2l6 VISIT TO DENMARK [1799. 



hind and drive. We flew rather than drove through 

 the town, my sledge soon breaking down from the 

 rapidity of the motion ; but we soon mended the 

 broken parts, and got on as swiftly as before. The 

 trainage was most excellent ; and I reckoned, by 

 comparing our pace at this time with the slower rate 

 of travelling we afterwards went at, that we did not 

 take more than three minutes to the mile indeed 

 the motion was disagreeably rapid, the horse sweat- 

 ing, and myself obliged to shut my eyes, and, even 

 then, complaining of pain and oppression. The hill 

 ground to the west of the town relieved us ; but we 

 were surprised to find that it did not retard our pace 

 more than we wished. Without attending at all to 

 the road, our guides sprang up the sides of the knolls, 

 and kept the sledges from stones, hollows, and stumps, 

 by dismounting and balancing with their feet and 

 hands. 



Admired the fine situation of Christiania from these 

 heights ; changed horses without stopping ; and then 

 at the next station came out to warm ourselves, as is 

 usual every now and then in this mode of travelling. 

 We had come hither chiefly through woods. Now 

 we went on the ice the other two stages. The river 

 Glommen being well frozen and smooth, we whisked 

 along quickly, though now and then the ice broke 

 i.e., the surface-ice without water. Passed immense 

 timber magazines belonging to Mr Anker ; came to 

 the lake, a mile broad and three long ; and soon were 

 at Mr Collet's at Fladebije. The house is a large one, 



