w
fM
TH* 0 jCs- OP. 1ft. LE -F A H
.toefe young gentlemen are MA to be' ifodertafcen : u j ^
motive!, I hope their principal object is-to qualify thexnfelves the
better for, the ferrice of their king and country* :sa. thofe ptriplio
employments which at their return they follicit," andto which
tiiey haVe feme «laim. Now if this. be 'Midr; dbje^,idt 4s5 inore
neceffary for them to vifit: Norway and Sweden, thah all the other
. countries of .Europe«. *- An acqumutance with the Isifer-^veden)
both in refpMfe to its ftteagto and itS'Weakntfs, is tinqueftionably
more nfoeffily to OW y o u n g t o bd able td deckle
which, merits the preference, the Rhenifh, Italian, F<ren£h, tor
Spanifli .wines. As to the iteceffity of aft accurate kndwlegeqf
Norway, F believe it muff be immediately tsi&nifeff, if npt to
others, at leaft, to a Norwegian, when he fees k :perfon filling
.feme eminent port either in the frate, Or in the law,7 With- irbl*-
proachable integrity, who is totally ignorant of the particular cto
cumftances and properties of Norway, and whcreiri they totally
diflfo- from'diofe of Denmark. ; Thus toe public, contrary to his
^etstiofts, tody fofler great detriment, ©r many toin^ be «fegt-
le&ed, which would ; bp happily executed, i f 'his. public fpiiited
views Were dirb&ed by his own difeefnment, which would enable
him Without feeihg tliro’ theeyes of other men, thr(^ghly -to irft
and examine fop-grounds and eonfequeness toF a tnaatery Whkh
now. becomes doubly difficult, it being not only- fetoightohiftt,
but very remote perhaps from the purpofeyt© whkh he is medk-
tatingt© apply- it.
In this reJpedt, I flatter myfclf, thasftrft effiy towards a natural
hifrory of Norway, will have its nfewfeh feme', who never had
an ef^optoaiiy v f petionally vifiting a ritiuAVry, With which, by
virtue of their office, they are in a greater <fr Mstoegfee; yjWpe-
tuafly -ctjncerndd..
\ ^Tbis work, bnoreorer, with all-its imperfe&i'ons, may ferVe to
enrich natural; hiftory in general with feme particulars, -df Which,
confumWafe. uaturtofb were heretofore toe only competent
judges. I ana ve&y far from dfeliftog to refete, or -efehlifli toarvel-
‘ lous
if
Æhe A U T H O R's P R £ F A G I , xi
lous things, merely: .to etokethe admiration of the readier. On
the contrary, r I have endeavoured to reâdfy the ôtooneoufi idea
which many, even atoohg the learned, havé, for wanttof better
^formation, formed ôf fëvraàlfrin fthemfefoes. vferÿ wonderful fta*-
tural phoenomena, here in Norway?. fuch as & bdttototefs fea-
abyfs growing -.to the Mofkoe-ftrom, penetrating quite tfootohè
globe? of ducks- growing tin- trees? of a water on Sündmoer*
which in a fhort time turns t Wood >• into frohe $ aUd-‘*iany other
fueh things, llvhfeh,7' totne who have fiato
qmrMg further,' èr irthdts- whb %e*e nôt^düpSfèd to it, havètoi
Oeived as undoubted ff&S. The'- reader Will meet with many
■ flrarigb, fingiilar, anti unexpected things* here,- hut ' all -of them
IkiJffy' tiMe ?fiTOïnh; m them not difcdvered'- before,! others bdii-
firmed?-andytti'totobell; 'ôf-toy ability?' infome tneafure ato
GOùnted for, and ilfoftratedl:>1^
Perhap^NR^w^af^ojk'birth, ’to whom the nature of-thtife
country is better ‘Mown, îtoàÿf -froïfr theto ctoto 'partîetoâftoptri-
ënçe in divqra parts, produce fomething more complete
tenlive. ' If theÿ fhould bë' anîffiàtfed. toëretb by this work of
xffîié^ I fhâll âtié»untrit'Éïièng 'toëMeMd€Saal'ra#ahtkgèé^^Which
Stay'refôlt from it r t f as s l i t nè oti«f;itoâgiië''toat a
difference of opinion, aeçéntly delivered, will gjve me any offimee,
or trouble ; the difeovery of yüthj ' i| ; ih thk and every other ’ rdP'
fpeft, fey' chief end ? - and ’ I live: in ail age*': Which ifet.; content
With toërè hypotoefrsy %nfupprated' byproofs,'toquires thai evtay
fait or pofition, ' which is 'advanced as rtâl, be f«t lead demon-
ftrated • poffible, ahd confdtiatit to the nature of the things in
queftitin.
:i Phyfi.cs,'-hfVHig Ifever been toy dhief ftudy*pl am for from the
arrogance of feppofing, that I have always hit upon the true original
èàüfe, and kid open toe- connexion o f every .£u^e® ? i ^id I
am much krther from'toe prefemptuoiis, conceit,, ■ that I^yQjin
Si in tt Mmirii venêrné^^attx^i^oJ ^masrrafil' WàsyMÎtiti " JwhP'
fenfnlfMMi iprofi-tsbpr.v.Cicçpà injQça^ pr^>ti|lirEf{i^,y^ap. xxv!p.i.
I . ...j .