ing in a frightful manner. The like happens frequently to bears, who attempt to fwim to the island to prey upon the fheep.

It was the opinion of Kircher, that the Maleftrom is a fea vortex, which attracts the flood under the fhore of Norway, and discharges it again in the Gulf of Bothnia; but this opinion is now known to be erroneous, by the return of the fhattered fragments of whatever happens to be fucked down by it. The large flems of firs and pines rife again fo shivered and splintered that the pieces look as if covered with brifles. The whole phenomena are the effects of the violence of the daily ebb and flow, occafioned by the contraction of the stream in its course between the rocks.

PEOPLE, LANGUAGE, RELIGION, The Norwegians are a people

AND CUSTOMS OF NORWAY. of an intermediate character between the fimplicity of the Greenlanders and Icelanders, and the more polished manners of the Danes. Their religion is Lutheran; and they have bishops, as thofe of Denmark, without temporal jurifdiction. Their viceroy, like his mafter, is abfolute: but the farmers and common people in Norway are much less oppreffed than thofe in Denmark.

The Norwegians in general are strong, robust, and brave; but quick in refenting real or fuppofed injuries. The women are handfome and courteous; and the Norwegian modes of living greatly refemble those of the Saxon ancestors of the prefent English. Every inhabitant is an artifan, and supplies his family in all its neceffaries with his own manufactures; fo that in Norway there are few who are by profeffion hatters, fhoe-makers, tailors, tanners, weavers, carpenters, fmiths, or joiners. The lowest Norwegian peafant is an artift and a gentleman, and even a poet. They often mix with oat-meal the bark of the fir, made into a kind of flour; and they are reduced to very extraordinary fhifts for fupplying the place of bread or farinaceous food. The middling Norwegians lead that kind of life which we may say is furnished with plenty; but they are neither fond of luxury, nor do they dread penury: and this middle ftate prolongs their lives furprisingly. Though their drefs is in many refpects accommodated to their climate, yet, by custom, inftead of guarding against the inclemency of the weather, they outbrave it; for they expofe themselves to cold, without any covering upon their breafts or necks. A Norwegian of a hundred years of age is not accounted past his labour; and in 1733, four couples were married, and danced before his Danish majesty at Fredericfhall, whofe ages, when joined, exceeded 800 years.

The funeral ceremonies of the Norwegians contain veftiges of their former paganifm: they play on the violin at the head of the coffin, and while the corpfe is carried to the church, which is often done in a boat. In fome places the mourners afk the dead perfon, why he died? whether his wife and neighbours were kind to him? and other fuch questions; frequently kneeling down and afking forgivenefs, if ever they had offended

him.

COMMERCE.] We have little to add to this head, different from what will be observed in our account of Denmark. The duties on their exports, moft of which have been already recounted, amount to about 100,000 rix-dollars a year.

STRENGTH AND REVENUE.] By the beft calculations, Norway can furnish out 14,000 excellent feamen, and above 30,000 brave soldiers, for the fervice of their king. The royal annual revenue from Norway amounts to near 200,000l.; and, till his prefent majefty's acceffion, the army, inftead of being expenfive, added confiderably to his income, by the

HISTORY.] We must refer to Denmark likewife for this head. The ancient Norwegians certainly were a very brave and powerful people, and the hardieft feamen in the world. If we may believe their hiftories, they were no ftrangers to America long before it was difcovered by Columbus. Many cuftoms of their ancestors are yet difcernible in Ireland and the north of Scotland, where they made frequent defcents, and fome fettlements, which are generally confounded with thofe of the Danes. From their being the mott turbulent, they are become now the moft loyal, fubjects in Europe: their former character is no doubt to be ascribed to the barbarity and tyranny of their kings, when a feparate people. Since the union of Calmar, which united Norway to Denmark, their history, as well as interefts, are the fame with those of Denmark.

DENMARK PROPER, or JUTLAND, exclufive of the ISLANDS in the BALTIC.

LengthBreadth - --114 and 11 eaft longitude. Containing 15,744 fquare miles, with 139 inhabitants to each. BOUNDARIES AND IT is divided on the north from Norway by the Scaggerac Sea, and from Sweden on the eaft by the Sound; it is bounded on the fouth by Germany and the Baltic; and the German Sea divides it from Great Britain on the weft.

240+} between {54 and 38 north latitude.

DIVISIONS.

Denmark Proper is divided into two parts; the peninsula of Jutland, anciently called Cherfonefus Cimbrica, and the iflands at the entrance of the Baltic mentioned in the table. It is remarkable, that, though all thefe together conftitute the kingdom of Denmark, yet not any one of them is feparately called by that name, Copenhagen, the metropolis, is in the island of Zealand.

