BOOK fcarcely believe, that I was nearly in the 6oth degree of' northern
i_ - ■ latitude.
We at length forced ourfelves from this enchanting fpot, enjoying,
as we gradually defcended, the fcenes before us, and arrived
about mid-day at Chiftiania.
Chriftiania is diftant about 30 Englifh miles from the open
fea. The navigation of the bay is fomewhat difficult, but fuf-
ficiently deep for the largeft veflels, having fix or feven fathom
depth of water clofe to the quay.
Chriftiania is efteemed the capital of Norway, becaufe it contains
the fupreme court of juftice. It lies in latitude 59° 6' 17",
and Hands in a femicircular form on the northern extremity of
the bay of Biorning, an inlet of the fea, forming the northern
extremity of the gulf of Chriftiania, whofe rocky fhores are
overfpread with thick forefts.
Chriftiania is divided into, 1. The city, and the three fuburbs
of Waterlandt, Peterwigen, and Fierdingen. 2. The fortrefs of
Aggerhuus ; and 3. The old town of Oplloe or Anfloe. The city
contains 418 houfes, the fuburbs 682, Oplloe 400; and the
number of inhabitants amount to about 9,000. The city, which
formerly occupied the fite of Oplloe, was rebuilt in its prefent
fituation by Chriftian the Fourth, after a plan deligned by him-
felf. The ftreets are carried in a llrait lirie, and at right angles, to
each other, are uniformly forty feet broad, and are very neat and
clean.
Here is a Latin fchool, endowed by Chriftian the Fourth in
3 i63S*
C H R I S T I A N I A .
1635. It is governed by a reftor or upper mailer, a corrector
or under mailer, and three alfiflants; but contained, in
1784, only thirty-feven fcholars. They are divided into fix
clafies, and are inflr.uCted in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.
A collection of about 6,000 volumes, lately left to the town by
Mr. Deichman, a native, will ferve to form the beginning of a
public library.
The caflle of Aggerhuus is built on a rocky eminence on the
weft fide of the bay, at a fmall diftance from the city. It is a very
ancient fortrefs, and was befieged by the Swedes in 1310. An
infcription oyer the door of a brick tower informed me, that it
was ftrengthened in 1633 by Chriftian the Fourth; and feveral
other dates and infcriptions fhewed, that it had received additional
fortifications by the fucceeding kings of Denmark. This
fortrefs is fmall but ftrong. In peace the garrifon confifts of about
500 troops, but in war is augmented to 1000.
Aggerhuus fuftained a fiege in 1717 from Charles the
Twelfth in perfon, who occupied the city and fuburbs, but was
compelled for want of provifion to retire. The walls of many
houfes in Chriftiania Hill bear the marks of the balls which
were fhot from the batteries of the fortrefs againft Charles, as
he rode daily through the ftreets with his ufual rafhnefs, and reconnoitred
the.ftate of the fortrefs.
The governor of Aggerhuus is the chief governor of Norway.
He prefides in the high court of juftice, called Overhoflet,
which judges in the laft refort all civil caufes above a certain
X 2 value.