hearers, -of which we have Mfahdes in' - feMy febbks of
that kind ; but it will befides pitbvfe to -liberal a’totàféÉiërtt in their
folitude; it will enable them, by much greater opportunities than
the learhëd tojby in towns, ho make nfëM^ffi^ovènfestor improt?é-
ments, front the products’ of nature, to tB^ptfting benefit of toéir
country, which at*1 is their duty to piomptef^i ïhàlf toéhtïôhtoh^f
one thing, which here in NbrwUÿ toight né' of toe '-greateft importance,
I mean fitch Ikill iriTn’etallurgy, as to know the t Inecies
of ,ore& and minerals, to make little ejqkriments'by fufign, anti
thus to form a’judgment oftoe mtrrnfic.yalue or a rn^ne, "and
how far it will ardwer the expence of_ opening. . He wrib lFpbf-
feflèd of fuperior knowlege and penetration, may, in this country,
ever meet with many latent things,, which might long fiqce, fiaye
occalioned much thought ^nd reflexion, had they, been exhibited
earlier to public view and 'examination.
This leads me to my other motive,. Ihr attempting a nataraldbif-
tory of Norway, which carried me thro’ it with infinite topfigto,
ffimigb I wanted toematerials-, thé thane, and the opportuiities
requifite for an .«flay o f this kind. In the annual vjfitataons of
my diocefe, which lead ;me into every part of this provimcéi and
fometimes form a journey ofyan hundreidl^a^ay .miles, I havp
heard authentic accounts of natural things,- and .fometimes have
feen the originals themfelves, which being unknwn ^ m ^ (|rii£
me upon enquiring whether they were *fô todthefsy or whether
they had a perfect knowlege of them? The latter being libldom
the cafe, it was natural to wifla the improvement of that know-
4gge, efpeciahy as toofe mountainous eoyntries are difiinguilhed
from others by containing many things, which are met with, in
the province of Dauphiné in France. !• refer the reader to the
ninth volume of the Mémoires de 1’ academie royale des inferip-
£ons et belles lettres, where he will -find the following paffage;
« Nature has bellowed on every province feme difoinguiihing
advantage, and the curiofities of each country are proportioned tb
the number and nature of the alterations it has undergone. Com
i ' '• fe q u e n tly ,
quently, .in/ pfibvittce& full of mobhfcainsi rocks, '■ grottos, -fubtento-
neous cavities, and- minerals, the.lpeculative mind is entertained
with many hrefi'- natural (phenomena,- as are not to be found in
toffier parfeiu;
i.cThis iobforitoioitobf - M.- lLaricello%i is entjrely applicable to
Norway1, ' and.* xhofe efpeciilly to - that ! part where providence has
been pleafed to fettle; me, which, according todts name,, almoil
whtolyi confifts>cf mountams^' m;wtocto^fow^parts ofjEurbpe can
be compared tpE to and .confecjuently, according, to the- above ob-
ferydtion, (few* contain tnore remarkable naturalla. Even Norwegians
ttoenatoto^;j- who refort; hither from the other provinces,
imagine themfqlves ifoa foreign country, ^nptv only ton acqount of
the pontfoual h ig h , mountains theyj meet with; bufrin relpedl of
.the different, apd very -,unyvhciMbm air ifluing frofonototoe/foa
and fettling between tfoermquntjuns, from whence it cannot eafily
; But Nprway^.fe’onfidered- in general,, in the fingularia-nature dt
providentiae, furpaflesmoft countries; and nofcicmlyf4tv.5dts inaWi-
mate .jttetojresj fuch as .metals,, .minerals, ., and vegetables, totfo in '
varans .kinds, of birds; .and fifties:;k and=particularly‘df
toeJafJjVfcaxcejany parts, of the juniv'erfe. toqrd.tochJ'aitoverfit^
.and abundance. But • thefe fuperibr advantages are ttbt'eftknated
ag fiiph by the inhabitants,, who .daily enjoy,.,and therefore, are tdb
^Bt;;to;difregaid..them/, .Foresters- feldom. vifit usy-unlefs they
are feamen and merchants; and thefe have-htoahlfe jiyvibw,. than
i !ucf.e Pf. toto/profeflions,j Northward of us the . pedjhd are
ta,etociurage;fa tra^eUerifef takdftoeto^M^f-ihb
toth;.feen, ^to^siufchi^ringvnip^cngfina
hiftqrv of ptoer cbuntri§^. ;,«
Oii this very account it feems the more expedient,: that'ftiCh
$ 4M ‘at •
& MM af e f f iB B s B M l f t j tobmign ccaanto^todtod^tofl;
at ka%^haJ£|ear^ touri tlffough this kitigdijm»,
ynltfto: with:: Denmark/: If t fe c ^ v ^ to f
.„..Part I. ’* 1 t r
Mc . • thefe