COXE’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK.
343
ifle of Funen from the continent. This ifland is three hundred and forty miles in cir-cumference, fertile in pafture and grain, and exports annually to Norway , barley, oats,r ye,and peafe. The country is open, with a gently undulating furface ; but the coaftsare generally flat and fandy. The paffage acrois the Litttle Belt is only nine miles jbut the wind being contrary, we were five hours in performing it. We landed on theduchy of Slefwick, at Arroe-Sound, fo called from the litle ifland Arroe, contiguousto the continent.
On the 1 ith we paffed through feveral fmall, but neat towns, beautifully fituated onthe inlets of the Baltic, and particularly Flenfburg, which carried on a confiderabletrade during the American war, and poffeffed two hundred merchant veffels, tradingmoftly to the Weft Indies. Peace has reftored the commerce to its old channels;many of the veffels have been fold, the traffic to the Weft Indies confiderably ieffened,and the chief trade centers in the ifle of Zealand, the coafts of Norway, and Sweden .
Between Flenfburg and Slefwic is that part of the duchy of Slefwic called Angeln orEngel, doubtlefs the native country of our Anglo-Saxon anceftors, who invading andtaking poffeflion of our ifland, formerly called Britain , converted its name into Engel-land or England. The truth of this fadt, fufficiently authenticated by hiftory, is ftillfurther corroborated by the refemblance which this fertile diftrift bears to our nativeifland.
The country from Flenfburg to Cappel is delightful, diverfified with fcattered farm-houfes and frequent villages. The gravel roads wind through green lanes, with quick-fet hedges, through inclofed fields, and fmall woods; reminding me fo much of mynative country, that I almoft fancied I was pafling through Englifh lanes and Englifhtnclofures.
We made this excurfion in an open cart, and, as the weather was favourable, enjoy-ed a conftant view of this agreeable and cultivated diftrict. According to the informa-tion of the peafant who drove us, the country yields all forts of grain and flax,and abounds in pafture; the peafants weave fufficient linen and coarfe cloth for theirown ufe, knit their worfted ftockings, and make their boots and fhoes; they procurehats and a better fort of cloth from Flenfburg. Their food is chiefly rye-bread, cheefe,e ggs, milk, and occafionally meat; they diftil fpirits from malt, and make cyder,which is their ufual drink.
Cappel, a fmall but neat town on the Sley, contains about five hundred and fiftyln habitants, who are induftrious, and carry on fome trade, exporting bacon, cheefe,butter, eggs, and other commodities to Copenhagen , and fupplying the interior parts°f the province with coffee, fugar, fpices, and other foreign merchandize. The envi-r ons of Cappel are quite delightful, being grounds gently rifing, fprinlded with muchw °od, and commanding fine views of the bay.
The duchy of Slefwic, fometimes called South Jutland, is feparated from Holftein,or the King of Denmark’s German dominions, by the Eyder. The capital is an irre-gular town of great length, and contains five thoufand fix hundred and thirty inhabi-tants. The houfes are of brick ; and like the other towns in the country refemble inUeatnefs and manner of building thofe of Holland : the inhabitants drefs alfo like the■Dutch , and many of them fpeak their tongue, though the ufual languages are theGerman and Danifli. Clofe to Slefwic is the old palace of Gottorp, formerly the ducal*efidence, at prefent inhabited by the Stadtholder , or Governor, Prince Charles ofHeffe-Caffel, who married Louifa, Princefs of Denmark . It is a large brick edifice,turrounded by a rampart and moat: from this caftle, the ducal line founded by Adol-