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but they are now exercifed freely by the townfmen in general. The town itself poffeffes confiderable fisheries and it is alfo the common place of fale for all the fish taken in the neighbourhood. Chrif tianfand has also a confiderable trade in timber. The timber, however, which it exports, is of inferior quality, and goes for the greater part to Ireland.

On the 30th of July our travellers failed from Chriftianfand for Bye, a diftance of about twenty miles. It is a very dangerous navigation, in which many veffels are from time to time loft. But Mr. Fabricius and his friend performed it in fafety. Bye is a fmall village, inhabited by fishermen. Its neighbourhood is, though rocky, tolerably fertile, and exhi

bits both meadows and corn-fields. The abundance of fea weeds on the coaft has lately encouraged the inhabitants of this neighbourhood to try the manufacture of kelp, as in Scotland; but they have not hitherto been very fuccessful in the attempt. The equipment of a fishing-boat cofts an expence not less than fifty or fixty rix-dollars.

On the way from Bye to Ildere our travellers obferved that fea-weeds were in different places used as manure to the arable land. Upon enquiry they learned that the land was by this manure kept fertile, in a course of constant tillage. Wheat, oats, and barley, were the grains growing upon it: they were in fufficiently luxuriant growth.

At Walderhog, as Mr. Fabricius was walking on the beach, he faw a veffel pafs with a lading of kelp. It was observed with great indignation by fome inhabitants of Walderhog. They complained that the burning of the fea-weeds drove away the fish; and they threatened to remonftrate to Government against the perm ffion of this practice. The tomb of King Walder was near the inn: it is large, round, and formed of a prodigious number of ftones which appear to have been taken out of the fea. The bafe is now covered with earth and overgrown with grafs. Many of the ftones have been taken away in the expectation of finding treasures under them. A fpacious vaulted grotto was another object of curiofity near this village. It is, at the entrance, of confiderable width and elevation. The roof becomes continually lower as it retires backwards. One of the fides is of granite, the other lime-ftone. At the bottom appears a large orifice, which is faid to form a communication between this and another grotto ftill lager. This MONTHLY MAG .No. 113.

grotto is perfectly dry within. It was formerly, perhaps, a haunt of pirates : wild beasts now take fhelter in it during the winter. Near this grotto our travellers paffed over an extenfive peat-morafs, of which a great part was tilled and fown with corn and barley. It appeared to have been anciently a foreft of pines and

birches.

On the 4th of August, at Wolden, Mr. Fabricius infpected certain huts, which were thewn as the remains of an establishment which one Dr. Erichfen had attempted to form here on a project of manufacturing faltpetre out of fea-weeds and putrid fish. He had borrowed large fums of money on the ftrength of his proj&; but when he came to carry it into effect, not a particle of faltpetre was he able to produce. On the fea-fhore Mr. Fabricius obferved, in this neighbourhood, a stratum of that which Linnæus 'denominates talky earth.

At Læken, the next remarkable place which our travellers vifi ed, they found the inhabitants to be, in a manner, rangers to the fubdivifion of labour which prevails in other parts. Every man acted as his own taylor, fhoemaker, fmith, miller, and carpenter. The corn was in general bad. Large heaps of peat, or turf, for fuel were every where to be seen alfo heaps of the fame turf and peat-earth intended for ufe as a manure. found the inhabitants of Læken likewife buy in collecting the leaves of certain trees, to be given for food to their cattle in winter.

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At Dalvigen they had much fatisfaction in converfing with Mr. Krog, the parish-minifter, a man of worth and learning, whofe endeavours had principally contributed to introduce the practice of inoculation into Norway. It is remarkable, that, amongst other prejudices against inoculation, the Norwegians are fimple enough to believe that the fishery has been of late lefs fuccefsful on account of the introduction of that practice into their country. The most common diforder on this coaft is pleurify. Cancer is alfo more common here than in fome other places.

