines of the Kingdom lay, the Ruin of them was almoft an irreparable Lofs to the Swedes: They did not spare even the Lands of Thorao, belonging to M. Rumpf, the Resident of the States General of the United Provinces. On the first of August two thousand Ruffians landed at Ofterwick, near the Suder-Telge, and obliged a fmall Detachment of Swedish Troops to retire, with the Lofs of three or four Men. The Enemy thought the Ruffians had a Defign to land all their Forces at that Place; but they only fet Fire to the Town of Suder 1719. 1719. Suder-Telge, of which one half was reduced to Afhes, and at the Approach of a Regiment of Horse, that was fent to attack them, they retired to their Gallies. On the 2d the Ruffians burnt feveral other Towns and Houfes about Suder-Telge, and endeavoured especially to fet Fire to the Woods to ruin the Mine-Works. Some of the Ruffian Troops that had landed near Tofa, were repulfed, and feveral of their Men taken Prifoners. Others went into Oftrogothia, where they did irreparable Damage. On the Northern Coaft they burnt Furftenar and Ortula, where there were Mines of great Confequence. In the Night between the 6th and 7th they took a little Fort near Nikoping, defended only by thirty Men: They afterwards burnt the Town, that was well peopled, and carried on a confiderable Trade. Five thousand Ruffians, a little after, feized on Lofsta, which was a Mine from whence the beft Iron in the whole Kingdom was taken: They carried thirteen thousand Tons of it on Board their Gallies, and afterwards ruined the Works. The Inhabitants of Norkoping underftanding how the Town of Nikoping had been ufed, chofe to fet Fire themfelves to their own Town, after they had drawn out their best Effects, to hinder the Ruffians from making any Advantage of the rest. It would be difficult to enter into an exact Detail of all the Executions of the Ruffian Troops at this Time; but we must content our felves with the Accounts published at Petersburgh by Order of the Czar, to eternize the Memory of them. According to the Calculations made there, Admiral Apraxin, for This Part, had burnt and deftroyed fix good Towns, eleven Castles or Palaces of Brick, one hundred and nine of Wood, belonging to Noblemen, eight hundred twenty-fix Villages and Hamlets, three Mills and ten Magazines, two Mines of Copper, five of Iron, &c. Major-General Lefly, on his Part, had reduced to Afhes two Towns, twenty-one Caftles or Noblemens Houfes, five hundred and thirty-five Villages and Hamlets, forty Mills, fixteen Magazines, and nine Mines of Iron, for one of which, it was faid, the Swedes had offered three hundred thousand Rix Dollars, to fave it from Ruin. They deftroy'd the Corn and Forage, and killed all the Cattle and Horses that they could not carry off with them. They put on Board their Veffels all the Iron they were able, and the reft, to the number of eighty thousand Bars, they threw into the Sea. The Defign of the Czar, in all these Burnings and Devastations, was to bring the Court of Sweden, as before observed, to accept of fuch Conditions as he was willing to impofe upon it. To which Purpose, he fent Counfellor Ofterman thither, charged with a Commiffion to make the hardeft Propofitions. It was not judged proper to admit him into Stockholm, before they were informed with the Contents of his Inftructions. He ftopt about half a League from the City, whither the Court of Sweden having fent fome Minifters to him, they found that, agreeable to the Project of Peace of Aland, he demanded nothing lefs than the abfolute Ceffion of Efthonia, Ingria, and of Carelia, comprifing the Towns of Re 1719. 1719. vel, Wybourgh, Narva, and Kecksholm, and the Ceffion of Livonia for forty Years, the Czar being willing, for the prefent, to restore only Finland. These Propofitions were rejected with Scorn; the Congrefs of Aland broke up, the Ministers retired, and the English Squadron, which, till then, had remained in the Road of Copenhagen, failed towards the Ports of Sweden; but found that the Ruffians had retired to their own Harbours eight Days before. The Ruffians were highly difpleased that a Report had been fpread Abroad, that their Fleet retired upon Advice of the Conjunction of the British and Swedish Fleets; and therefore publifh'd, in feveral Parts of Europe, the following Account, which, they said, had been first of all printed at Revel. the A true Relation of the Return of the Ruffian Fleet to Revel and Cronflot, taken in authentick Journals, and published to confute the falfe Reports of thofe that envy Glory of his Czarish Majesty's Arms, and bad fpread a Report, as if the faid Fleet bad fled upon the Advice of the joining of the Englifh and Swedish Fleets. EFORE the Beginning of the last Cam paign, and likewife before his Czarish Majefty's Fleet set out from Cronflot, they had the News there of an English Squadron being fent to the Baltick, under the Command of Admiral Norris. His Majefty also had Advice, that the faid Admiral had Orders, in Concert with the Swedes, |