must be acknowledged inferior to most countries in Europe, yet this deficiency is liberally compensated in the blessings of inexhaustible forests; so that in most provinces immense sums are received from foreigners for masts, beams, planks, boards, &c. not to mention the home consumption for houses built entirely of beams of wood, ships, bridges, and an infinite number of founderies, which require an immense quantity of charcoal in the fusion of metals, besides the demands for fuel and other domestic uses; to which must be added, that in many places the woods are felled only to clear the ground and be burnt, the ashes serving for

manure.

Bergen, the capital of Norway, has one of the finest ports in Europe, and is divided into the upper and lower town, the one built on the rocks, and the other on the sea-shore. It is a large trading town, full of merchants, and was formerly an archbishopric; but has not been acknowledged such since the reformation. The Archbishop's palace was given to the Hans Towns, for their antient merchants to live in, and the greatest part of the houses were turned into warehouses, which still bear the name of cloisters, and the merchants are called monks, though they do not wear a cowl, nor observe the rules of any order. The king has, however, obliged them so far to keep up the form of a religious house, that none of the merchants who live in it are allowed to marry without removing. The principal branch of trade carried on at Bergen, are herrings, cod, and stock-fish, for which there is a great vent in Moscovy, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Holland, and other parts of Europe.

BISHOP OF BERGEN.

SECT. XCIV.

OF THE PERSONS, DRESS, EMPLOYMENTS, AND CUSTOMS OF THE INHABITANTS OF NORWAY.

THE Norwegians are generally tall, well made, and lively; yet those on the coast are neither so tall nor

so robust as those who inhabit the mountains; but are remarkable for being fatter, and having rounder faces. The people in general are brisk and ingenious; which appears from the peasants not employing any hatters, shoemakers, tailors, tanners, weavers, carpenters, smiths, or joiners; for all these trades are exercised in every farm-house; and they think a boy can never be a useful member of society, nor a good man, without making himself master of all these arts. They are remarkable for their civility and willingness to serve every one, and a traveller is seldom suffered to pay for his lodging; for they think it their duty to treat the stranger as well as it is in their power, and look upon it as an honour done them, if he accepts of their civilities. The peasant, however, never gives the upper end of the table to the greatest guest that ever comes under his roof; for he thinks that place belongs only to himself.

They keep open house for three weeks at Christmas,. during which their tables are spread and loaded with the best provisons they can afford. At Christmas-eve their hospitality extends to the very birds; and, for their use, they hang on a pole at the barn-door, an unthreshed sheaf of corn, which draws thither the spar rows and other small birds.

The inhabitants of the trading towns live, with respect to provisions, much in the same manner as the Danes; but the peasants keep close to the manners of their fore-fathers. Thin oat-cakes are their common bread; but upon particular occasions, as weddings or entertainments, they have rye-bread. If grain be scarce, which generally happens after a severe winter, the peasants have recourse to a disagreeable method of preserving life, by boiling and drying the bark of firtrees, mixing it with a little oatmeal, and making it into a kind of bread. Even in times of plenty they eat a little of it, that they may think it less disagreeable in a time of scarcity.

The lakes and rivers furnish the people with plenty of fresh water fish, and the mountains with game. For

their winter stock they kill cows, sheep, and goats; part of which they pickle and smoke, and some of it they cut into thin slices, sprinkle it with salt, then dry it in the wind, and eat it like hung beef. They are fond of brandy, and of smoking and chewing tobacco.

The Norwegians who live in towns have nothing remarkable in their dress; but the peasants do not trouble themselves about fashions. Those called strilefarmers have their breeches and stockings of one piece.

