COXE’s TRAVELS IN NORWAY.

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'or fir, and muft be renewed every three or four years. 7. For fuel. 8. For manure,by the fame procefs of burning trees and manuring the foil with the allies, which is prac*tifed in Sweden , and is fo defiru&ive to the forefts.

Befides thefe general ufes, particular trees are beneficially employed for various pur-pofes. The bark of the pine or fir, and alfo of the elm, which is not common in Nor-way , is dried, ground, and mixed with meal, and is boiled up with other food for fwitie,who thrive much upon it. The birch, which flourilhes in thefe northern regions, is nolets ferviceable. It is more generally ufed for fuel than any other wood. The outerbark, or the white rind, on account of its firmnefs and fap, eafily efcapes putrefa&ioneven in the damped: places, and for this reafon is employed for covering the roofs of thehoufes. This mode of roofing occafions fuch a large confumption of the outward bark,that the birch which are felled would not fupply a fufficient quantity ; it is, therefore,flot unufual to drip off the outward bark while the tree is Handing, and if peeled withca re, it always grows again. The inner bark of the birch is applied like the bark of°ak for tanning hides, filhing-nets, and fails, which it renders more durable. Thistree alfo fupplies a kind of wine ; a hole is bored in the trunk, and the liquor diftils intoa flalk placed underneath. The tree fuffers little damage, if the hole is immediatelydofed by a wooden peg. The twigs of the birch, as well as the elder and alpen, aregiven to horfes in fcarcity of fodder. A deco&ion of oak leaves in beer is ufed by thepeafants as a fomentation for the rheumatifm.

The general exports are tallow, butter, fait, dried fifli, timber and planks, horfes andhorned cattle, filver, alum, Pruffian blue, copper, of which the celebrated mine of Ro-ws yields annually to the value of 67,50oh; and iron, of which the moll produ&ivewine is near Arendal.

Norway abounds in lakes and rivers, more than any country I ever vifited exceptingSwitzerland . It is remarkable for the number and beauty of the bays fringed withwood. Many of the lakes are fo large, that they appear like inlets of the fea, and thebays fo fmall, that they appear like lakes $ but I am anticipating ray journal.

Chap. II.— Frederlcfhall. — Fortrefs of Frcderlajleln .— Obfervations on the Death ofCharles the Twelfth. — Tijledal. — Fredericsjladt. — Chrijiiana.

SEPTEMBER 4. Norway is feparated from Sweden by the bay of Swinefund,vdiich in this part forms a ftrait between the perpendicular rocks, fo narrow as to bearthe appearance of a river, yet fo deep as to admit fhips of the greated burden. On theSvvedilh fide our paffports were examined by a cuftom-houfe officer ; and on the oppo-site ffiore, our baggage was flightly infpefted by a Danilh officer, who dwells in a com-fortable houfe overhanging the edge of the water.

In a few miles we reached Fredericffiall, the frontier town of Norway , Handing on theextremity of the Swinefund, at the mouth of the river Tide. The principal commercethe town confifls in the exportation of planks to England. The wood is floateddown the Tide fometimes above one hundred Englilh miles, from the interior parts ofIhe country, and fawed here; for which purpofe thirty-fix faw-mills are eredted on theDa nks of the river, which forms a feries of cataracts.

..^he harbour is fafe and commodious ; but the large quantity of faw-dud from theinerent faw-mills choaks the river up in many parts, and occafions an annual expence.or faring. The port poffeffes a few immunities ; goods landed for exportation pay

v ol. VI. 3 a n0