Koblevig. Among other things, possession
was taken of two thousand six hundred rix-
dollars *, belonging to the public chest, under
the care of Mr. Adzer Knudson, and a seizure
was made from a Mr. Strube, of a stock of
tallow, train-oil, fish, and woollen goods,
belonging to a trading company at Flens-
burg, and another of a considerable quantity
* Count Tramp observes that, according to a specification
drawn up by Mr. Phelps, the public money forcibly
seized in Iceland by Mr. Jorgensen amounted in the
whole to nineteen thousand two hundred and twenty
rix-dollars, eighty-six skillings, Danish currency. Mr.
Jorgensen, however, who appears to have kept an extremely
accurate account of money received either by
confiscation or from the public officers, as well as of
sums issued in the payment of salaries and for other
public purposes, states the former at sixteen thousand
nine hundred and fifty-five rix-dollars, two marks, and
eight skillings j and the latter at sixteen thousand nine
hundred and sixty-one rix-dollars, five marks, and four
skillings. Other sums were advanced by Mr. Phelps to
meet the demands of various persons, but these did not
come under the head of public expences. It is to be
remarked, that Mr. Sysselman Koefoed had collected
king’s taxes to the amount of twelve hundred and ninety-
five dollars, which were consequently considered as property
to be confiscated; but as this gentleman had laid
out the money in the purchase of land, Mr. Jorgensen
did not claim any of it.
of goods from a mercantile concern established
in Nordburg. I have already mentioned the
circumstance of the ship Orion * being made
a prizei possession was now likewise taken
of the cargo that remained still on board,
and the part of it that had been unshipped
was also confiscated. It happened shortly
after that another Danish vessel, commanded
by Captain Holme, which is said by Count
Tramp to have had a licence ■f- from Great
Britain, arrived in Iceland with a supply of
* This was the only vessel that was seized.
f As a difficulty may be supposed to exist upon the
question of licences, and it may be considered by many
of my readers that the taking violent possession of a
ship furnished with one, must in every case be an act
of piracy, I beg leave to subjoin an explanation on this
head, with which I have been very lately favored by Mr.
Jorgensen. When the British government grants a
licence, it is expressly stipulated that the ship shall proceed
directly from such a port to such a port, specifying
their names. But should it happen, which is very frequently
the case with vessels trading to Iceland, that
after having procured a licence, in going from an English
port they observe the sea clear and free from cruizers,
they will run into Norway, sell their cargo there and go
back to Copenhagen for another} but if they then, on
their way to Iceland, meet an English ship of war, they