ii2 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



themfelves publifhed, from a principle of gratitude to God, and 

 confequently cannot be fuppofed to have adulterated it with a 

 deliberate falfhood, they daily found no more than the above- 

 mentioned very fmall portion ; on the following day, their fearch 

 was duly anfwered, though they had but the day before torn up 

 all the other grafs, and the mofs itfelf, to form a kind of a bolfter, 

 in their (tore-hut, and towards the period of their mifery, they 

 met with more than at firft, but on the twelfth day, w T hen their 

 deliverance was at hand, this efculent entirely failed them, fo that 

 not a blade of it was to be feen. But on that day they met with 

 fomething, which had hitherto efcaped their eyes, tho' their fearch 

 was confined to fo narrow limits. This was a little fpot, all over- 

 grown with forrel, which they cleared, and fed on it with a de- 

 vout cheerfulnefs ; yet, when in the evening Andrew Engelbrecht- 

 fen crept thither, being unable to walk, he found it frefh grown. 

 It may be furmifed, that this was another fpot which had not been 

 touched, but to obviate this, he fays, that they had taken exad no- 

 tice of the place, having obferved a piece of wood lying near it. In 

 the mean time, thefe diftreffed young men, did not give up all hopes 

 of being delivered by fome perfons who might refort, as many 

 did, to thefe defart mountains for the diversions, which had drawn 

 them thither. The inftrument which providence made ufe of 

 for their prefervation was their dog, who after continuing eight 

 days with their little baggage on the more, had returned home 

 howling and moaning : From the grief of this faithful creature it 

 was concluded they had met with fome misfortune, and a man 

 was immediately difpatched to the mountain in fearch of them; 

 coming thither on the eleventh day, he could get no fight of 

 them, but found their clothes, &c. and from feveral marks, he 

 conje&ured they had not been there for a confiderable time, upon 

 which he immediately returned with the melancholy news, that 

 they were probably drowned. On the twelfth day, being the 17th 

 of Auguft, Olave Engelbrechtfen, appearing to be at the lafl gafp, 

 his heart throbbing with a violence fo as to be heard, they funk 

 into defpair, and Andrew, the younger, with what remains of 

 ftrength he had, cut out on fome pieces of timber which were moft 

 in fight, a concife relation of their unhappy fate; and the text, 

 upon which he chofe their funeral fermon mould be preached, 



Pfalm 



