24 2 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



finlTe, at lion ita magno numero, ut foli illi terram occupave- 

 rint." 



If all this be probable, which,, however, I leave to the reader's 

 own judgment, then we may fuppofe that there has been fuch a 

 thing as a flow and gradual decline in the iize of the human race 

 amongft us *. Some of our later hiftorians give us inflances of 

 heroes of uncommon fize, ftrength, and courage, in Norway, 

 particularly the renowned Harald Haarderaade, who diftinguimed 

 himfelf in Greece, and is faid to have been ten feet high. To 

 this we may add feveral human Skeletons, that have been dug 

 up in the mountains of an uncommon iize, but as I have never 

 feen any of them, I cannot vouch for the truth of the accounts 

 concerning them. Not to mention Starkadi's tooth, which accord- 

 ing to Thorm. Torfeus's account, p. i. 1. 10. c. 28. p. 454, is 

 faid to have been ufed for a bell-clapper ; and Eigel Skallegrimi's 

 fkull, which the fame author, p. ii. 1. 5. c. 6. p. 213, fays, was 

 fhewed in Iceland as a prodigy, both on account of the largenefs 

 and weight. It was faid to be fo hard and thick, that it could 

 not be chopp'd through with an ax. And not long ago, Mr. And. 

 WeiTel, at Biornoer in the diocefe of Tronheim, opened one of 

 thofe ancient tumuli called giant-graves, and found there a human 

 back-bone of a prodigious iize. All thefe accounts I mail leave 

 strength and to reft on the credit of the relators. But waving thefe ftories, it 

 is certain the Norvegians are a very ftrong, robuffc, and hardy 

 people, and, in fome meafure, differ according to the fituation 

 they live in. About the rocks and cliffs, and in mofl parts of 

 Norway, eipecially on the mountains, the air they breathe is 

 frefh, clear, and wholefom \ their plain and homely diet, their 

 continual labour, which they are obliged to undergo both by 

 fea and land, and their cheerful difpoiition, which is natural 

 to moft of the Norwegians, give them a conftant feries of health ; 

 fo that, I believe, a greater number of them, than of any other 

 nation, exceed the age of a hundred years. But of this I fhall 

 take notice hereafter. They are inured to cold and hardfhips 

 from their childhood ; for, in the latter end of November, they 

 will run about bare-footed even upon the ice. The mountaineers, 



.. , ■ * Commifti noftri generis hominibus hybridas procrearunt, femigigantes vere vo 

 catos. Hi in mores & manfuetudinem humanam, feritate paulatim mitefcente & 

 procefiu temporis evanefcente, tranfierunt, Thorm, Torf, Hift, Norv. p. i. 1. iii. 

 c. 2. p. 115. 



1 who 



