246 Mr. Johnston's Notes on the University of Christiania. 



dered as a temporary locality, to be changed for a better when 

 their funds become more flourishing. 



My visit to Christiania was a sudden thought, and I came there- 

 fore unprovided with letters. It was only a week before, when I 

 reached Wenersborg, on my way from Gottenburg to Stockholm, 

 that I resolved on making a detour to the capital of Norway. I found 

 in consequence, the wet weather, which prevailed for several days, 

 more disagreeable than it might otherwise have been. 



Of men of science there was but one I wished much to see — < 

 Professor Hansteen ;* and he was then absent on his well-known 

 magnetical expedition. In regard to this gentleman the Norwe- 

 gian Parliament have behaved with great liberality. They have 

 advanced him in all, to enable him to perform his tour, about £3000 

 English — a large sum to be devoted to one object of general science 

 by a country so circumscribed in its finances as Norway is. 



Esmarck, to whom mineralog'y owes the knowledge of several new 

 species, was also absent on a tour in Denmark. I lost in consequence 

 the pleasure of seeing his cabinet of minerals ; and, what I regret- 

 ed as much, of obtaining his advice as to the most profitable mode 

 of disposing of the short time I could devote to the mineral riches 

 of this interesting country. 



Keyser is professor of physics and chemistry ; but he is a man 

 of no industry. He works none ; and instead of dedicating him- 

 self to the sciences, and joining his eflforts to those of other men to 

 remove the limits of knowledge one step further back, he employs 

 himself in forming schemes for getting away from Christiania. He 

 dislikes the place, and hence the place has ceased to be very fond 

 of him. I wonder at his dislike to Christiania ; for his country 

 house is one of the sweetest of the many sweet spots that lie within 

 two or three miles of the city. He contrived, after the cession of 

 Norway to Sweden, to get himself appointed one of the Commis- 

 sioners for settling the amount of the Danish National Debt and 

 other charges which should fall upon Norway, and in this office he 

 spent three years at Copenhagen. People said that he staid longer 

 than he needed to have done ; and from that probably arose part of 

 the bad odour in which he still stands. The secret of a great many 

 people's idleness is, that they do not need to work ; but one would 

 think that the high name of Scandinavia in physics and chemistry, 

 Avould incite most professors of those sciences in that country to try 

 to do something ; yet it is a remarkable fact, that, high as Sweden 

 stands as a cultivator of the science of chemistry, yet the professor 

 of that science at Lund is a mere drone, and those at the Univer- 

 sity of Upsala are little better.f 



* Professor of Applied Mathematics. 



•f I am in hopes that shoulrl this ever meet the eye of Walmsted, who was ap, 

 pointed to a chair some three years ago in Upsala, it will set him about employ- 

 ing his talents ^o some better purpose than in ^he mere arranging of mineral C!It 

 binets, 



