382 
above*. The fires in Copenhagen have 
been frequent, but none fo dreadful as that 
in the year 1728, which confumed the 
greater part of the city; on part of the 
rains of which Frederick V. eré&ted the 
new town. On turning to the right we 
again perceive heaps of ruins on each fide, 
till we arrive at that part of the old town 
to which the ravages of the late fire 
extended. The houlfes here remind the 
Englifhman of thofe about Burlington- 
gardens, in London, to which the fitua- 
tion bears a great refembiance. We now 
arrive at the ramparts, on afcending 
‘which we have a view of the country ; 
but this city being buiit on a low marfhy 
ground renders the view uninterefting to 
a traveller; however, the obelifk} in the 
fore-ground, and the excellent road, ter- 
minated by the palace of Frederickfburef, 
on a hill half a Danifh mile from the towa, 
~ have a pleafing e®ect. Defcending the 
ramparts, and re-pafling the ruins of the 
palace, &c. we arrive at the Exchange, 
which is' an old heavy Gothic building ; 
the infide is occupied by the fhops of 
tradefmen, who here difplay their commo- 
dities for fale. Leaving the Exchange 
and the Royal Bank on the right, we go 
over a draw-bridge, where fhips of bur- 
then pafs and repals, and enter Chrif- 
tianfhaven; this, with Chriftianfholm, 
may be called the fuburbs of Copenhagen, 
from which they are completely feparated 
by the Strait of Kalléboe. Chriftianfholm 
contains the naval arfenals, docks, &c. 
where the fhipwrights and other work- 
men, to the number of three or four thou- 
fand, are-confiantiy employed in repairing 
and building merchant-veffe!s and-men-of 
* It is laughable to read in fome of the 
public prints, and among the reft in a Plan 
ef Copenhagen juft publifhed, that this is the 
«° prefent royal refidence ;°? and after ftating 
the coft of building, they fay, that ¢¢ its 
apartments are magnificently furnifhed and 
decorated.” 
% 
+ This obelifk, which is of ftone, about 
thirty feet in-heigat, was ereéted in honour 
of the Count de Bernftori, -by the voluntary 
contribution of the peafantry of Denmark, 
whom he had, by his endeavours, liberated 
from the Gotiic flavery in’ which they had 
been for ages enthralled. 
t The palace of Fredericktburg is a {mall 
handfome building. It was here that the 
perfecuted and unfortunate Queen Matilda, 
whofe name cannot be uttered without a 
figh, pafied much of her time: the fitaation 
“as very pléeafant, the gardens are fpacious, 
and laid out in the English ftyle. ; 
~ hs 
Account of Copenbagen, by Mr. Robert Stevens. 
[June 1, 
war*. Thefe grand works of human art 
and labour (i. e. the arfenals and docks) 
furpafs all praife, and muft be feen to be 
eftimated: they fhew what a government, 
whofe means are comparatively fmall, can 
effe& when conduéted wit 
energy. But though Copenhagen pof- 
fefles great commercial advantages, yet it 
is not, and it may perhaps be fafely pre- 
diéted that if never will be, a great com- 
mercial city. The reafon is obvious— 
the Danes neither here nor elfewhere have 
Pefprit dé commerce. From Chriftianfha- 
ven we crofs by a bridge to the ifland of 
Amak +}. This ifland may be properly 
called the dairy and kitchen-garden of 
Denmark, or rather of Zeeland and Funen, 
which it almoft wholly fupplies with but- 
ter, cheefe, and vegetables. The people 
are remarkably cleanly, and retain the 
manners and drefs of the original colo- 
nilts, ; 
The little that is worth feeing in Co- 
penhagen is not calculated tovexcite much 
intereft in the intelligent traveller, except 
the Royal Mufem, which contains fome 
great —curlofities, particularly a fuperb 
collection of coins. In the old town is the 
famous Round Tower, defigned. by the 
aftronomer Longomontanus; it is about 
180 feet in height, and’ the infide is fo 
contrived, as to admit a carriage and four 
horfes to be drove to the top, where is 
the obfervatory, from which we have a 
good view of the city beneath, with the 
* There are at prefent (1796) 28 thips of 
the line, feveral of which are of 80 guns, 
and nine frigates, in the man-of-war’s-dock 5 
which is divided from the merchants’-dock 
by a chain going tranfverfly acrofs the har- 
bour. The feamen belonging to the men- 
of-war are regiftered, and amount to aLout 
24,000. In peaceithey obtainjeave from the 
government to ferve on board the merchant- 
veflels; and thofe who remain at home; to 
the number of above 5000, are, with their 
families, lodged in barracks, in a long ftreet 
inthe new town, built purpofely for their 
convenience and accommodation. 
>The prefent inhabitants of Amak are de- 
fcended from Hollanders, who were fettled 
here the beginning of the fixteenth century, 
by the tyrant Chriftian II. who married the 
niece, of Margaret, Duchefs of Savoy, then 
governefs of the Low Countries. Denmark 
being at that time very ill fupplied with ve- 
getables, fhe caufed a cargo of Dutchmen to 
be fhipped off to her niece, who procured 
for them the grant of the ifland of Amak, 
which they have, with the indefatigable in- 
duitry: peculiar to their countrymen, highly 
cultivated, and made themfeives as ufeful to 
the Crown of Deamark as any of its fubjeéts. 
Miips 
wifdom and 