Our travellers arrived at Bergen on the evening of the 14th of Auguft. After telling their names and producing their paffports, they were required to wait immediately upon the commander, who held the principal authority in the town.Bergen is the largest town in Norway, and the principal in trade. Immediately behind it rife lofty mountains, fcarcely ac

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ceffible on horseback. Thefe mountains are conftantly overhung with clouds, which de cend upon the town in frequent rains. There is a proverb that calls Bergen the Chamber-pot of Norway. Its inhabitants never venture out of doors without an umbrella. The town is large, and of handfome conftruction, with ftraight freets, which are, however, rendered angular and unequal by the contiguous rocks. It contains about twenty thousand inhabitants. Trade is the only refource for the fubfiftence and wealth of all thefe people. Bergen is the ftaple for all the fish and fish-oil taken on this coaft. The carrying-trade of this port for thefe articles is however chiefly in the hands of the English, the Dutch, and the Swedes. Bergen owes the origin of its commerce to the merchants of the Hanfeatic League; fifty-eight ftore-houses are ftill to be feen on the quays, which were eftablished here by thofe merchants for the convenience of their exportation of fifh.They had alfo à particular Court here, the decifions of which tended to exclude the native inhabitants from all share in the trade: they were however entirely expelled, by the vigour chiefly of a bailiff Walkendorff. Bergen exports alfo tar and timber. Modeis of a threshing-mill and a drill-plough were here fhewn to Mr. Fabricius as mechanical curiofities. The hospitals and public schools he infpected with approbation. Among the pupils of the Harmonic-academy he obferved fome eminent instances of early genius in mufic and in the arts of defign. Bergen poffeffes a moft laudable inftitution for the encouragement of the ufeful arts. From Bergen our travellers failed for Copenhagen on the 20th of Auguft. Weary of the fea-voyage they went on fhore at Fladftrand on the 29th, and proceeded thence by land. They paffed through Jutland, and on the 4th of September arrived at Kiel.

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munications gave rife to,

I am led to conclude your Correfpondent was not in poffeffion of the information that could be afforded on the fubject. Unless thofe adventures are adverted to, the article unintentionally conveys a reflection on our merchants, who, if Captain King's fuggeftions had not been acted on, might be confidered deficient in commercial enterprize.

In the European Magazine of 1788 or 1789 is an article giving a detailed account of all the voyages made to the North West Coasts subsequent to Captain Cook's. The author of this was, I believe, the late Mr. John Henry Cox, ma ny years Refident at Canton, to whose 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 fhips fhould each carry an additional number of men, making one hundred in the whole; and thus two vessels, one of two hundred, the other of one hundred and fifty tons, might, according to his calculation, be purchafed at Canton, and equipped for fea with one year's provisions and pay for fix thousand pounds."

Captain King did not advert to the circumftances of the Company's trade being carried on by the chartered ships : confequently one hundred men could not be fent by the Company to China but as charter party paffengers, and with the additional expence of monthly pay; they must then be maintained in China from September till March, (April being the earlieft period when he propofes the fhips fhould fail for the coaft). Here would therefore be an expence incurred of the paffage, pay, and provifions, of one hundred men, which tate as follows: Charter-party paffage per man,

(100,) fuppofed 10l. Wages 100 men from April, time of failing from England to China, till embarkation on board the veffels, 21. per month, twelve months Subfiftence at Canton from 15th September to 15th March, (fix months,) 25. per day per man for 100 men

£.1000

£.2400

£.1800 £.5200

This estimate is fufficient to fhew that the expence of the first article in fuch a plan would deftroy every prospect of pro

fit, and that only in the prefent time is to be confidered, as the voyages of Captain Vancouver and others have left nothing to be done in a voyage to the North-Weft Coast as a voyage of difcovery; and the calculation of fix thoufand pounds as a fufficient fum for the purchase and equipment of two veffels at Canton, I venture to affure your Correfpondent, would be found very deficient, independent of the uncertainty of meeting two veffels adapted to the purpose.

