NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 41 



iion, ferves almoft for a boundary betwixt the two aforementioned 

 northern monarchies, and is called Rudfield, Sudefield, Skars- 

 fleld % or more generally Sevebierg, or the Seven mountains. The 

 modern Swedifh hiftorian, Olaus Dalin, in his hiftory of Sweden, 

 Tom. 1. p. 1 1. fpeaks thus of the progrefs of the chain, " it pro- 

 cedes as it were under water from Gottenburg, to a promontory 

 in Jutland, called the Skager Riff v and forms a bank, or mound, 

 not fo deep as the fea about it, where is the beft filhing in all 

 thofe parts." The other main arm of the Koelen chain, begins 

 likewife to change its name in the diocefe of Drontheim, where, 

 at ibme diftance, it likewife alters its pofition for the fpace of ten 

 Norway miles, firft bending weft ward, as far as Roemfdal, and after- 

 wards re-affuming its progrefs towards the fouth, betwixt the dio- 

 cefes of Aggerfhuus, Bergen, and Chriftianfand ; and in the latter, 

 about three Norway miles, from Lifter, terminates in a prodigious 

 precipice, the like of which is to be feen in very few parts of the 

 World. This arm, as has been obferved, goes under different appel- 

 lations, according to the adjacent countries, the flrft is Dofrefleldj 

 near Guldbrandfdall, then follow in order Lomsfleld, Sognefield, 

 Filefleld, Halnefleld, Hardangerneld, Joklefleld, Byglefleld, 

 Hecklefield, and, laftly, Langfleld, which laft is likewife a ge- 

 neral appellation comprehending the whole chain, as far as Dofre. 

 and is by fome called only Langfleldene, i. e. the long mountains. 

 This mountain it is which divides Norway into the diftrict called 

 Soendenflelds, i. e. the fouth mountains, comprehending the dio- 

 cefe of Aggerfhuus, and half that of Chriftianfand ; and the diftricl: 

 called Nordenfields, i. e. the northern mountain, tho', with refpect 

 to its fituation, it might as well be called Weftenfields, i. e. Weft- 

 hill, confifting of the other half of the diocefe of Chriftianfand, and 

 thofe of Bergen and Drontheim. The height and breadth of this ex- 

 teniive chain are both very different, the mountain Hardan^er being 

 fourteen Norway miles over, whereas Filefleld, computing from 

 Laerdale, is fcarce ten. Dofrefleld is accounted the higheft moun- 

 tain of this country, if not of all Europe. Its perpendicular height 

 indeed is not eafily determinable, without calculating it by the 



* Olaus Magnus, in Hift. Sept. Lib. n. Cap. xir. fays, that an entrance or paf- 

 fage through it to the rocks was here cut out by the labour and induftry of man i 

 but this is very much doubted, and rather looked upon as a Somnium de porta 

 Lburnea - 3 at leaft it is what no Norwegian ever informed me of. 



Baro* 



