book at that time indifpoied. During our day at Copenhagen
' . there were only two publick meetings at court: the company
affembled about fix o’clock in the evening. At one of
thefe evenings was a. concert, in which aDanifh tranflation of
Pergolefi’s Stabat Mater, with the original mufick, was performed.
His majefty afterwards fat dawn to Loo with the
queen, dowager, prince Frederick, princefs Sophia, count
Bernfdorff the prime minifter, anti the Pruffian embaflador.
As our ftay at Copenhagen was very ihort, and: principally
during pafiion-week, which the natives obferve with great
itriCtnefs, we had not many opportunities o f experiencing
the hofpitality o f the Danifh nobility, though they Were
much inclined to honour us with.all thofe. marks o f atten-
tion.and ciyility which are ufually. paid to ftrangers. Amongft
other inftances o f politenefs, we received'an invitation to an
aifembly and lupper from, count Molck, who was favourite
and prime minifter. to the late king Frederick V . The count’s
houfe*which ftands in the.oCtagon, is a magnificent' building
fuperbly furniihed. He poffeffes feveral fine pictures;
amongft which I chiefly admired a painting by Nicholas
PoulTin, two excellent Vanderwerfs”, and a Teniers. His
collection o f foflils, fhells, minerals, and petrefaCtions, d'e-
ferves the notice o f the naturalift: it is particularly rich iii
native productions o f Denmark; and’exhibits many fine fpe-
cimens o f the gold, filver, and copper mines, from Norway ;
and o f laya from Mount Hecla in Iceland.
Among the moil curious collections in Copenhagen, the
Royal Mufeum, or Cabinet o f Rarities, merits the firit place.
This collection, which was begun by Frederick III; is depoi
fited in eight apartments, and ranged in the following order':
animals; fhells ; minerals; paintings ; antiquities; medals ;
dreffes; arms and implements o f the Laplanders.- Th‘e ihort
7 time
time which I employed in examining thefe apartments did chap.
not permit me to take a minute and accurate account o f the - ‘‘ ■
principal curiofities, which the reader will find defcribed in
Mufeum Regium Jacobai.
Part o f Copenhagen, which is called Chriftianihafen, is
built upon the ifle o f Amak, which generally attracts the
curiofity o f foreigners.
Amak is about four mil.es long, and two broad ; and is-
chiefly peopled by the defendants of a colony from Eaft
Friefland, to whom the ifland was configned by Ghriflian II.
at the requeft o f his wife Elizabeth, filter o f Charles V. for
the purpofe o f fupplyimg her with vegetables, cheefe,.
and butter. From the intermarriages o f thefe colonies with
the Danes, the prefent inhabitants are chiefly defended
hut as they weaf their own drefs, and enjoy peculiar privileges,
they appear a diftinCt race from the natives. The
ifland contains about fix villages, and between 3 and 4000
fouls. It has two churches, in. which the minilters preach
occafionally in Dutch and Danifli. The inhabitants have
their own inferior tribunals; but in capital offences are
amenable to the king’s court o f juftice at Copenhagen. The
old national habit, brought by the original colony when they
full migrated to the ifland, is ftill in ufe amongft them. It
reiembles the habit o f the antient quakers, as reprefented-
in the pictures o f the Dutch and Flemifh painters. The men
wear broad-brimmed hats, black jackets, full glazed breeches
o f the fame colour, loofe at the knee, and tied round the
waift. The women were drefled chiefly in black jackets and
petticoats, with a piece o f blue glazed cloth bound on their
heads. The ifland is laid out in gardens and paflures; and
ftill, accgrdiog to the original defign, fupplies Copenhagen,
with milk, butter, and vegetables.
C H A P i