CHAP. X. 



MIDDLE AGES. 287 



which probably was not then in existence, de- 

 scribes the towns of Aarhusen and Aalberg in 

 Jutland, and of Lunden in the island of Scho- 

 nen, saying of the latter place, " It is a city in 

 which there is much gold, which is procured by 

 those incursions on the barbarous nations on the 

 shores of the Baltic sea, which are tolerated and 

 encouraged by the King of Denmark on ac- 

 count of the tribute he draws from them." 



It would appear that the inhabitants on the 

 shores of the Baltic, from whom this gold was 

 obtained either by traffic or by force, must have 

 been supplied from mines or washing either in 

 Norway or Sweden, or from the more remote 

 country of Russia. 



We have very imperfect accounts of any 

 mines in Norway and Sweden : they are mostly 

 such as have been collected by modern travellers, 

 who, from being natives of other countries, re- 

 fer rather to the condition in which they found 

 them than to any historical documents descrip- 

 tive of the ancient state. M. Jars l says, " The 

 vestiges of gold are found in great numbers, 

 and almost without trouble, in the mines of 

 silver, copper, and other metals at Fahlun, 

 Helfors, and other parts of Sweden." (P. 65.) 

 The principal mines of gold in former times 

 were those of Asheda in Smaland. These were 



1 Voyages Metallurgiques, vol. i. p. 65. 



