NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 91 



the eruption, filled the valley, and made a kind of dam, which, 

 however, was broke through, and warned away by the force of the 

 water : On this occafion, befides fome churches, forty-eight farm- 

 houfes were deftroyed, and two hundred and fifty perfons drowned. 



Otteroen is the largefl river on the fide of Agde, running thirty 

 leagues from the mountain, through Sastterdale and Efie, to the 

 cataract of Wiland, into which it empties itfelf. 



Syre, or the river Sire, rifes near the mountain Lang, runs thro' 

 the vale of Syre into the lake of Lunde, in the diocefe of Chri- 

 flianfand, afterwards it difcharges itfelf into the fea, not through a 

 broad mouth, or by a gentle fall, as ufual to other rivers, but 

 moots into it like an arrow, through a very contracted ftrait be- 

 twixt rocks, with fuch an impetuofity as creates, even in the 

 calniefl: weather, a great agitation in the water, for the length of 

 two leagues, and from my own experience, I can fay, that the 

 feamen muft be very careful of coming too near it *. 



Nid, which gives name to the lordfhip of Nedenes, and Skeen, 

 from whence a town is fo called, both iffue out of Tellemark ; 

 and are equally large. Great quantities of timber for faw-mills 

 being floated on them, the falls have, with infinite labour, been 

 diverted, by canals and paflages cut through the rocks. 



The river Tyrefiord, or Dramme, difcharges itfelf into the lea 

 near Bragnefs, whither it alfo brings timber ; near Honefofle, it 

 is joined by two large rivers, of which one comes from Oedale^ 

 and the other from Hadeland. 



Loven, or Laven, rifes in the higheit part of Nummedal, and 

 after watering Kongfberg, lofes itfelf in the fea near Laurwig, 

 which derives its name from it. 



Glaamen, or Glommen, is the largefl: river in all Norway, and 

 as fuch diilinguifhed by the name of Stor-Elven, the great river; 

 from the foot of the mountain of Dofre it runs a long way thro* 

 Oefferdale and Soloe, afterwards joins the Vorme, another large 

 river, which comes out of Mioes and Guldbrandfdale ; then tra- 

 verling the lake Oeyeren, it haflens to Sarp, near Friederichftadt, 

 whofe chief dependance is the timber trade. 



* It is unqueftionably from fome fuch confinement of a narrow outlet, that the 

 Rhone protrudes its waters into the lake of Geneva, with fuch rapidity, that to a 

 considerable diftance, they retain their natural frefhnefs, without any mixture of 

 thofe of the lake. 



Part I. B b Among 



