NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 193 



confideration. The paflage in a free tranflation runs- as follows: 

 Ci A more than convincing proof that the mountains once were 

 fort and fluid, is the horizontal and expanded dire&ion of the 

 copper- veins near Roraas in Norway, efpecially thofe in Hefte- 

 iiekl, likewife the mines Chriilianus V. Myr, and Hefleklet. 

 This mountain is of a vail: breadth, and rifes with a very fleep 

 acclivity, with feveral protuberances on it. On the fouth end, fe- 

 veral courfes of ore fpread themfelves eail and weft, the eaflerri 

 being carried on by the mine king Chriff ianus V. and the weflern 

 by that of Hefleklet ; and thefe two mines, in length of time* 

 would certainly meet, fo as to open a paflage quite through the 

 mountain, had it not lately been obferved of the ore-courfes, that 

 the greater the height of the mountain is over them, the more 

 they are compreiled. They are already fo near to each other, that 

 the workmen in one can hear the ffrokes of thofe in the other. 

 But the mine Chriflianus V. being advanced to the higherl part 

 of the mountain, the ore-courfe is already too narrow to be" 

 worked* and that of Heflekler is alfo gradually approaching to 

 the like contraction ; a circumftance which has heretofore fhewn 

 itfelf on all the mines, that, on coming under an eminence, the 

 ore-courfe beneath has been compreiTed, Sec. Befides, the body 

 of the mountain itfelf, under thefe eminences, fhews itfelf to be 

 much more comprefTed, and, vice verfa. I fee no other caufe to 

 which this can be imputed, than to the primordial fluidity of this 

 fubflance, and the fubfequent compreilion increaflng from the 

 weight of the fuperjacent flrata." So far Mr. Tilas, wherein he 

 feems to predict to poflerity a want of ore in thefe parts; but they 

 who are thoroughly acquainted with the affair, are of opinion that 

 the country near Roraas contains a flore for many generations^ 

 and that a want of fuel is more to be apprehended, the neigh-^ 

 bouring woods being already confumed, which occafions the coal 

 to be brought from fome diflance ; and confequently raifes their 

 price. This mould incite thofe, of whom it is the more imme- 

 diate concern, to promote the growth of young woods, and to 

 reflrain the keeping of goats, which do fo much damage among 

 the faplings ; for how many thoufand laft of coal, befide flacks 

 of wood, this copper- work requires, may in fome meafure be 

 conceived only from this circumftance, that Only the calcination 



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