xviii The A U T H O R's P R E F A C E. 



nities, and great encouragement. Almoft every inn in this ex- 

 tensive diocefe, gratified my curioftty, and yet this is not the only 

 province known to me from my own experience. The diocefe 

 of Drontheim is the only one I have never been in, the others I 

 have travelled through, and in feveral places in that of Aggerhuus 

 made fome flay, and always took care to find out a perfon, who 

 was able to fatisfy me in any queftions concerning the nature and 

 circumftances of the country. But the diocefe of Bergen, as will 

 be eafily imagined, is the country of which I have had the moft 

 perfect knowlege, both from experience and information. Thefe 

 circuits ufually take up two or three months, and leaving me 

 more vacant time than I could wiih, I ufually, according to the 

 proverb, make a virtue of neceflity, by fpending part of the 

 time in converfation with the guides and " drivers, appointed at 

 different ftations to attend upon me with carriages. Their an- 

 fwers to my feveral queftions, I afterwards examine with the mi- 

 nifters of the parimes, or fome other perfon well acquainted with 

 the country, and whatever I hear confirmed by feveral teftimonies, 

 or not controverted, or doubted of, I enter among my mifcellane- 

 ous obfervations, and, at my return home, compare them with 

 the defcriptions of fuch countries, efpecially the mountainous, or 

 which are in any other refpect analogous to Norway. Thefe an- 

 nual tours I have alfo improved towards making a fmall collection 

 of naturalia of Norway, fuch as ftones, ores, folTils, fea-trees, co- 

 rals, fnails, mufcles, uncommon birds, fimes 3 and the like; of the 

 moft remarkable of which, for the gratification of the reader, I 

 have caufed prints to be annexed. 



Laftly, on the fubjecl: of the Norway-birds, and more particu- 

 larly the fifh, I have had recourfe to -the obfervations of men 

 whofe dwellings and employments give them opportunities of ex- 

 amining more minutely things, which do but feldom fall under 

 general obfervation. As to fifh and marine-animals, a greater 

 variety, and ftranger tribes are feen hereabouts, and off Nordland, 

 than in any part of Europe; but a fuperftition which prevails 



among 



