The A U T H O R's P R E F A C E.- xi 



lous things, merely to excite the admiration of the reader. On 

 the contrary, I have endeavoured to rectify the erroneous idea 

 which many, even among the learned, have, for want of better 

 information, formed of feveral, in themfelves very wonderful na- 

 tural phenomena, here in Norway ; fuch as a bottomlefs fea- 

 abyfs growing in the Mofkoe-ftrom, penetrating quite thro' the 

 crlobe ; of ducks growing on trees ; of a water on Sundmoer^ 

 which in a fhort time turns wood into flone ; and many other 

 fuch things, which, fome who have had no opportunity of en- 

 quiring further, or others who were not difpofed to it, have re- 

 ceived as undoubted fads. The reader will meet with many 

 ftrange, lingular, and unexpected things here, but all of them 

 ftridly true; fome of them not difcovered before, others con- 

 firmed; and, to the bed of my ability, in fome meafure ac- 

 counted for, and illuflrated. 



Perhaps, Norwegians by birth, to whom the nature of their 

 country is better known, may, from their own particular experi- 

 ence in divers parts, produce fomething more complete and ex- 

 tenfive. If they mould be animated thereto by this work of 

 mine, I fhall account it among the accidental advantages which 

 may refult from it ; and in this cafe, let no one imagine that a 

 difference of opinion, decently delivered, will give me any offence, 

 or trouble ; the difcovery of truth, is in this and every other re- 

 fpecl:, my chief end ; and I live in an age, which not content 

 with mere hypothefes, unfupported by proofs, requires that everv 

 fact, or pofition, which is advanced as real, be at leaft demon- 

 fixated poillble, and confonant to the nature of the things in 

 queftion. 



Phyfics, having never been my chief fludy *, I am far from the 

 arrogance of fuppofing, that I have always hit upon the true ori- 

 ginal caufe, and laid open the connexion of every fubject ; and I 

 am much farther from the prefumptuous conceit, that I have, in 



* Si mihi homini vehementer occupato -ftomachurn moveritis, triduo me juris*- 

 tonfultum profitebor. Cicero in Orat. pro Mnrasna, cap. xxviii. 



i every , 



