212 Limits of perpetual Snow in the North. [MARCif, 



I. 



No part of the great northern peninsula presents itself to obser- 

 vation above the snow-line. Among the many small mountains 

 which run through Sweden, there are very few upon which snow 

 lies in SLimraer, and these must be sought for beyond the polar 

 circle. So that eternal snow is as little known in Sweden, as in 

 France or Germany. In Norway, on the other hand, snow 

 mountains appear even in the lower latitudes, for Norway consists 

 of a range of mountains, extending from one extremity of it to 

 the other. This range in point of height is inferior to few, and in 

 point of extent to none, of the European ranges of mountains. 

 It not only extends without interruption for four degrees of lati- 

 tune, from 68° to 62° ; but during the whole of this length it ex- 

 tends to a breadth which far surpasses that of the Alps. And 

 what shows that the Norwegian mountains are among the highest 

 in Europe, is this ; if we follow any of its valleys up to the top of 

 the mountains, we come to a kind of plain, at the height of about 

 5000 feet above the level of the sea, extending in breadth eight, 

 ten, or twelve German miles. The boors, who come up yearly 

 with horses and cattle in great caravans from Hardanger on the 

 west coast, over the mountains to Kongsberg, are obliged to spend 

 the night in the desert on the top of the mountains. Hence it is 

 obvious, that to travel over the mountains in one day exceeds their 

 efforts. Where, either in the Alps or Pyrenees, are there moun- 

 tain tops so broad, that we cannot traverse them in a few hours, 

 and descend again into the valleys ? The Norwegians very expres- 

 sively call the great chain which divides their country, the Lang- 

 fielde, or the Stoijieldey that is to say, the long, or the great 

 ■mountain cliam ; for all other mountains, even those in Norway, 

 disappear before it. As the different parts of the Alps are distin- 

 guished by the name of the countries and valleys over which they 

 pass, in like manner the Norwegians give to the different parts of 

 iheSr Jielde the names of the places situated on the declivity of the 

 mountains. The Brjglefjeledt, Hardangerfjeldt, Fillejjeldt, SogTie- 

 Jjeldt, are known to every Norwegian. As to the Sevogehirge, 

 (the Sevebiergel), we demand information concerning it in vain; 

 for the Norwegian geographers justly consider it as more honourable 

 to follow the natives of the country in naming these mountains, 

 than to seek in Pliny for a name for a mountain hitherto unknown 

 to the sailors of Christiana, Bergen, and Drontheim, and cer- 

 tainly equally unknown to the Romans ! 



Of the passes over these mountains none is better known than 

 the pass of Fillefieldt, in the Cist degree of latitude ; for scarcely 

 any other is lower, narrower, or more easy ta traverse ; and scarcely 

 any other is riclier and more diversified in striking and sublime 

 views. When in our road from Christiana we enter into the great 

 valley of IValdas, which is situated on the east side of Fille- 

 ficldr, we conceive ourselves to be in Chamouni, or in Hasli', and 

 when from the heights of Fillefieldt we survey the western ocean. 



