TROSniIJEM. 



TROXDHJEM. 



SOO 



from 1 to 3 n>0 wide, of considerable fertility, and wall cultivated. 

 tw hkh hilU and mountain* which lie between the valleys an almost 

 ovtnrora with pine, fir, birch, and other trees, and in some parts 

 unatsln cxorlknt pasture. Tlio third terraco rises by degrees from 

 1AM to 3000 fart, and partly resemble* the table-land above-men- 

 tioned, which lie* farther wett, but its surface ii broken by numerous 

 riven which descend from the Dovrefield, and in some of the narrow 

 Tillers alone their banks cultivation is carried on to tome extent, 

 whilst the adjacent mountains aff.nl good pasture for several months 

 at the year. [ NoHnuu-Fi EU.ES. 1 



The small district of Rotaas lies on the DovreGeU, close to the 

 boundary of Sweden, and comprehends the country in which the 

 Glummen-clf originates. It is so much elevated above the level of 

 the *m that the country is unfit for agricultural purposes on account 

 of the cold of the climate ; the frost sometimes even in June kills the 

 animals on the pastures. In this tract three copper-mines are worked 

 with meets*. The ore from them is brought to the town of Romas, 

 where the uneltin* houses are built This town contains a popula- 

 tion of about 1500 individual*, all of whom are employed in the 

 mines or melting houses. The copper is carried to Trondbjom, 

 where it is shipped. In the most elevated part of thin tract are a 

 few families of Laplanders, who live on the produce of their herds of 

 rein -deer. 



Country .VorfA of Ike Tro*t]hjcm-jiord.A.n immense mass of high 

 rocks extends along Che sea from the shores of the fiords to the mouth 

 of the Kamsen-lf. A great part of it rises above the line of trees, 

 and it U considered as tie most elevated mountain of Scandinavia in 

 this parallel ; for the great range which divides Norway from Sweden 

 is here interrupted by the remarkable depression which is noticed in 

 NonasKA-Finu.EN. East of it is a wide depression called Numme- 

 dalen, a part of which is cultivated, but the greater portion of it is 

 coveted with a forest of fine timber-trees. The same description 

 applies to the valley of the Namsen-elf, which is contiguous to Xum- 

 medalen on the north. The forests covering this country are the most 

 northern large forest of timber-trees in Norway, and from Namsen- 

 fiord all the countries lying farther north are supplied with logs and 

 deals. The Namsen-elf is too rapid for navigation, but timber is 

 floated down. Along the whole coast of Trondhjem Proper the rocks, 

 partly above and partly below water, are so numerous that the navi- 

 gation of this sea is extremely dangerous. 



.\ordland comprehends all the countries lying between the parallel 

 of the island of Lekoe and the Quiinanger-fiord. The southern part 

 is called Helgeland, the central district Salten, and the northern por- 

 tion Tromsue. The islands of Lofoden and of Senyen are also included 

 in it 



Utlgeland extends from the parallel of the island of Lekbe to Cape 

 Kunnen. The Kiolen range is in these parts not more than 60 miles 

 distant from the sea. The coast here also is rocky, but of moderate 

 elevation, much lower than farther south or north. It has likewise 

 numerous inlets, but they are short, only a few exceeding 10 miles in 

 length. Numerous islands, islets, and rocks line the shores. Some of 

 the islands rise to a great elevation, and are inhabited only by a few 

 fishermen. Other islands are low, and have some farms for breeding 

 cattle rather than for cultivation. Among these is Tiutoe, which is 

 mostly under cultivation, and on which the small town of Alstahong 

 is built The interior of Helgeland is filled up by mountains rising 

 from 1000 to 1500 feet, between which occur numerous narrow valleys 

 and depressions, which in general are well wooded, though the trees 

 rarely attain the size of timber-trees. There is however a moderate 

 portion of land which could be cultivated ; but in this tract agricul- 

 ture is neglected for the herring and other fisheries. Near the polar 

 circle and north of the valley of Raneii an extensive and elevated 

 mountain-mass lies across the country, and terminates on the sea with 

 Cape Kunnen, which rises from the edge of the water with perpen- 

 dicular precipices to more than 1000 feet above the sea, aud in a 

 eoune of four or five miles inland it attains more than 4000 feet The 

 more elevated portion U always covered with snow and ice. 



Saltra comprehends the country between Cape Kunnen and Ofoden 

 * ' r to 



At 



cur the group 



r Sulitelma, the highest part of the Kiolen Mountains. [NoRRSKA 

 KitLLt*.] The space between the Kiolen and the aea is filled up by 

 peninsulas, and wide and deep inlets. The peninsulas are formed bi 

 high ridges of rocks rising with frightful precipices on both sides 

 and terminating at the top with a sharp ridge, in most places scarcely 

 eufflcwnt to afford a rosting-place for a bird. The inlets penetrate 

 so far into the land, that most of them wash the very base of the 

 mountain range. Salten is the most desolate part of Norway. The 

 st*p aides of the mountains are nearly bare of vegetation. The 

 mall depression, which occur hen and there are partly filled with 

 swamps, and partly overgrown with stunted birch, pine, and fir. The 

 pastures are small In extent, and the cattle of very diminutive size. 

 The inhabitants derive their subsistence almost exclusively from the 

 fishery on the Lofoden Islands. 