AIR, CLIMATE, SOIL, STATE OF AGRICULTURE, &c.] One of the largest and most fertile of all the provinces of this kingdom is Jutland, which produces abundance of all forts of grain and pafturage, and is a kind of magazine for Norway on all occafions. A great number of fmall cattle are bred in this province, and afterwards transported into Holftein, to be fed for the ufe of Hamburgh, Lubec, and Amfterdam. Jutland is every where interfperfed with hills, and on the eaft fide has fine woods of oak, fir, beech, birch, and other trees; but the weft fide being lefs woody, the inhabitants are obliged to ufe turf and heath for fuel. Zealand is for the most part a fandy foil, but rather fertile in grain and pafturage, and agreeably variegated with woods and lakes of water. The climate is more temperate here, on account of the from the furrounding fea, than it is in many more foutherly parts of vapours Europe. Spring and autumn are feafons fcarcely known in Denmark, on account of the fudden tranfitions from cold to heat, and from heat to cold, which diftinguith the climate of this kingdom. In all the northern provinces of Denmark, the winters are very fevere, fo that the inha

See Mallet's Denmark, p. 1, to 18, vol. v.

+ Meaning where longeft and broadeft,-a method which the author has every where obferved; and it feems to be the practice of other writers on the fubject. Great allowances must therefore he made in most countries, as the readers will perceive by looking

aps. Jutland, for inftance, is 114 miles where broadest, though in fundry other

bitants often pafs arms of the sea in fledges upon the ice; and during the winter all the harbours are frozen up.

The greateft part of the lands in Denmark and Holftein are fiefs; and the ancient nobility, by grants which they extorted at different times from the crown, gained fuch power over the farmers, and those who refided upon their eftates, that at length they reduced them to a state of extreme flavery, fo that they were bought and fold with their lands, and were efteemed the property of their lords. Many of the noble landholders of Slefwick and Holftein have the power of life and death. The fituation off the farmers has, indeed, been made fomewhat more agreeable by fome modern edicts; but they are ftill, if fuch an expreffion may be allowed, chained to their farms, and are difpofed of at the will of their lords. When a farmer in Denmark or Holftein happens to be an induftrious man, and is fituated upon a poor farm, which by great diligence he has laboured to cultivate advantageoufly, as foon as he has performed the toilfome tafk, and expects to reap the profits of what he has fown, his landlord, under pretence of taking it into his own hands, removes him from that farm to another of his poor farms, and expects that he fhould perform the fame laborious task there, without any other emolument than what he may think proper to give him. This has been fo long the practice in this country, that it neceffarily throws the greatest damp upon the efforts of induftry, and prevents thofe improvements in agriculture which would otherwife be introduced: the confequence of which is, that nine parts in ten of the inhabitants are in a ftate of great poverty. But if the farmers had a fecurity for their property, the lands of Denmark might have been cultivated to much greater advantage than they are at prefent, and a much greater number of people fupported by the produce of agriculture.

ANIMALS.] Denmark produces an excellent breed of horses, both for the faddle and carriage; about 5000 are fold annually out of the country, and of the horned cattle, 30,000. Befides numbers of black cattle, they have sheep, hogs, and game; and the fea coafts are generally well fupplied with fish.

POPULATION, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS] By an actual enumeration made, in 1759, of his Danish majefty's fubjects in his dominions of Denmark, Norway, Holftein, the islands in the Baltic, and the counties of Oldenburgh and Delmenhorft in Weftphalia, they were faid to amount to 2,444,000 fouls, exclufive of the Icelanders and Greenlanders. The moft accurate account of the population is that made under the direction of the famous Struenfee; by which,

Sum total 2.017.027

Several of the smaller islands included in the diftrict of Fionia, which may contain a few thousands, are omitted in this computation.

However difproportioned this number may feem to the extent of his Danish majesty's dominions, yet, every thing confidered, it is far greater than could have been expected from the uncultivated fate of his poffeffions. But the trade. of Denmark has been fo fhackled by the corruption and arbitrary proceedings of its minifters, and the merchants are to ter

might be rendered rich and flourishing, is at present one of the moft indigent and diftreffed ftates in Europe; and thefe circumstances prevent Denmark from being fo populous as it otherwife would be, were the administration of government more mild and equitable, and proper encouragement given to foreigners, and to those who engage in agricultural and other arts.

The ancient inhabitants of Denmark poffeffed a degree of courage which approached even to ferocity; but, by a continual series of tyranny and opprethon, their national character is much changed, and from a brave, enterprising, and warlike people, they are became indolent, timid, and dull of apprehenfion. They value themselves extremely upon those titles and privileges which they derive from the crown, and are exceedingly fond of pomp and fhow. They endeavour to imitate the French in their manners, drefs, and even in their gallantry; though they are naturally the very contrast of that nation. The Danes, like other northern nations, are given to intemperance in drinking, and convivial entertainments; but their nobility, who begin now to vifit the other courts of Europe, are refining from their provincial habits and vices.

