Li
11^
h ii'
i
vices, or near to the shore. The mountains on Tusteren
and the neighbouring islands, and others still
more southerly, which had attracted our attention
in going up the northern passage, by being covered
w'ith snoAV, were noiv seen to rise majestically out
of the fiord, their summits mostly being enveloped
in the clouds. The distance of Tronyem from the
entrance of the Froy fiord is about seventy, and that
of the Tronyem fiord about ninety miles.
Just as we Avere entering the harbour of Christiansund
the wind had become fair, and it was
bloAving so strong from the mountains, that we ran
in Avithout a stitch of canvass set. It very soon,
hoAvever, got back to its old quarter, so Ave remained
quietly at anchor till the following
morning.
The harbour of Christiansund contains a sufficient
depth of Avater to admit vessels of large tonnage
to lay close to the mercantile warehouses,
which, like those of Tronyem, are built on piles,
and carried into the harbour. Some of the storehouses,
for greater convenience, are erected on
small rocks which appear a little above the surface
of the Avater. There is no street in any of those
clusters of houses Avhich compose Christiansund :
they are built chiefly along the edge of the Avater.
Fach mercantile resident has his OAvn private boat,
in which he ro ./s from one part of the town to the
other, to pay his visits or transact business. On
the top of one of the islands is erected a small
look-out house, and two little guns are placed there
to be used as signals, to give notice to the pilots of
the approach of vessels towards the entrance of the
fiord. A Avalk to the summit of this island is the
favourite and indeed the only promenade of the
inhabitants.
The names of the three islands are Kirkelandet,
Inlandet, and Nordlandet, the last of which is the
la rg e st; hut the principal part of this divided toAvn,
and that which contains the best houses, is built on
Kirkelandet, so called from its containing the parochial
church. The population of the three toAvns
of Christiansund was stated to be about tAvo thousand.
The trade is now almost solely confined to
that of fish : fir timber, once an article largely exported,
being noAV very little in demand since the
hea\'y duty laid upon it in Fngland, Avhich appears
to have been a severe bloAV to the commerce o f
Norway, and is complained of in every sea-port,
the only ground of complaint I ever met Avith from
any of the N orAvegians against Fngland. We waited
upon Mr. Knudtzon, a relation of our friend and now
our companion of that name on boara the yacht,
and from him received every possible attention.
Our first care while we remained here was to
complete our Avater, and the next, to purchase what
might be required for our voyage to Iceland; and
among other things, a sheep or two, Avhich Ave Avere
told Ave could only be permitted to do on the understanding
that the skins were to be returned;
I