Equipments have been made from Bombay and Bengal; in fome cafes a voyage to our fettlement in New South Wales, combined with that to the North-Weft Coafts; but the profit has not fufficiently encouraged the adventurers to continue the trade. In India the outfit of veffels is unavoidably great, from the advance paid on the European first-cost of almost all the articles comprized in it. Europeans must be employed as feamen, whofe pay, and that of_the_commander and officers, far exceeds the pay of fhips equipped from this country; and to thefe disadvantages may be added the high interest of money and premiums of infurance. Many other circumstances might be adduced as operating against the profecution of this trade from India, from whence fhips have failed without any im. pediment from the East India Company. agree with your Correfpondent, that the British nation has an undoubted right to trade to the North-West Coast of America; but I cannot give my affent to the manner in which he propofes this trade fhould be carried on by the East India Company. He takes iron as the principal article to be bartered on the NorthWelt Coaft, and propofes fending it to China in the Company's fhips, there to be tranfhipped on board two or more veffels of one hundred tons each: but he does not advert to the heavy port-charges upon all veffels at the port of Canton, however fmall; nor does he feem apprized, that the Chinese do not willingly allow the transhipment of goods in general, and are particularly jealous of the exportation of iron, conceiving it may be applied to the manufactory of arms against themselves.

Iron is not now the principal article which the natives of America will barter their skins for. Blue and fcarlet cloth has, I am informed, become in request among them; confequently an equipment to the North-Weft Coaft would be far more expensive than your Correfpondent is aware of; and the experience of the

paft has not encouraged the private merchants in India and China to continue the trade.

That the Americans have derived benefit from this commerce, I am very well convinced; but in calculating their advantages it is to be confidered, that the commanders and officers of their hips have failed at lefs wages than our's; and on their arrival at China, instead of fHing their skins for dollars, they barter them for inferior teas, generally bohea, which in America affords a very confiderable advance on the China price. A large portion, therefore, of the five hundred per cent. your Correfpondent afferts to have been gained by an American in 1799, is to be attribnted to the profit on à homeward bound cargo.

An equipment to the North-West Coast of America cannot be made more advantagequfly than from this country; but the length of the voyage, and the heavy. port-charges at Canton, can only be counterbalanced by the advantages of bartering the furs with the Chinele for teas and other Chinese commodities, thereby fecuring a profit on the homeward voyage: but I am not fo unreasonable as to expect the Eaft India Company will permit their exclufive trade from China to be infringed for the benefit of any individual, or for the public advantage of retaining in this country the number of dollars which would have purchased the returning cargo; for your Correfpondent admits, that the Americans procure the articles bartered for the furs from Great Britain.

Refpecting the 72,941 dollars ftated in the exports from America to the NorthWeft Coast for one year ending 30th September, 1799, I cannot help conjecturing that amount comprizes the whole value of the hips, provifions, and stores of every kind; probably an adventure of spirits for New South Wales may be included; and I must add, also, that I ever entertain my doubts of extravagant profits, fuch as five hundred per cent., upon any commercial adventure: I generally, before the admiffion, request a debtor and credi tor statement.

The price of fix otter-fkins at Canton, in January 1803, as I am informed by a friend of mine now in London, was only fifteen dollars per fkin; therefore before any hafty conclufions are drawn of the actual value of that trade to this country, I would recommend your Correfpondent to compute the probable number of skins to be collected annually on the Coast, the

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price they are likely to produce at market, and the number, coft, and charges, of the veffels to be employed in this collection.

I should derive a heartfelt fatisfaction if a plan could be deviled by which the trade to the North-Weft Coast of America could be rendered exclufively beneficial to the British Nation; but in effecting this the chartered rights of the great eft Company in the world ought not to be infringed. The North-Welt Trade cannot, in my opinion, be advantageoufly

carried on by the Eaft India Company : it is a trade individuals only can derive profit from; and to obtain this, thofe they employ fhould be active, honourable, and economical. Moft adventurers on the outlet have been milled by the idea that a cargo of furs was to be obtained without much difficulty; and those who have failed one season have been confident of fuccefs a future one: but in acquiring experience the original stock has in fome cafes been entirely exhausted. VERITAS.

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