2 NATURAL HISTORY of N ORWAT. 



to the north cape on the borders of RinTia. . Thus M. Ramus, fa 

 juftly celebrated for his hiftory of the civil tranfa&ions and anti- 

 quities of his country, in the Chorographical defcription of Nor- 

 way, computes its length from Lindefnaes in the diocefe of Chrif- 

 tianfand, which lies in 58, or, more precifely, in 57 degrees, 47 

 minutes, latitude, to the north cape at the extremity of Finmark, 

 at 71 degrees and half, to be in a direcl: line, or through the air, 

 202 miles and a half, but he finds that the circuit acrofs the 

 mountains and vallies, or by water, from one cape to the other, 

 increafes it to above 300 miles, and its breadth from the frontiers 

 of Sweden weftward, to cape Statt near Sundmoer, in 21 degrees 

 of longitude from the Canaries, is 65 miles, but from thence, the 

 country becomes gradually narrower towards the north. I have 

 no particular knowlege of that part of Norway called Finmark, 

 which lies in the frigid zone, or near the polar circle. It is the 

 country of Norway, properly fo called, at the extremity of the 

 temperate zone, that is here to be chiefly treated of, and it is the 

 air of this country, which I affirm to vary confiderably in refped 

 of the degrees of heat and cold, light and darknefs. 



■S -E C T. II. 



m fi ht In this and moft other points, I fhall chiefly regulate my ob- 

 a f d h en l th f ervat i ons ty the horizon of Bergen, not only as it happens to be 

 the place of my refidence, but as its latitude, being 61 degrees 

 15 minutes, with refpecl: to north and fouth, lies nearly in the 

 middle of Norway * properly fo called. The longeft day at Ber- 

 gen confifts of 19 hours, the fun riling at half an hour paft two, 

 and fetting at half an hour after nine ; and the fhorteft is only fix, 

 the Sun not rifing before nine, and fetting at three. 



The gradations of the increafe and decreafe of day-light, are 

 clearly exhibited in the following table. 



* At Bergen in Norway, Gefle in Sweden, Nyftad in Finland, and Wyburg in Ca- 

 relia; as being at parallel diftances from the equator, the days and nights are of the 

 fame length. But at Bergen it is noon at the very fame inftant, as at Utrecht in Hol- 

 land, Marfeilles in France, and Conftantine in Africa. 



The 



