1 84 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



berg, and the ancestors of the many thoufands at prefent living 

 there, who in procefs of time mixing with the Norvegians, each 

 nation to this day performs divine fervice in its own language; 

 but all are under the direction and government of the college of 

 miners. This laft however, has been fubject to feveral changes 

 and revolutions, the work having been carried on fometimes by a 

 company of fharers, and fometimes, as at prefent, by the king 

 alone. A more particular account of thefe things, as it has no 

 neceffary relation to my prefent defign, is to be found in Baron 

 Holberg's prefent fttate of Denmark and Norway; and inftead 

 thereof, I mail fubjoin fome phyfical remarks communicated to 

 me, at my defire, by perfons of unexceptionable knowlege and 

 judgment. 



The firft method ufed for the difcovery of the mines, was by 

 the motion of the virgula divinatoria, when it was perpendicular 

 over the ore; but this was foon laid afide, as fometimes mislead- 

 ing the fearchers, and occafioning a fruitlefs labour. They then 

 followed the way difcovered by the fpringing of the rocks, which 

 .was naturally pointed out by the ftrata of the mountains, and the 

 ftreaks of the veins. A remarkable particular here, is, that 

 whereas in Germany, and Bohemia, the ore-ftreaks run north and 

 fouth, here in Norway their direction is eaft and weft, except in 

 that of Gottefgave, which departs from this rule, and takes the 

 courfe of the foreign mines. Though fome are of a different opi- 

 nion herein, and affirm, that the fineft veins of ore here are with- 

 out any order or regularity, fo that they cannot properly be faid 

 to be of any certain direction. The Kongfberg-ore is likewife 

 different from the foreign in largenefs, formation, and folidity, 

 for whereas the filver mines in other parts contain fome, though 

 but a little filver, and that loofe and difperfed, the northern 



veins of mines, as has been faid, produce maffy lumps or veins, or ftreaks. 



foiid filver j n ^k we frequently meet with very curious lufus naturae, as 

 they are called, of feveral figures; a piece of that of Kongfberg, 

 which was in my poffeftion, but is now in the royal mufeum, 

 has fome likenefs to a Chip with mafts and fails ; and another 

 which I ftill have, with the help of a little imagination, reprefents 

 a cock, or fome fuch fowl. Thefe folid lumps of filver, which 

 are fo far unknown in other parts, that foreigners will believe no 



fuch 



