COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.
3 11
The public debt in 1785 amounted to 3,600,000b, of which in time of peace about200,000b is annually liquidated. Lately, however, the liquidation of the debt owingto the fubjedts has been made in bank-notes. Although this meafure faves to the na-tion the payment of the intereft of four per cent in money, yet it too much promotesthe increafe of paper currency. The bank-notes are not exchanged at Hamburgh,except under a difcount from 16 to 20 per cent. There is but little fpecie in the coun-try ; that collected from the Sound duties being chiefly appropriated to the intereft ofthe foreign debt, and the appointments of perfons employed in Holftein ; and the pro-duce of the filver mines at Kongfberg fcarcely exceeds 50,000b per annum.
The army of Denmark is compofed, 1. of the troops of Denmark and Holftein ;and, 2. of Norway .
t. The forces of Denmark and Holftein are divided into, 1. Regulars ; 2. Nationalor militia. Thefe forces . (the foot and horfe guards excepted, who are all regulars)are not feparated, as in our army, into diftindt regiments.
Before the late augmentation, every regiment of infantry, when complete, confiftedof twenty-fix officers, and one thoufand fix hundred and thirty-two privates, divided intoten companies of fufileers, and two of grenadiers. Of thefe one thoufand fix hundredand thirty-two privates, four hundred and eighty, who are chiefly foreigners enlifted in’Germany , are regulars. The remaining one thoufand one hundred and fifty-two arethe national militia, or peafants, who refide on the eftates of the landholders, eacheftate furniffiing a certain number in proportion to its value. Thefe national troopsare occafionally exercifed in fmall corps on Sundays and holidays ; and are embodiedonce every year, for about feventeen days, in their refpedtive diftridts. By an addi-tion of ten men to each company, a regiment of infantry was increafed to one thoufandfeven hundred and feventy-eight, including officers.
The cavalry is on the fame footing ; each regiment confifting of feventeen officers,including ferjeantsand corporals, five hundred and fixty-five privates, divided into fivefquadrons. Of thefe about two hundred and fixty are regular, and the remainder na-tional troops. The regiments of foot and horfe guards are regulars ; the former iscompofed of twenty-one officers, and four hundred and fixty-five men, in five compa-nies, and the latter of feven officers, and one hundred and fifty four men, in two fqua-drons.
2. The forces of Norway are all national troops or militia, excepting the two regi-ments of Sudenfield and Nodenfield ; and as the peafants are free, the forces are le-vied in a different manner from thofe of Denmark. Norway is divided into a certainnumber of diftridts, each of which furniffies a fcddier. All the peafants are, at theirbirth, regiftered for the militia ; and the firft on the lift fupplies the vacancy for thediftridf to which he belongs. After ferving from ten to fourteen years, they are ad-nutted among the invalids ; and, when they have attained the feniority of that corps,,receive their difmiflion. Thefe troops are not continually under arms, but are occa-sionally exercifed, like the national forces of Denmark . A fixed ftipend is affigned toAe officers, nearly equal to that of the officers in the regulars but the common fol-diers do not receive pay, except when in actual fervice, or performing their annual ma-noeuvres.
The army is fupplied with officers by the Academy of Land Cadets, inftituted byFrederic IV , where feventy-four cadets are inftrudted in the military fciences at thero yal expence. According to a lift of the Daniffi army printed in the appendix, thetotal number of troops confifted, in 1785, of. fixty-fix thoufand nine hundred and