APPENDIX. 139 



" The town of Hammerfest is situated on the 

 island of Qualoon, 25 Danish miles in extent, 

 and is one of the departments of West Finmark, 

 which contains 25,000 souls. This province is 

 divided into parishes, each having its priest, and 

 over the whole is a bishop, to enforce the duties 

 of the Lutheran religion. There are 200 regular 

 soldiers scattered in different quarters of the pro- 

 vince, commanded by a captain, who governs 

 the whole eountry. About thirty houses compose 

 the town of Hammerfest, with about 200 inhabi- 

 tants ; with one church, one hospital, a custom- 

 house, and some public and private stores. The 

 customhouse has regular established officers ap- 

 pointed from Copenhagen. The captain of the 

 port is under the same appointment, and wears the 

 uniform of the Danish navy. 



" The principal trade of this place is in furs 

 and fish, which are all sent into Russia. The ex- 

 tent of the imports and exports I was not able ac- 

 curately to learn, but suppose them, in time of 

 peace, to be something considerable. I was told 

 by the captain of the port, that in 1808, 200 sail 

 had been seen here at one time. The Russian 

 merchants have their agents scattered all over 

 West as well as East Finmark. They make 

 their purchases from the Finmarkers, with flour, 

 brandy, sail-cloth, fishing-lines, coarse cloth, and 



