264, NATURAL HISTORY of NORTVAY. 



Moft of the Norway marble-mountains are ftill unknown as 

 fuch, and will in great meafure continue to be of no advantage, 

 except thofe which are contiguous to the fea or the creeks, for the 

 ready imping of the marble. I omit the mention of thofe mar- 

 ble-mountains which I have obferved in my journies, particularly 

 at Lillemios in Walders, and elfewhere, much lefs fhall I take 

 upon me to give an account of the new marble-quarries under- 

 taken at. the charge of colonel Eigtveds, architect to his majefty, 

 and other proprietors, not far from Drammen, in the diocefe of 

 Aggerhuus. But, inftead of thefe, I fhall take notice of thofe 

 marble-quarries in the diocefe of Bergen, which have been broke 

 up within this century, chiefly by the family of Lilienfchiold, and 

 partly carried on by others, of the produce of which the palace 

 of Chriftianfberg at Copenhagen is an illuftrious inftance. Some 

 thoufands cubic feet of northern marble, have already been ex- 

 ported for that edifice, especially from Mufterhaven, and continue 

 ftill to be carried thither, beftdes the demands from England, 

 Holland, Germany, and the countries on the Baltic, and even 

 from Sweden itfelf, which is in no want of good marble, tho' the 

 Norway is efteemed better, notwithftanding its extreme hardnefs 

 renders it very difficult to be wrought; and tho' it cannot, as fome 

 pretend, to vie in whitenefs with that of Carrara in Italy, or in 

 finenefs with that of Sicily and Egypt. The chief marble-quar- 

 ries hitherto opened in this diocefe, and their feveral kinds, are as 

 follows : 

 Account of 1. Hopeholm, not far from Bergen, produces marble of a good 

 the principal ^^ likewife blue and white, alfo a greenifh kind, with red 



ftreaks. 



2. Wikenefs in Storoe, fix Norway-miles fouth of Bergen. 

 The marble of this quarry is red and white, very fine and folid, 

 but very difficult to be hewn into fquares ; likewife white in- 

 termixed with green with fulphur-coloured veins, a kind of grey 

 and white jafper; green, with red ftreaks of agate; laftly, black 

 and white ; all very difficult to the workman. 



3. Mufterhaven, feven Norway-miles fouth of Bergen, not far 

 from the noted high mountain Siggen. This quarry yields blue 

 marble with white ftreaks, dark blue with the like variegation, 



green 



