32 NATURAL HISTORY of NO RWAT. 



it, knowing they jfhall there be relieved by the coolnefs, which 

 it communicates to the air. A further remarkable inftance of di- 

 vine goodnefs in this cafe is, that juft as far as the fnow melts, and 

 runs from the mountains, the very beft grafs is obferved to grow, 

 and in the greateft plenty ; its warm covering, fo far from being 

 an obftruction, both forwarding and improving it. Such are the 

 effects of infinite power, wifdom, and goodnefs, even where at 

 firft fight they are leaft expected. 



SECT. XVI. 



Regular and It will not be improper to fubjoin fome account of what I have 

 SI ar collected in my annual circuits, by my own experience and that 

 of others, relating to the winds in Norway. The winds which 

 mofl prevail here at Bergen, and all along the weftern coaft, are 

 the fouth, fouth-weft, and fouth-eaft, which laft is ufually called 

 the Land-South. And in mofl: winters, when on the other fide of 

 the mountain called Filefield, the north, the eaft, and north-eaft 

 winds ufually bring on and continue the hard frofts, they feldom 

 laft a fortnight on the north of the mountains called Nordenfield, 

 towards the fea. Here we generally enjoy a foutherly wind, which 

 together with the warm vapours, are, as I have already obferved, 

 fubfervient to the provident end of the Creator, in keeping open 

 the fea for the fifhermen, and warding off the feverity of the 

 winter, of which we have lefs than they who live in the middle 

 of Germany ; altho', in exchange, we have rain and foul wea- 

 ther, which is not fo pleafant as a clear froft. It is feldom that 

 the wind here is directly weft, it is generally fouth-weft, or fouth- 

 eaft, which fills the creeks with the fea- vapours in abundance, which 

 afterwards, floating among the mountains, become rain-clouds. A 

 north, north-weft, and efpecially a north-eaft wind, are little 

 known here ; but when they blow, they verify the words o£ Solo- 

 mon, the north-wind driveth away rain. 



The eaft winds, which frequently come from the fhore, and 

 drive the watry clouds out of the creeks, are befides very tempe- 

 rate, and fo are accounted the moft falubrious winds, and are the 

 more welcome to us, as ufually caufing dry weather, but on the 

 contrary, fouthward, beyond the mountains, they commonly bring 

 rain. The inhabitants of the large province of Nordland, who, 



in 



