Biographical Memoir of the late Christian Sviith. 21U 



After Smith has unfolded with perspicuity circumstar>ces 

 equally instructive for the natural history of the globe, as for 

 the culture of trees and plants in a given chmate, he directs his 

 course to the magnificent glaciers of Justedal in Lat. 61J°, and 

 gives almost a complete description of them. Thence he bent 

 his way througli the vale of Walders, back to his native city of 

 Dram. 



This journey excited attention. The Patriotic Society, con- 

 vinced of the utiUty of such undertakings, enabled Smith, in 

 the following year, 1813, to attempt a similar one ; and he en- 

 tered on it with pleasure, because the interests of science ap- 

 peared to be thereby identified with those of Ivis country. Du- 

 ring the greater part of the summer he perambulated the moun- 

 tains under 6S° of latitude, lying between the valleys of Wal- 

 ders, Guldbrandsdal, and Romsdal, >vhich, from their height, 

 extent, and solitariness, had remained so much unknown, even 

 to the nearest inhabitants, that lyeretofore they, with the valleys 

 they inclose, could be very itnperfectly designed upon the maps. 

 The Flora of Norway hereby gained many new species which 

 had not before been observed in this country. In the end of 

 summer he descended into the imposing valleys of Romsdal, 

 to occupy himself with the productions of the sea, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Molde ; and the advanced period of the season difl 

 not prevent him from twice crossing the chain of the Dovrefield, 

 as far as the Nomadic Laplanders. Every where, on these 

 excursions, he collected the inhabitants of the higher valleys, and 

 taught them the distinguishing marks, vakie, and properties of 

 the lichens that cover their mountains. He shewed them the 

 process how to make a wholesome bread from these lichens, 

 which is at once nutritious and pleasant to the taste, and per- 

 vsuaded them to reject the miserable resource of bread from bark, 

 which supports a wretched existence at the expence of health. 

 The end of the year brought him back to Dram. 



The loss of his father, a short while after his return, put him 

 in {)ossession of a small fortune, which, in his opinion, he could 

 not better employ tiian by seeking to improve himself by fo- 

 reign travel, either by the study of nature or intercourse with 

 the learned. His nomination as ProftvSsor of Botany in the 

 newly instituted Univcrsitv at Chri;5tiana, confirmed him in his 



