STATISTICS RELATIVE TO NORWEGIAN MOUN- 

 TAINS, LAKES, AND THE SNOW-LINE. 



Department of State, 

 Washington, November 22, 1865. 

 Sfr: I transmit herewith, for your information, and the use of the Institution, 

 a collection of tables, maps, &c., showing the height of the Norwegian mountains, 

 with other valuable papers transmitted to this department by the consul of the 

 United States at Bergen as enclosures in his despatch No. 52, dated September 

 29, ultimo. 



I will thank you to advise this department of the receipt of the same. 

 I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



F. W. SEWARD, 



Assistant Secretary. 

 Joseph Henry, Esq., 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



STATISTICS OF NORWEGIAN MOUNTAINS EXCEEDING THREE THOUSAND 



FEET IN HEIGHT. 



In the geographical publications relative to Norway published in foieign 

 countries, the heights of few of its mountains have been given, and even of those 

 few, the statements with regard to many are erroneous. I have therefore deemed 

 it expedient to compile a table of those Norwegian mountains which exceed in 

 height 3,000 feet above the level of the sea. The measurements in all cases 

 have been reduced to English feet, the Norwegian foot being equal to 1.029357 

 English ; all fractions under half a foot have been stricken out, and all over 

 half counted as one. 



The measurements made by theodolite, levelling, or other geometrical methods 

 are specified ; all others were obtained by the barometer. I have given all the 

 different measurements and results made by different persons, and it will be 

 observed that many of these measurements, made at different times, differ 

 considerably. Such discrepancies are due to the state of rhe atmosphere and 

 forbid perfect confidence in the results, but great heights cannot well be measured 

 by levelling or other geometrical methods without involving much time and 

 great expense. It is, however, thought that when measurements are made on 

 different days, the mean result will be nearly correct. 



The length and breadth of the larger lakes of Norway stated herein are 

 derived from Mr. Schoth's Geography, in which the dimensions are given in 

 Norwegian miles, all fractions below one-sixteenth of a mile being rejected. 

 The dimensions are reduced to English geographical miles, the proportion adopted 

 being one Norwegian mile to six English geographical miles. There are, in 

 addition to the lakes whose sizes are here given, many smaller, but, as it was 

 only my intention to furnish a correct enumeration of the larger ones, as of the 

 highest mountains, all less than one Norwegian mde in length have been left 

 unnoticed, as being of inferior interest. 



I have also given the height of the snow line indicated by different observers, 

 from which it will be seen that the gradual descent of this line toward the 