RELIGION.] The religion of Denmark is Lutheran; and the kingdom is divided into fix diocefes: one in Zealand, one in Funen, and four in Jutland; befides four in Norway, and two in Iceland. These diocefes are governed by bishops, whofe duty it is to fuperintend the other clergy; nor have they any other mark of pre-eminency than a diftinction in their ecclefiaftical drefs; for they have neither cathedrals nor ecclefiaftical courts, nor the smallest concern with civil affairs: their morals, however, are fo good, that they are revered by the people. They are paid by the state, the church lands having been appropriated to the government at the reformation.

LANGUAGE AND LEARNING.] The language of Denmark is a dialect of the Teutonic; but High Dutch and French are spoken at court; and the nobility have lately made great advances in the English, which is now publicly taught at Copenhagen as a neceifary part of education. A company of English comedians occafionally vifit that capital, where they find tolerable encouragement.

The university of Copenhagen has funds for the gratuitous fupport of 328 ftudents: thefe funds are faid to amount to 300,000 rix-dollars. But the Danes in general have made no great figure in literature; though aftronomy and medicine are highly indebted to their Tycho Brahe, Borrichius, and the Bartholines and the Round Tower and Chriftian's Haven difplay the mechanical genius of a Longomontanus. They begin now, however, to make fome promifing attempts in hiftory, poetry, and the drama. But it appears, that, in general, literature receives very little countenance or encouragement in Denmark; which may be confidered as the principal caufe of its being fo little cultivated by the Danes.

CITIES AND CHIEF BUILDINGS.] Copenhagen, which is fituated on the fine island of Zealand,, was originally a fettlement of failors, and first founded by fome wandering fishermen in the twelfth century, but is now the metropolis, and makes a magnificent appearance at a diftance. It is very strong, and defended by four royal caftles or forts. It contains ten parish churches, befides nine others belonging to the Calvinifts and other perfuafions, and fome hofpitals. Copenhagen is adorned by fome public and private palaces, as they are called. Its ftreets are 186 in number: and its inhabitants amount to 100,000. The houfes in the principal Streets are built of brick, and thofe in the lanes chiefly of timber. Its

univerfity has been already mentioned. But the chief glory of Copenhagen is its harbour, formed by a large canal flowing through the city, which admits only one fhip to enter at a time, but is capable of containing 500. Several of the ftreets have canals, and quays for fhips to lie close to the houses; and its naval arsenal is faid to exceed that of Venice. The road for fhipping begins about two miles from the town, and is defended by 90 pieces of cannon, as well as the difficulty of the navigation. Yet, notwithstanding all these advantages, there is little appearance of industry or trade in this city; and Copenhagen, though one of the fineft ports in the world, cannot boaft of its commerce. The public places are filled with officers either in the land or fea fervice; and the number of forces kept up is much too large for this little kingdom. The police of Copenhagen is extremely regular, and people may walk through the whole city at midnight with great fafety. Indeed, it is ufually almost as quiet here at eleven o'clock at night as in a country village.

The royal palace of Chriftiansfburg, one of the most commodious and most fumptuously furnished in Europe, was built in the reign of Chriftian VI. and is faid to have coft, in building only, confiderably above a milion fterling; but this palace was reduced to a heap of afhes by a dreadful fire, which happened on the 26th of February 1794. The royal library, which ftood detached from the principal pile, and contained between two and three hundred thousand volumes, was, however, fortunately preferved. The finest palace belonging to his Danish majefty lies about twenty English miles from Copenhagen, and is called Fredericfburgh. It is a very large building, moated round with a triple ditch, and calculated, like most of the ancient refidences of princes, for defence against an enemy. It was built by Chriftian IV. and, according to the architecture of the times, partakes. of the Greek and Gothic ftyles. In the front of the grand quadrangle appear Tuscan and Doric pillars; and on the fummit of the building are fpires and turrets. Some of the rooms are very fplendid, though furnished in the antique tafte. The knights' hall is of great length. The tapeftry reprefents the wars of Denmark, and the ceiling is a moft minute and laboured performance in fculpture. The chimney-piece was once entirely covered with plates of filver, richly ornamented; but the Swedes, who have often landed here, and even befieged the capital, tore them all away, and rifled the palace, notwithstanding its triple moat and formidable appearance. About two miles from Elfineur is another small royal palace, flat roofed, with twelve windows in front, faid to be built on the place formerly occupied by the palace of Hamlet's father. In an adjoining garden is fhown the very fpot where, according to tradition, that prince was poisoned.

Jagersburg is a park which contains a royal country feat called the Hermitage, remarkable for the difpofition of its apartments and the quaintnels of its furniture, particularly a machine which conveys the dishes to and from the king's table in the fecond ftory. The chief ecclefiatical building in Denmark is the cathedral of Rofchild, where the kings and queens of Denmark were formerly buried, and their monuments fill remain. Joining to this cathedral, by a covered paffage, is a royal. palace, built in 1733.

Elfineur is well built, contains 5000 inhabitants, and, with respect to commerce, is only exceeded by Copenhagen. It is ftrongly fortified