B E R 



272 



B E R 



Lung*ganU Vandet, communicating with the Puddefjord. 

 no that the town is almost entirely surrounded by water, and 

 only join* tin- mainland on the north The town 



U enclosed by Inch mountains, die highest ol which (Atri- 

 ken) i* 207:2 Rhinclandish (or about 2600 English) feet 

 above the let el of the sea. 



The armorial liearings of the town represent an antique 

 castle, beneath which are seven balls, probably in allusion 

 to the seven surrounding mountains. 



Many commercial privileges were punted, and various 

 useful institutions established in the town during the reign 

 ofOlafKyrre; he likewise adorned it with several magni- 

 ficent buildings, among which was Christ Church, which is 

 described as having been a beautiful specimen of nrchi- 

 tecture, and was, moreover, the fir*! Christian temple erected 

 in Bergen. It was pulled down in 1531. The palace (Kongs- 

 gaarden) was also built in liis reign, and was situati -d mi 

 the spot on which the fortress now stands: this fort, which 

 has been several times destroyed by fire, was remodelled, 

 and made a regular fortress in 16-16. 



Olaf Kyrre being on friendly terms with England and 

 Scotland, favoured these nations with many commercial 

 privileges, and they were the first foreigners who settled in 

 Bergen. 



During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, for a period 

 of about 130 years, Bergen was a sort of residence for the 

 nntient kings of Norway, a circumstance which greatly con- 

 tributed to its prosperity. Trade was carried on partly with 

 Nordlandine, partly with the islands of Fa-roe, the Ork- 

 neys, Iceland, and Greenland. In the year 1278, the Ger- 

 man merchants of the Hanse Towns obtained permission to 

 settle in and trade with Bergrn, by whom the EnglUh and 

 h were gradually displaced, and at lust entirely cx- 

 1 in the year Ml'.'. As the policy of (his body was to 

 monopolize the trade of Europe, they used every means to 

 c-t.ibhsh themselves in a place so advantageously situated for 

 trade as Bergen, which was at that time the central point for 

 the whole trade of Norway, and offered in particular the 

 best opportunity for carrying on the fish trade. In attaining 

 this end, they availed themselves of the weakness of the 

 kings during political disturbances, and of the ignorance ol 

 the inhabitants, in those early times, as to matters of trade. 

 Their privileges were confirmed and extended, in 13-13, by 

 King Magnus Smack. From this date they acquired a 

 complete ascendency in the town, supplanted the inhabitants 

 in every branch of commerce (even that with Nordlamlene, 

 although this was positively interdicted them), and usurped 

 an almost despotic dominion over the townsmen for more 

 than one century and a half. 



About the year 1435 the Hanscatics formed a fixed trading 

 establishment in Bergen, called the Hauseatic Contoir, 

 whose clerks, servants, &c. were under the immediate super 

 intendence of the Hanse Towns, acted by their directions, 

 frequently, in their insolence, set the laws and authorities o! 

 the country at defiance, caused the citizens every kind nl 

 molestation, an., even carried things so far as to fortify their 

 own quarter of the town, which, as it occupied the wholi 

 quay, gave them the complete command of the harbour 

 As an instance of their violence, may be mentioned tin 

 murder of the governor, Olaf NeiUcn. and Bishop Torleif, 

 on the 1st of September, 1455, who hud incurred their 'tis- 

 pleasure, and were cruelly put to death, together with sixty 

 oilier persons who hail taken refuge in a convent, which 

 was burnt at the same lime. To prevent their forming 

 alliance-, with the inhabitants, they were prevented by their 

 statutes from marrying, the consequence of which was, thai 

 a licentiousness I ee.mie prevalent in the town that exceedet 

 all bounds. In their insolent conduct towards the citizen.* 

 were joined by a great number of foreign mechanics 

 who had likewise established themselves in a separate 

 Quarter of the town, where they also exercised unlimitci 

 dominion. The oppressed citizens frequently presented their 

 complaints to the government, but their wrongs were not 

 ridre^ed until Frederick II. of Denmark, on the 25th o 

 Jul), litiO. issued an Act, called Odcnso Recess, which 

 1 o.Mie definite limits to the privileges of the llansc- 

 atic, and \> < amc a law, according to which the quarrels 

 livlwren the Ilansculir* and i hi; citizens were decided. This 

 a. t entire!) broke the supremacy of the Hanseatics, whir] 

 had prev, -c-d a severe shock from the vigorous 



cutt'l .ikcnilurlT, who was appointed governor in 



l.'jjfi.and became afterwards celebrated lor In-, disputes will 

 the UtnmoOIW,Tjrobo Brahc. From tins pciiod the usurpti 



authority of the Hanscatics was at an end. Other nations. 



