NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, i§7 



me and returned to Drontheim, having recommended me to one 

 of the mine officers, who the next day propofed to carry me with 

 him to the mine. My frrfr. bufmefs the next morning was to go 

 to my new acquaintance, who had prepared a good breakfaft both 

 for himfeii and me, and the officer, my guide, whom, during our 

 repair, he defired to fhew me the feveral parts of the works. Ac- 

 cordingly we left the foundery, which ftands upon a high moun- 

 tain near the entrance of the mine- works, and on the top of which 

 is a crane, worked by two men, each in a wheel. Thefe draw up 

 from the mine large maffes, fometimes of ore, fometimes of earth, 

 as the free-Hone, and potter's clay is drawn up at Paris. The 

 officer and I having feated ourfelves in a wooden veffel, compared 

 with iron and cords, were let down into the fhaft, to the depth of 

 fifty fathoms. Upon reaching the bottom, I could not forbear 

 imagining myfelf in a kind of hell, nothing appearing but difmal 

 dark caverns, large fires, and the workmen looking like devils, 

 all in black leathern coats, and leathern caps like thofe our clergy 

 wear in winter, floping towards the lower part, and widening 

 upwards to faflen over the nofe to keep out the fmoak, with 

 aprons of the fame. The work in thefe mines is various, fome 

 breaking the ore, others bufy with their inftruments in feeking for 

 copper-veins or water-courfes, which fometimes fuddenly break 

 out, as not long fince was the cafe, and with fo much violence, 

 that without the greater! activity in flopping it, the whole mine 

 had been under water. The officer who had accompanied me in 

 this defcent, obferving me to be feized with fhivering, rung a bell 

 as a figtial to draw us up again, which was done in as fhort time 

 as we had been let down. We then returned to the foundery, 

 where my generous interpreter had provided a good dinner ready 

 for us, and after a cheerful meal, he, the officer, and myfelf, fet 

 out on horfeback to take a view of the filver-mine works, at two 

 miles diftance from thence. Upon our arrival there, we went up 

 to the chief overfeer's houfe, who very jovially bid us welcome 

 ill a glafs of brandy, which he afterwards filled round, and this 

 was ilicceeded by tobacco and beer in plenty. After this resale 

 he conducted us to the foundery, which was about a quarter of a 

 mile from his houfe, and nearly of the fame conitrudtion as a 

 copper- foundery. Here the workmen were all bufy in various 



employ- 



