catara&s, and fometimes interrupted by fand banks, over which
it frequently lhifts its courfe.
Being now in the 62d degree of north latitude, and in a
mountainous country, we had already experienced the approach
o f winter. On the 14th of September it fnowed. On the 1 rth
it was a fevere hoar froft, and the furface of feveral ponds and
ftagnant waters were frozen the thicknefs of half a crown. It
was, however, clear and funny, like a fine day in November;
but this morning, September 17, it is as cold and fevere as with
us in the beginning o f January. The pines and firs are fo
thickly covered with hoar froft as to bear the appearance of being
fprinkled with fnow, and the foreft trees have changed their
leaves in the fpace of one night.
This morning having ferried over the Glomme, here as deep
and about as broad as the Thames at Putney, we reached Kong-
fwinger, a ftrong fortrefs which guards the frontiers of Norway.
Kongfwinger contains about fifty fmall wooden houfes, Handing
near the Glomme, at the foot of the eminence on which
towers the CitadeL
The Citadel Hands on a fteep rock, and is deemed impregnable.
Charles the Twelfth reconnoitred it, but found the pofition
lb ftrong, that even he thought it prudent to decline the attempt.
It confifts of feveral parts built at different intervals. The moll
ancient was probably conftruited above 400 year ago, and has
been gradually enlarged, particularly by Chrillian the Fifth and
Frederic the Fourth.
The
The fortifications which have been lately added render it a regular
fortrefs with eight baftions. In time of war it requires a
garrifon of 1000 men; its prefent complement confifts only of
120. Some eminences on the other fide of the river are higher
than that on which the fortrefs Hands, and would be the only
means by which the works could be attacked with any profpeft
of fuccefs } but the officer who accompanied us affined us, they
were fo extremely fteep and rugged, that it would be almoft impracticable
to draw to their fummits large pieces of artillery of a
fize fufficient to batter the walls.
From the windows of the fortrefs,. we commanded a fine view
of the Glomme, winding at the foot of a ridge of hills, clothed
with trees, and chequered with fields of corn and pafture j the
finall lake Wingen forming a beautiful feature in the variegated
landfcape,
C H A P .