It . is neceffary to ufe great caution ,in providing a-gainft fuch
weather,' in which an unexperienced or unguarded traveller may
be deprived of ■ his nofe and ears ; it is particularly expedient to-
cover the face, and for this, the moft ^pptovgd, method is^tQjfix g.
piece of gaufe under the hat; which both retains, the warm effluvia
ifluing from the body, and keeps off the piercing air better
than would be imagined; allowing at the fame time fight, enough,
to guide the horfe. Some, now, and them ..çüb ,,their faces with a
handful of fnow, as enabling it, better than hy*. wtajrmth,, tobear
the cold ; but in' long journeys over-the. higheft mountains, where
the air is much teener/ and the winter quiteinfupportablç,'ho
precautions would'avail,Without the convenience of the moun-
tain-Stoves, as they are called, which are kept at the public charge
for the repofe and warmth of travellers. Of the neceffity of thefe,
and the impraâicablenefs of the mountainous and de^ht^Jartihn
the winter-months, the Swedes afford a melancholy inftance;
and as/the like is fcarce-tobe found in -the- hiftory^of anwage,
I fflall here give-a fflort accöünt 'óf;tJ' fo^ebjrûary iyT ^ fe# n
thoufand, fome fay. nine thoufand Swedifh foldilfs, - together with
their officers,' perifhed in-a mofb deplcj^le\ nianfer on tfip
mountain of Rüden, or Tyda], which Separates-Jemptdand in
Sweden, from the-Diocefe- of -Drohtheim, • withoul^^^^M^^
enemy than the extreme colä; which forprifed them op tlleficjge
of that'mountain, where nobody could come to their -affiftance..
T h e affair happened in this manner:
In the autumn of the preceding yeàr/fihis'Èdrfis, pfitti^dien
r n n fiftfxl ’lin^lfóiSqfendrmearJuMlól^ ^
and appeared to have a‘ defign upon Drontheim; thereby to-,clear
a paflâge for the mainarmy, which wg.s.at thtft time under the
command of the king in perfon, and had, made an irruption
neat Frederickfflall, and to facilitate its farther progrefs ^into
of Chriftianfänd, bears the following teftimony, “ It cannot be denied, that the air
towards the north is in winter-time full of innumerable particles o f -fnow. and ice,
which are frequently fo large and. fenfible, that when the wind blows ft;effi, they dart'
into the face, and give it. a pain like the fmart'of a fwitch; and they are not only reit,
but when the cold is very intenfe, and the fun ffiines clear, thefe particles .may be
vifibly difeerned, guttering like fo many little Stars.” And tthis .accounts, .why the
north wind is of a more penetrating coldnefs than any other, that m 1 i t
fweeps along the fnowy mountains of-the north, and thus, becomes impregnated, as.
i f were and loaded with thefe particles, or lamellae- niveæ. et glaciales*, which,among
m occaßoh fucha iharp cold. . Suppléai. IL Aftor. .Vratisï. Art. ^ P - 7 r- :
Nor-
Norway, but the..gallant Daniffl general Budde, who, in the laft
invafion of the Swedes, had done his country great fervicë, made
fuch good difpofitions againft the enemy,- that they laid aftde their
defign of attempting Drontheim, and cantoned themfelves among
the pealants, till the beginning of the year 1719; when, though
late^thffy received ah accopnt .byhkprefs of thé unexpedted death
of th& k’ingq b^oië/f^e4|rxcklhall. Sd&nt after, advice coming
that, Count, Sponeck was^inofuH march towards themy they had
orders to make the ,moft precipitatet retreat cwét'thole delart and
lofty mountains;;| bht >juft as they had. reached- the frontiers of their
owri^cphlitry,| thCT^v^yëlqyetliakenffly a ft orm,-accompanied with
fan, extrerjie;Gold, and much fnow, whichfo béwildered them., that
the^egteffi parq ófjthern. periihed. A company of two’hundred
Norwegian; ’ fledge-meriy under - major "'Einahus,'' which followed
them èNfêfto obfefve their5 retreat, i,found .the? enemy- dead upon
the fountains; fome fitting, fomè ljdhg, andi fome in a-pofture of
prayer, hlHrbsen todeitjL Hpw.g£eat their lliftrefs muff have been,
may b'équÉge'cfTrom their cutting then? mulfeets to^pieces, in order,
to burn what; lit^-et fuel they èould raife f r g e n e r a l s
Lahari;e;and^ctega Were amqng* thé .-dead/ buttthegerierals Adler-
fold .and Horn barely efcaped with theirdivest; and-of the whoie
body only tyvq thouland fiye hundred, or, according to others, no
.more than‘five hundred, furviveefthis dreadful cataftrophe*.
s' E ;c T. VIII.
T From -thh ..aecideptal digreffion I now return to_ thé Cold 111 Prefèrvatlvés
Norway/ which led me,into it, • and' ftia.11 fliew; according to my cold!*
defign, fflaïtïlhe wifejand provident Creatörhik not left the inhabitants
of thefe Gold climates:without a. .grèatfcr Variety of prelèrva-
tives. againft die weather; and more ^ means of keeping therillèïvés
y^rra; thanvpl^e%,cóyntnes,\ afford. 1, The country abounds in
large.fofeffs, affording them plenty of: fuel, and timber for build- .
ing ftrong houfes : 2. The wool of the fheep, and the furs and '
* Whoever confiders this great lofs,1 which was infixftéd by the band of- Gód, and :
ine many’Other defeats,, particularly at Mofs, Frederickfh.aU, Ringerige,. Crogftoven,
lid, and dfewhere, cannot but ^ofider that Mr. NordBerg, an hiftorian of oreat
merit jn other refpefts, Ihould in idle fecond par,6 of his life of Charles XII. affirm,
;that the war. was'carried on with equal advantage, or rather on the Swedifh fide with
confiderable fupériority. “ Paf la les . forces de Charles 'XII. furent alfez egales a
celles de fóte ehriëini. 11 fit trois^veanipagnes en Norvegue avec un avintage afiëz
egalet même avec fuperiarix.” ' ‘ An affertion without the leaft truth. But the cir- .
cumftanccs o f ’this laft war were never rightly underftood by foreigners.
Part l G , fleins