They have a wide loose jacket, made of coarse woollen cloth, as are also their waistcoats: and those who would appear fine, have the seams covered with cloth of a different colour. The peasants of one parish are remarkable for wearing black cloths edged with red; another for wearing all black. The dress of another parish is white edged with black. Others wear black and yellow. And thus the inhabitants of almost every parish vary in the colour of their clothes. They wear a flapped hat, or a little brown, grey, or black cap, made quite round, and the seams ornamented with black ribbons. They have shoes of a peculiar construction without heels, consisting of two pieces; the upper leather fits close to the foot, to which the sole is joined by a great many plaits and folds. When they travel, and in the winter, they wear a sort of half boots that reach up to the calf of the leg, and are laced on one side; and when they go on the rocks in the snow, they put on snow shoes. But as these are troublesome when they have a great way to travel, they put on skaits about as broad as the foot, but six or eight feet long,and pointed before. They are covered underneath with sealskin, so that the smooth grain of the hair turns backward to the heel. With these snow skaits they slide about on the snow as well as they can upon the ice, and faster than any horse.

The peasant never wears a neckcloth, or any thing of that kind, except when he is dressed; for his neck and breast are always open, and he lets the snow beat into his bosom. On the contrary, he covers his veins, binding a woollen fillet round his wrists. About their

body they wear a broad leathern belt, ornamented with convex brass plates; to this hangs a brass chain, which holds their large knife, gimblet, and other tackle.

The women at church, and in genteel assemblies, dress themselves in jackets laced close, and have leathern girdles, with silver ornaments about them. They also wear a silver chain three or four times round the neck, with a gilt medal hanging at the end of it. Their handkerchiefs and caps are almost covered with small silver, brass, and tin-plates, buttons, and large rings such as they wear on their fingers, to which they hang again a parcel of small ones, which make a jingling noise when they move. A maiden-bride has her hair plaited, and hung as full as possible with such kind of trinkets, as also her clothes. For this purpose they get all the ornaments they can.

The peasants are generally busied in cutting wood, felling and floating timber, burning charcoal, and extricating tar. Great numbers are employed in the mines, and at the furnaces and stamping mills; and also in navigation and fishing, besides hunting and shooting; for every body is at liberty to pursue the game, especially in the mountains, where every peasmay make use of what arms he pleases. BISHOP OF BERGEN.

ant

SECT. XCV.

OF THE HOUSES. OF THE NORWEGIANS.

THEIR houses are, in general, built of fir and pinetrees, the whole trunks of which are only chopped even to make them lie close, and then laid one upon another,. and fastened with mortices at the corners. These trunks are left round as they grow, both on the inside and outside of the houses, and are frequently boarded. over and painted, especially in the trading towns; which gives them a genteel appearance.

In the country villages the houses are built at a distance from each other, with their fields and grounds about them. The store-house for the provisions is gene

erally at a distance from the dwelling-house, for fear of fire, and placed high upon poles, to keep the provisions dry, and preserve them from mice and all kinds of vermin. The kitchen stands also separate, as do the barns, hay-loft, cqw-houses, stables, and the like. A farm has likewise commonly a mill belonging to it, situated by some rivulet, besides a smith's forge; for every farmer, as hath been observed, is his own smith. Up the country, where timber for building is but of little value, there is many a farm-house as large as a nobleman's seat. It is frequently two stories high, and has a raised balcony in the front. The additional buildings resemble a little village. The common farmhouses have, however, only the ground floor, and no other window but a square hole in the wall, which is left open in summer; but in winter, or in wet weather, is filled up with a wooden frame, covered with the inward membrane of some animal. This is very

strong, and as transparent as a bladder. This hole, which is as high as it can be placed, also answers the purpose of a chimney, by serving to let out the smoke.

Under the light-hole generally stands a long thick table, with benches of the same wood, and at the upper end is the high seat which belongs to the master only. In towns these houses are covered with tiles; but in the country, the people lay over the boards the sappy bark of birch-trees, which will not decay in many years. They cover this again three four inches thick with turf, on which good grass always grows.

BISHOP OF BERGEN.

SECT. XCVI.

OF THE ANIMALS OF NORWAY.

AMONG the animals, we shall begin with the horses, which are better for riding than drawing. Their walk is easy, they are full of spirit, and are very sure footed. When they mount or descend a steep cliff, on stones like steps, they first tread gently with one foot, to try