88 NATURAL HIS TORY of N 'C \RWAY. 



■ SECT. XI. 

 Frdh-waters, From the north-fea, and the falt-waters, I now proceed to the 



particularly y *■ 



fpHngs, in f r efli fprinp-s, rivers, and lakes. Here, as in other places, thefe 



Norway. r ° . 



are not equally light, pure, and wholfom, their qualities de- 

 pending on their bottom, or the ftrata of earth or ftone which 

 they meet with in their courfe, generally bringing with them 

 particles of what they have carried off by the way. As to this cir- 

 cumftance, our Norway iprings are not much to be boafted of; 

 for their beds, or bottoms, mew them to have fo much chalk, 

 clay, or oaker in them, that a drop on a plate, leaves a white, 

 brown, or yellow fpot. However, ' the frefh- water in Norway, in 

 general, may be considered as good and falubrious, I may fay, 

 very good, in comparifon with others, as the water, together with 

 the air, unqueftionably, contributes greatly to the vigour of the 

 inhabitants, who enjoy an uninterrupted health, to a length of 

 days, more general and far beyond the period allotted to the in- 

 habitants of moll: other parts of Europe. The common people es- 

 pecially, hold out to a very advanced age 3 for they live more 

 upon water, than wine and other ftrong liquors. The metal, of 

 which there is molt abundance, both here and in Sweden, and 

 which confequently moft of all tinges the frefli- waters, is iron, for 

 the aqueous particles being analyfed, there remains a ferruginous 

 matter fubiided, which the magnet attracts, and which has upon 

 moll people a laxative effecl. 



There is likewife, no doubt, that our country affords feveral 

 kinds of medicinal fprings, tho', for want of due fearch, few fuch 

 are become known ; as the learned M. Lochftor complains in the 

 following words, which I the rather infert, as they at the fame 

 time mention one of the afore-mentioned medicinal fprings. 

 In Diflertati- " Coronidis ■ loco monendum duxi, haud deeffe Norvegiae fontes 

 capettiK medicates, deeffe autem, qui in . horum vires et principia inqui- 

 Il^SS. rant, folertes naturalium rerum ftudiofos, Memini enim, me vi- 

 I744 ' diffe fontem (quern paucis abhinc annis inVenit fedulus nature 



fcrutator avunculus meus Carolus Robfliam in disecefeos Chriflia- 

 nienfis diftridu, cui nomen Hackedalen, circa villain quam habi- 

 tat vulgo Buraas diclam) minerali quadam aqua fcatunentem, a 

 cujus ufu convaluere variis morbis laborantes, ita ut etiam fama 



t ad 



