COXe’s TRAVELS IN NORWAY.
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The profpe& from the fummit commands a hilly country, and a diftant plain coveredin many parts with rich forefts, watered by feveral dreams, and by a large lake, whichdivides into three great branches, Tyrifiord, Holefiord, and Helesfiord ; the banks arebeautifully covered with fields of corn and pafture, and chequered with wood. Beingprevented from enjoying this delightful view by the dufk of the evening, we defcendedinto the plain, eroded the Snarum upon two rafts, made of whole trees lafhed to-gether, and came to Oulberg, where w 7 e found comfortable accommodations in a pea-sant's cottage.
The next morning we continued cur journey through a moft agreeably diverfifiedCountry, fometimes through extenfive forefts of pine and fir, interfperfed with othertrees, fometimes crofting the fields along a more open and fertile diftriQ:, till we reachedSkerendal, afmall village in the valley of Skeere, fo called from a rivulet which falls intothe lake Tyri.
The peafant, who ferved as poftillion, conduced us to a clean and comfortable houfe,clofe to a faw-mill, and the maid inftantly fel before us fome coffee, cream, bread, andbutter. Having taken refrefhment, we demanded what we had to pay ? “ Nothing,”Replied the fervant; and on exprefling furprife, as we took the houfe for an inn, {headded, her mafter was owner of the faw-mill; he was then abfent, or would have beenproud to receive us; he left conftant'orders to admit travellers, and furnifh them withevery thing they demanded, without accepting the leaft gratuity ; and if we would flayand dine there, it would be adding to the obligation we had already conferred by accept-*ng their fcanty fare.
After exprefling our acknowledgments for this inftance of difinterefted hofpitality,"We embarked in a fmall boat, and rowed acrofs the lake Tyri, which made the principalfeature in the profpe&s we lately enjoyed. This beautiful piece of water is twenty-fivemiles in circumference, including bays and creeks; the fhores are gentle eminencesrichly variegated with fertile meadows, corn-fields and hanging-forefts, and backed bylofty mountains towering above each other. Having rowed acrofs the lake, we landednear Hole, afmall village in the diftrid of Ringerike, defervedly efteemed the moflfertile part of Norway .
From Hole, we continued our journey through a rich plain, the narrow roads wind-mg between corn-fields and inclofures of pafture, and changed horfes at Steen, near thepicturefque ruins of a church feated on a gentle eminence. Steen contains a few remains°f ramparts, which prove it to have been a place of Tome importance. At a little dif-tance we noticed a mound of earth or barrow, called by the natives the tomb of Hal-den the Black, King of Norway, and a little further palled the church of Norderhug,famous for a battle between the Swedes and Norwegians. We foon quitted the richplain, and penetrating into a hilly country, found the roads fo exceedingly {tony andHeep as to require the utmoft caution; particularly as the horfes in thefe parts are ex-Ce edingly adtive and lively.
At Setran we again changed horfes, and while they were getting ready, made our re-paft in a peafant’s cottage, containing a room with two beds, which for cleannefs andn eatnefs- would have done credit to a gentleman’s houfe. In the room I obferved a print®f the unfortunate Struenfee in prifon, tormented by the devil: thefe prints were circu-ited and eagerly purchafed by the common people at the time of his fall.
Trom Setran we pafled through a valley, enriched by a fine waterfall, detached farms,churches, clumps of trees, difperfed among the corn-fields and meadows ; a river glid-^ n g along, and heightening by its tranfparency and murmurs the charms of this delight-Ui landfcape. As we were admiring the beauties of this ever-changing feenery evening
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