COXE’s TRAVELS IN NORWAY. 357

By dividing one hundred and fixty-five thoufand and forty-two, the fum total of birthsduring the feven years, by feven, we have twenty-three thoufand five hundred and fe-venty-feven for the annual average of births; and by dividing one hundred and twenty-three thoufand one hundred, the fum total of deaths, by the fame number, we havefeventeen thoufand five hundred and eighty-five for the annual average of deaths. If,on a fuppofition that in the whole kingdom one in thirty-five dies annually, we multi-ply feventeen thoufand five hundred and eighty-five, the annual number of deaths, bythirty-five, we have fix hundred and fifteen thoufand four hundred and feventy-five forthe population of Norway . Or, if, we multiply twenty three thoufand five hundred andfeventy-feven, the annual number of births, by thirty, the ufual mode * of calculation,we have feven hundred and feven thoufand three hundred and ten ; and by allowing foromiffions, we cannot eftimate the probable population of all Norway , at more than fevenhundred and fifty thoufand fouls.

The Norwegians, being the fame race with the Danes, and long conne&ed with themin religion and government, fpeak the fame language, though with a mixture of pro-vincial expreffions. According to Wilfe t, a native writer, the gentry and inhabitantsof the principal towns, allowing for a few provincial expreffions, fpeak purer Daniffithan k ufual even in Denmark, not excepting Copenhagen ; the inhabitants of theeaftern confines bordering on Sweden , naturally blend many Swedilh words; through-out the whole country, the general accent and cadence is more analogous to the■Swedilh j than to the Dutch pronunciation, and the inhabitants on the weftern coafts,who have a more conllant communication with the Danes, partake lefs of this pe-culiarity.

The Norwegians maintain their own army, which confifts of twenty-four thoufandinfantry, and fix thoufand cavalry. The troops are much efteemed for bravery, andlike the Swifs mountaineers, exceedingly attached to their country. The horfes whichfupply the cavalry are fmall, but ftrong, adfive, and hardy.

Every peafant (thofe excepted who inhabit the coafts, and are claffed as failors) notborn in a town, or on fome noble eftate, is by birth a foldier, and enrolled at the age°f fixteen. From that year, until he has attained the age of twenty-fix, he is claffed inthe young militia; at twenty-fix he enters into the old militia, and continues to fervetill thirty-fix, at which period he receives his difcharge. The militia take the field everyyear in June, and remain encamped about a month.

Norway is bleffed with a particular code, called the Norway Law, compiled byGrieffelfeld, at the command of Ghriftian the Fifth, the great legiflator of his country.By this law, the palladium of Norway , the peafants are free, a few only excepted oncertain noble eftates near Frederickftadt. But the fpirit of this law extends itfelf evento thofe ferfs; for no proprietor can have more than one of thefe privileged eftates, andun lefs he poffelfes a title or certain rank, and refides on his eftate, he lofes his privilege,and the peafants become free.

The benefits of the Norway Code are fo vifible in its general effe&s on the happinefs*! n d in the appearance of the peafants, that a traveller rnuft be blind who does not in-ftantly perceive the difference between the free peafants of Norway and the enflavedvaffals § of Denmark , though both living under the fame government.

* Dr. Price on Annuities. j- Wilfe’s Reife, p. 28.

j + "Jne Swedilh and Danifh languages are both dialefts of the Teutonic or German, and are both fpoken

i or chaunting tone. The Swedes have a more varied and lively pronunciation.

3 This remark was made before the emancipation of the Danifh peafants,

Many