242 
ceffible on horfeback. Thefe mountains 
are conftantly overhung with clouds, 
which defcend upon the town in frequent 
rains. ‘Thereis a proverb that calls Ber- 
gen the Chamber-pot of Norway. Its in- 
habitants never venture out of doors 
without an umbreila. The town is large, 
and of handfome conftru&ion, with 
ftraight ftreets, which are, however, ren- 
dered angular and unequal by the centi- 
guous rocks. It contains about twen- 
ty thoufand. inhabitants. Trade is the 
only refource fer the fubfiftence and 
wealth of all thefe people. Bergen is the 
ftaple for al! the fith and fifh-oil taken on 
this coaft. The carrying-trade of this port 
for rhefe articles is however chiefly in the 
hands of the Englifh, the Dutch, and the 
Swedes. Bergen owes the origin of its 
commerce to the merchants of the Hanfe- 
atic League ; fifiy-eight ftore-houfts are 
ftill to be feen on the quays, which were 
eitablifhed here by thofe merchants for the 
convenience of theirexportation of fith._— 
They had alio a particular Ceurt here, 
the decilions of which tended to exclude 
the native inhabitants from all fhare inthe 
tiade: they were however entirely expe'l- 
‘ed, by the vigour chiefly of a baihff 
Walkendorff. Bergen exports, alfo tar 
and timber. 
and a drili-plough were here fhewn to 
Mr. Fabvictus as mechanical curiefities. — 
The hofpitals and public f{chools he in- 
fpetted with approbation. Ameng the 
pupils of the Harmonic-zcademy he ob- 
ferved fome eminent inftances of early ge- 
nius in mafic and in the arts of defign.— 
Bergen ; offeffes a moft laudable inititu- 
tion for the encouragement of the ufeful 
arts. From Bergen our travellers failed 
for Copenhagen onthe 2oth of Auguit.— 
Weary of the fea-voyage they went on 
fhove at Pisdiirand on the 29th, and pro- 
ceeded thence by land. ‘They paffed 
through Jutland, and onthe 4th of Sep- 
tember arrived at Kiel. 
=a 
Zo the Editor of ihe Monthly Mogazize. 
SIR, 
OUR very ufeful Publication of lat 
month contains an article entitled 
«© Advantages which the Fer Trade of 
the North-Weft Coait of America offer 
to Great Britain.”’ bp 
The zeal of the writer fairly entitles 
him to ihe fignature he has adopted. He 
founds his opinions in part upon a plan 
fuggcfted by Captain King in the year 
1930; but taking no notice of the many 
adventures wiich Captain King’s com- 
Modeis of a thrething- mill 
Obfervations on the Fur-Trade of the N.W. Craft. [April 35 
munications gave rife to, Iam led te 
conclude your Correfpondent was not im 
poffeffion of the information that could 
be afforded on the fubjest. Unlefs thofe 
adventures are adverted to, the article un- 
intentionally conveys a refleGtion on our 
merchants, who, if Captain King’s fug- 
geftions had not been acted on, might be 
confidered deficient in commercial enters 
prize. 
In the European Magazine 
or 1789 is an article giving a detailed 
account of all the voyages made to the 
North- Weft Coafts fub{equent to Captain 
Cook’s. The auchor of this was, I be- 
“# 1788 
lieve, the late Mr, John Henty Cox, ma. _ 
ny years Refident at Canton, to whofe 
commercial fpirit, and zeal for the fuccefs 
of the fur-trade in general, every one who 
knew him will bear ample teftimony. 
The plan fuggefted by Captain King, 
as ftated by your Correfpondent, is, 
“« That the Eaft India Company's hips 
fhould each carry, an additional number — 
of men, making one hundred in the 
whele : and thus two veffels, one of two _ 
on 
hundred, the other of one hundred and — 
fifty tons, might, according 
Jation, be purchafed at Canton, and 
his calcu- © 
equipped for fea with one year’s provificns — 
and pay for fix thoufand pounds.” 
Captain King did not advert to the 
circumttances of the Company’s trade be= 
ing carriedon by the chartered fhips : con- 
fequently one hundred men could not be 
fent by the Company ‘to China but ‘as © 
charter-party pafiengevs, and with the 
additional expence of monthly pay ; they 
ee 
muft then be maintained in China from © 
September till March, (April being the 
earlieft period when he propcfes the fhips 
fhould fail for the coat). Here would © 
therefore be an expence incurred of the © 
afface, pay, and provifions, of one hun- 
patiage, pay ) 
dred men, which fate as follows: 
Charter-party paffage per man, 
“(100,) fuppofed rol. - 
Wages 100 men from April, 
time of failing from England 
to China, till embarkacion on 
board the vefleis, 2). per 
month, twelve months 
Subfiftence at Canton from 15th 
September to 15th March,. 
(fix months,) 28. per day per 
manfor roo men - 
‘ 
4 15200 i 
This eftimate is fufficient to thew that — 
the expence of the firft articie in fuch a 
plan would deftroy every profpeét of ar } 
. t 
vs 
£-2400- 
ne 
 f-100e © 
£1800 5 