English. French. Spani-h. fee. began to trade with Bergen, 

 n which the citizens them>eh.. also partook. Although 

 .hcllanseat icy was dissolved in IG30, 11 



l.ubre, and Bremen, still continued to possess extctuivr 

 privileges in Bergen; but as the cit,/ 

 ;hc ti.iding houses on the quay, their power and inlln. 

 gradually declined. In 1 763, when tin .une 



into the hands of a citizen, the only remnant < t the influence 

 of foreigners, which had continued during four centuries, 

 entirely disappeared. 



The' trade of Bergen may be divided into two branches, the 

 internal and the foreign trade. Of the first, that with the 

 northern provinces of Norway, called Nordlandene, is the 

 most important. These provinces receive from Bergen the 

 greater part both of tin - and the luxuries of life ; 



and the latter in much greater quantities than might lie 

 imagined, the taste for luxury haunt' of lat.- considerably 

 niong the inhabitants of Nordlandene. In re- 

 turn, Bergen receives from these provinces large quantities 

 of fish, herriiiL's, roes tn>n), fish-oil, tallow, skills, feathers, 

 ! which articles are brought by the Nordlandmen 

 tl,ein>ehes in their own vessels to Bergen. They come to 

 Bergen twice a year with their own yachts, tin; first lime from 

 the middle of May to the end of June, which period is deno- 

 minated the first meeting (forste stevne) ; the second meet- 

 ing takes place from the middle, of August to the middle of 

 September. At the first of these meetings from forty to fifty 

 yachts arrive, loaded with about 16,0(10 barrels (louder) of 

 fish-oil and rocs (rogn), and some fish of the summer and 

 autumn fishing of the preceding year. At the last meet- 

 ing there generally arrive seventy or eighty \achts, \\ith 

 two or three hundred thousand voger of li>h ta \og is about 

 3(5 Ibs.). If one barrel of oil is valued at li dollars*, one 

 barrel of roes at 3 dollars, and a vog of fish at 'Jo 

 their annual amount may be estimated at 350,000 d. 

 (about CO.OOO/. sterling). ' The yachts are differently con- 

 structed from other vessels. In respect to their tum 

 they are equal to very large vessels ; but nolwithstui. 

 their long and perilous navigation, they arc all open .md 

 clinker built. They stow in general from 3000 to 0000 

 voger offish, but there are some which can stow 10,000. At 

 the stern they have a high and spacious cabin ; the bow is 

 likewise very high, and they have no bowsprit. Between 

 the cabin and the bows the vessels are .very wide, but not 

 very high : when they are loading, a number of loti , 

 are placed on both sides, against which hoards are laid in 

 an horizontal position. Between this fence the cargo is 

 stowed, which then rises from six to eight yards above the 

 water, although the sides of the vessel are scarce elevated 

 two-thirds of a yard above the surface. In order that the 

 cargo may not break the fence by its weight, the poles are 

 bound with strong ropes. At the top of the cargo thin 

 boards ((lager) are laid close together, which form a sort ol 

 deck. The tackle is extremely simple, consisting of one 

 very high mast, which is fastened with a few strong n>pe>. 

 without shrouds; to this is made fast a very large square- 

 s-ail, which is enlarged or diminished according to the Mate 

 of the weather and the cargo. All this description ol \. 

 may be distinguished from others by their having two lame 

 black squares in the upper corners of the sail, the origin ol 

 which is not exactly known. Each yacht has a crew of 

 eight, (en, or twelve, according to her size. Although the 

 navigation is long and dangerous for open and hea\v -laden 

 very Mddoni wrecked or lost : they sail only 

 when they have fair wind along the coast : when it is con- 

 trary, they take in sail and come to anchor. 



It may perhaps not be uninteresting to give a short 

 account of the fishing in Nordlandene, in which the trade of 

 n originates. This fishing may he divided under two 

 heads, the trinler and sununur fishing, the former of which 

 is the more important, and is only carried on for taking the 

 large cod-fish, called in Norwegian A/ri (acrllus major 

 VUtgarit). This fish is found in immense quantities round 

 the islands of I.ol'.idcn <i.t> 5 3o' N. lat.) : it varies only in 

 number and fatness. The fatness gradually increases or 

 . ses during a period of about seven years: the cause 

 of this is unknown. In the beginning of February the fi-h 

 arrive in large shoals (fiskcbjerg, ' mountains of fish ), in 

 layers une over the other, and several yards in thickncs*. 

 Tiiev are found by means of a lead, and the shoals arc so 

 dense, that it is with .some liillicultv that the lead is sunk 

 Si i Noii>r(iuii ilulliri havf brcn ciiini.-iit-il .11 ipil lo U. tlcrling. 



