NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 183 



Swedes in the laft century, but fince, by order of the lord of 

 Aluen, demolifned by the Norvegians ; not to mention, that from 

 its fituation it was difficult to be wrought. Likewife fome cop-' 

 per-ore has been found with mixtures of filver, as that lately dif- 

 covered at Odal, where, in the groove called Langaafen, every 

 quintal of ore yields fixty or feventy pounds of copper, and four 

 ounces of filver intermixed, but lefs in other parts. 



But without dwelling any longer on thefe, I mall proceed to 

 give an authentic, account of the two rich filver-ore works, which 

 are now carrying on, to the vaft advantage of the fovereign and 

 community; and thefe are the works of Kongiberg and Jarefberg. 



SECT. IV. 



Kongflberg. 



The firft mine which lies near Sandfwerd in Numedale, four The prefent 

 Norway miles from Drammen, is, at prefent, to the beft of my mine zt g 

 knowlege, the molt, considerable and of the greateft profit of any 

 in Europe, and in refpedt of pure mafly-filver veins, quite inex- 

 hauftible, whereas the German filver-ore is in a great meafure in- 

 vifible, and muft be extracted from the lead and copper, in which 

 it is concealed. This work began in the year 1623, an( ^ was 

 difcovered in the following manner; two peafants, by name Ja- 

 cob, and Chriftopher Grofwaltd, attending their cattle on thofe 

 fteep mountains, which feparate Telemark from Numedal, found 

 the firft filver-ore in fome lapideous fragments fallen from the 

 mountain, and which by way of paftime they ufed to throw at 

 one another; when they heard a jingling found! the metallic fub- 

 ftance it yielded they imagined to be lead, and carrying it home, 

 attemped to melt it into bullets, buttons, and the like, but their 

 fufion not rightly fucceeding, they fold their {lore to a goldfmith 

 of Tonfberg, who ufed to fell his goods about the country. He 

 informed the government of it, and the affair being laid before 

 the king, orders were given for a further furvey of thofe parts, 

 which was attended with fuch fuccefs, that at a finall diftance 

 from a church which then ftood there, befides the rich veins of 

 ftone, a lump of pure marly filver of a pound weight was found. 

 Hereupon Chriftian the fourth, was pleafed to give his name to the 

 firft groove, and miners were fent for from Germany. Thefe 

 were the firft inhabitants of the new built mine-town of Kongf- 



Part I. B b b berg. 



