NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 7 



is compofed of the hair fwallowed, which fticks to the tongue, 

 when thefe creatures lick one another. Of fheep's dung, and the 

 middle bark of Elder boiled in cream, the Norway peafant pre- 

 pares a good falve for burns : if the fore be full of matter or 

 water, then they ftrew the dried dung powdered upon it, which 

 helps greatly. Goats and kids are hurtful animals to the 

 woods and trees ; the country people here are very fond of, and 

 keep too many of them*; for they, before all other creatures, 

 labour to get at food and nourishment, climbing the rocks, and, 

 to men, inacceffible places in the mountains and cliffs, and fteep 

 heights. Wherever graft is to be found they will get at it, where 

 no other grafs-feeding creature can ; but fbmetimes they get them- 

 felves into fuch a dangerous fituation, that they can neither go 

 backwards or forwards, up or down. In this cafe the goat runs 

 to the very edge, and there ftands braying ; the Norway peafant 

 then, to fave his goat, ventures himfelf often in fuch a manner, 

 as another man would not for the beft friend 5 they fufFer them- 

 felves to be let down by a rope of a hundred fathom or more, 

 as I have already mentioned in another place. 



The bell: goats are in Nordland and in Sundmoar ; they run 

 wild in many places, winter and fummer, in the fields, till they 

 are ten or twelve years old ; and when the peafant, their owner, 

 is to catch them, he muft either do it by fbme fnare, or fhoot 

 themf. They are fo bold, that if a wolf comes toward them 

 alone they wont go out of his way ; and if they have dogs with 

 them, they will refill: a whole herd. They frequently attack 

 ferpents; and when they are bit by them, the owner warms 

 their own milk, and wafhes the fore with it ; they commonly 

 revenge themfelves feverely upon the ferpent who bites them ; 

 for they eat him up, tho' they plague themfelves a great while 



* From Bergen alone there is fhipp'd off annually 70 or 80,000 raw goats fkins, 

 e-xclufive of feveral thoufand which are dreffed here for Suffian, Corduan, and Ruffia 

 leather, fent hence very good ; which manufacture might here be greatly encouraged, 

 by dreffing all the fkins here before they are fent out. 



f Near Roftad, in the manor of Lattens, there is a flat and naked field, the foil 

 almoft white, with grey ftripes. The earth here is f©und, by experience, to have 

 fomewhat in it of a poifbnous quality, fatal to goats and kids, and to them alone. 

 Other creatures may fafely go over it, but thefe muft not fet a foot upon it ; fo foon 

 as they do they drop down, ftretch out their legs, and their tongue hangs out of 

 their mouth ; and they die if they have not inftant help. Neither grafs or any green 

 thing grows upon it ; the very ftones have that quality. The Confiftorial Affeffor Frifes 

 affures us, that in the midfi of winter it has not that effect ; in autumn it is the 

 ftrongeft. I don't know whether this may be afcribed to a damp, as the famous 

 Grotto del Cane, near the lake Agnano in the Neapolitan dominions, according to 

 Miffon, and others ; who fay, that a dog no fooner fteps in than he dies, if not 

 immediately dragged out and thrown into that lake. 



before 



