Sound

Sound (A.S. and Ger. Sund), the strait which leads from the Cattegat into the Baltic Sea, having Sweden on the east and the Danish island of Zealand on the west. It forms the usual passage from the North Sea to the Baltic, is 50 miles long and nearly 3 miles wide at its narrowest part, between the towns of Helsingborg and Elsinore. Its passage, defended by the strong Danish castle and fortress of Kronborg, was forced by Nelson in 1801 (see COPENHAGEN). From the 15th century all ships using this channel, except such as belonged to certain of the Hanseatic towns and one or two others in the Baltic, were charged toll for passing through. These Sound Duties were abolished on 14th March 1857 by a treaty between Denmark and the principal maritime powers. A pecuniary compensation of £3,386,260, of which Great Britain paid £1,125,206, was given to Denmark, which bound itself to maintain the lighthouses and superintend the pilotage of the Sound.