COXE’s TRAVELS IN NORWAY.' 371

the Rands-SIon appearing like a broad river winding among the gloomy rocks ; to thenorth, hills piled upon hills, and mountains towering above mountains ; the fnowy Alpsof Norway clofing the majeftic view.

At the bottom of thedefcent we eroded a lively rivulet called Ana , came to a lake ofthe fame name, and took up our lodgings at the village of Titerud, moll delightfullyfituated on the banks of a fmall but beautiful lake, forming the calmeft and lovelieft re-treat I ever beheld. In this fequeftered fpot, we found, befidesthe rooms appropriatedto the family, two neat bed-chambers for ourfelves, met with excellent tea and fugar,hutter and cream, and fupped on a fine trout, weighing fix pounds, with which filh thelake abounds.

September 14. At Titerud, we quitted the mountains, and traverfed a gently wavingcountry, as fertile and pleafing as the diftrid of Ringerike, well cultivated and well peo-pled, the roads winding through the fields like garden walks ; we changed horfes atQuickftand and Lund, and paffing through a lawn planted by the hand of nature, whichhad the appearance of a park, reached the banks of the lake Miofs.

This lake extends from north to fouth, is eighty Englilh miles in circumference; andis in general from twelve to eighteen in breadth. It is divided by a large peninfula, andcontains one ifland ten miles in circumference, fertile in corn, pafture, and wood, andfprinkled with feveral farm-houfes.

The lake on the fide where we embarked is bounded by bleak hills, embrowned witht hick groves of pine and fir, whofe gloomy afpeft reminded me, that we were in the6 id degree of northern latitude, and continued on the oppofite fide with banks gently-fifing from the margin of the water, enriched with fields of corn and pafture, and re-fembiing the fertile diftri&s of a more fouthern climate, the whole exhibiting a ruggedperfpe&ive, and pi&urefque wildnefs on one fide, and on the other the cultivated beau-ties of a milder atmofphere.

We rowed between the ifland and the peninfula, on the extremity of which HandsNafs, a fmall but neat village, and in two hours landed at Hammer, now a gentleman’sfeat, formerly a large town containing near two thoufand inhabitants. The fite of this°nce flourifhing place can now be only traced by fome parts of the old walls, heaps ofr ubbifh, and the pi&urefque remains of a large cathedral, confifting of four Gothicarches, which Hand on an eminence overlooking the lake.

Having fatisfied our curiofity, we reimbarked, rowed about five miles to a fmall vil-lages landed, and walked to Giellum. Here we procured horfes, and continued ourjourney through alefs peopled dill riel thickly ftrewn with forefts, and ferried over theGlomme, about as broad as the Thames at Henley. This river receives the Worme,Vvhich iflfues from the lake Miofs. We had frequent views of the Glomme, which pre-fented a broad furface, fometimes watering pleafant vallies, fometimes interrupted byfand-banks, over which it frequently fhifts its courfe, fometimes winding between rockycliffs, and precipitating itfelf in frequent catara&s.

Being now in the fixty-fecond degree of northern latitude, and in a mountainouscountry, we had already experienced the approach of winter. On the 14th of Septem-ber it fnowed; on the fifteenth was a fevere hoar-froft, and the furface of feveral pondsand ftagnant waters were frozen to the thicknefs of half-a-crown. It was, however,clear and funny, like a fine day in November; but this morning, September 17,. it isas cold and fevere as the beginning of January in England. The pines and firs are fothickly covered with hoar-froft as to bear the appearance of being fprinkled with fnow 5and the fore ft trees have changed their leaves in the fpace of one night.

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