WJr /Won* He opposite the coast of Salten, and are divided 

 from it by an arm of the sea called West Forden, which at its south 

 cm extremity U nearly 100 miles wide, but narrows in advancing 



atra compreens te country between Cape Kunnen and Ofode 

 fiord (GS* 30' N. lat). The Kiolrn range here approaches nearer 

 the sea, being hardly in any part 40 miles distant from the shore. 

 the same time it rises in elevation, for in this interval occur the gro 



orthward, until, at its most northern extremity between the conti- 

 ent and the island of Hindoen, it terminates in a ("trait hardly 2 

 miles across. The Lofoden Islands constitute a rocky chain, which 

 near the continent runs nearly dtie west, but farther to the west 

 eclinos to the south-west The islands and islets of which this chain 

 s composed are separated from one another by narrow straits, tin 

 which the sea flows during the tides with a rapidity resembling a 

 torrent In some parts it forms very deep and extensive eddies. 

 among which the whirlpool called the MalitriJm, and which is found 

 Mtwi-en the island* of Moskenosoe and Moskoe, has obtained celebrity, 

 as it is impossible to navigate it during the strength of the tides, and 

 t has caused much loss of life. All tin- inlands are rocky, with high 

 bores : those however which lie most to the westward rise only to 

 a moderate elevation. The largest of them ore Varoe, Moskeniisoe, 

 flagstadiie, and West Wagiie. Kast Wagoe rises to 3000 feet above 

 he snow-line, and Hindoo to 3200 feet The mountains however in 

 summer furnish pasture for a few cattle and sheep of diminutive size, 

 n winter these animals live on fish, and on different kinds of sea- 

 plants. 



Tromtoe extends from Ofoden-fiord to Quiinanger-fiord (70 N. lat). 

 Opposite the termination of the Lofoden Islands, the chain of the 

 iiiilen, forming the water-shed, recedes farther inland, and runs 

 nearly east In these parts this chain grows much lower, and it does 

 not appear that any portion of it is above the snow-line. The highest 

 mountains are some distance from the rau<;e on the shores of the sea 

 and of the fiords. The Fax field (near 69 N. lat) rises to 4260 feet; 

 and the mountains inclosing Malanger, the Storhoru near Tromsue, 

 and the ranges on Lyngen-fiord, are nearly as high. The lost men- 

 tioned are the highest mountains between 69 and 72 N. lat. Large 

 tracts of them are always covered with snow, and glaciers descend 

 down on their sides. The deep and extensive fiords by which thU 

 country is indented have level tracts on their shores, which are of 

 some extent near the innermost recesses of the inlets ; and though 

 the climate is very severe, some barley and potatoes are raised. A 

 part of the mountains is covered with woods, which contain a few 

 timber-tn.es, so that logs and deals are exported. The pastures are 

 much more extensive and richer than in Salten, and cattle and sheep 

 are more numerous. Near 69 30' N. lat, the town of Tromsoe has 

 been built on an island situated in the strait between the continent 

 and the island of Hvaloe (Whale Island). The island on which the 

 town stands is from 4 to 5 miles in length, aud rises to the height of 

 about 600 feet. The town contains about 800 inhabitants ; it has 

 some good houses, a saw-mill, aud wooden quays along the harbour. 

 It is a thriving place. The mean annual temperature does not 

 exceed 32. Cod, halibut, aud smelts arc taken in large quantities 

 along the coast 



Finmarten comprehends the most northern portion of Trondhjem, 

 extending from Quananger-Eord to the Tana-elf and Varanger-fiord. 

 Along its western side, between Quiiuanger fiord and Allen-fiord, 

 extends a mountain range, which terminates near the sea in the 

 isolated Yekulsfield, rising 3700 feet above the sea, the most northern 

 glacier (70 N. lat). The country cast of this range contains a more 

 elevated and a lower region, of which the former lies to the north 

 and the second to the south. The highest mountains of the elevated 

 region are found at the most northern extremities of the long penin- 

 sulas that lie between the gulfs, or fiords, of Alten, 1'orsauger, Laxa, 

 and Tana. They stand mostly isolated, and are divided from each 

 other by valleys, which are filled up by an alluvial soil, so that it 

 appears the mountains formerly constituted islands and the valleys 

 straits. On the mainland itself, the highest portion of the elevated 

 region lies near the inner extremities of the inlets, whence it extends 

 on the whole as a plain, which insensibly grows lower as it pr< 

 southward. On the north the plain is in general from :iaOO t<> 

 feet above the sea, but towards the south and east it sinks to 1500 

 feet. No trees are found on it except birch and mountain-ash, which 

 do not attain their full height. This plain is visited in summer by 

 the Laplanders, as it produces excellent pasture for their rein-deer. 



On the fiords the scanty population subsists by fishing ; but on the 

 Alton-elf there are a considerable number of agriculturists, who culti- 

 vate barley and potatoes, this being the most northern point of the 

 globe where cultivation U carried on with success. There are numer- 

 ous cattle, and the Finlanders, called Quiins in this part, have dairies. 

 There are also some copper mines, which arc worked by an English 

 company. The ore is shipped to Swansea to be smelted. 



The lower region is in general a plain, which in its highest point, 

 near the sources of the Alten-elf, is about 1200 feet high, but gradu- 

 ally decreases in height as it proceeds north and north-east On thin 

 plain a few isolated mountains rise to a height of between 3000 and 

 4000 feet From the lost mountain u lower chain extends between 

 the Laxa-fiord and Tana-fiord, which terminates north of 71 N. lat, 

 with Cape Nordkyn, the most northern promontory of the European 

 continent The surface of the plain is interspersed witli innumerable 

 lakes, but most of it is covered with rein-deer moss. It is therefore 

 used by the Laplanders as winter pasture. The more elevated parts 

 of the plain are overgrown with stunted birch. On thin plain rises 

 the Alteu-elf. [ALIEN.] The Tana-elf, which is much, larger, run- 

 ning about 150 miles, is less rapid, and might be navigated, if the 

 inhabitants of the country through which it flows had any occasion 



