The climate of Norway is by no means uniform, but varies, of course, in proportion to the latitude and the elevation of different places. When the summits and sides of the mountains are already under the influence of winter, the valleys frequently enjoy a high degree of tem perature ; and along the west coast, the cold is not nearly so intense in the same latitude as in the mountainous line on the east frontier. At the southern extremity the cold is seldom rigorous, rarely below the 18th of Reau mur ; but in Finmarken it reaches such a degree of se verity, that all vegetation seems to expire under its power. At Christiania, the winter is not much earlier than in the north of Germany ; frost is very rare in No vember, and the snow seldom lying till the beginning of December. From the end of April, the warmth in creases very rapidly, and in general the spring is so short, that the winter seems to be immediately succeed ed by summer. On the 5th of May 1808, the thermo meter at Christiania rose to 70" of Fahrenheit ; and in the middle of the month all the trees except the ash were in leaf. The mean temperature of July was 65, and the thermometer at noon was generally 81, or some times even 36 degrees. But in summer the weather is very unsteady, onc day being extremely hot, and the next quite cold ; sometitnes these transitions take place in the course of a single hour. The harvest commenced before the beginniog of August ; but before the end of September stoves were become necessary in the town. But at Saltenfiord, the mean tetnperature is scarcely above 34° of Fahrenheit, and the highest in the month of July 57° 8'. It is a prevailing opinion throughout the country, that the climate is pleceptibly changing, both on the sea-coast and in the inlaod valleys ; that the sum mers arc not so warm ; the whims less cold, though more tedious; and the spring, which scarcely existed ns a distinct season, TIOW considerably prolonged. Nor do the inhabitants draw such conclusions from their own sensations or recollections, but from such facts as these : that, at Drontheim, where fruit was formerly raised, there has been none for a long time past ; that at Har danger there are incipient glaciers daily increasing, of which there was not the slightest trace a few years ago; that at Sandtorp, those points of the mainland which used to be free of snow every summer have never lost it for several years. At Bergin, the longest clay is nineteen hours, the sun rising at half-past two o'clock, and set ting at half-past nine ; and the shortest day six hours, from sun•rise at nine o'clock to sun-set about three. Beyond Bergen the sun remains still longer above the horizon during a part of the year ; but during another period it is scarcely at all visible. At the extremity of Nordland, and in Finmark, it does not appear for seve ral weeks in the winter season ; and the day is little more than a kind of twilight of an hour and a half, which the reflection from the high mountains occasions; but the aurora borealis,which is remarkable for its beauty and brilliancy in those regions, and the whiteness of the snow, contribute in a great measure to dissipate the darkness. At the longest days, there are few places in the more northern districts where thc sun is really al ways apparent above the horizon ; but some rock or mountain frequently interposes to hide it for several hours during the night ; and sometimes this will happen more than once. At these obscurations the temperature falls, and does not rise again till above an hour after the sun's reappearance ; so that, in these cases, there are ap parant settings and risings of the sun, though it is never in reality below the horizon. The most violent winds in Norway are the south-east and north-west, which bring with them rain and tremendous storms. Those from the north and north-cast bring dry weather, and purify the atmosphere. This dry weather prevails most during the months of March and July, rain in October and April, and* snow in December and January. The months of Nay, April, and October, are the most stormy ; and those of January, June, and August, the most favoured with calm weather. Thunder is seldom heard, and in some districts is wholly unknown. Hail is very rare, and always in very small particles. A singu lar circumstance is observable along the western coast, viz. that in summer, after a storm of wind during the day, there is almost invariably a calm in the evening, and for several hours of the night ; but in winter, on the contrary, it is always during- the night that the blasts be come tnost violent, and occasion the greatest damage. The air of Norway is remarkably pure, and the climate, though severe, is highly favourable to health and Ion gevity. In some of the western districts, a contagions malady, named radesyge, is very frequent, resembling in its symptons those of thc scurvy and lues venerea, and which is supposed to be owing- to the use of a fish diet, and the hurnicl situation of thc houses. In medi cine they make much 11 Se of the lichen islandicus, which is found upon all their mountains; but their fa vourite remedy is camphor, which they administer Li all disorders, and %% hich they find most eflIctual in curing colds.
" It is the peculiar characteristic of the Norwe gian mountains to combine the grandeur of Alpine scenery with the clatk solemnity of the groves of Swe den, ancl the luxuriant softness of the vales of Italy."* The verdure in the Norway valleys is peculiarly soft, the foliage of the trees luxuriant, and in the summer season no traces appear of a northern climate. In Guldbrandsdale, for a distance of 170 English miles, along the banks of the river Louven, there is a succes sion of the finest landscapes in the world. The views around Drontheirn are accounted equal to those of the bay of Naples itself ; and altogether Norway has been pronounced by travellers most competent to judge, to be a country more worth seeing hy the lovers of pic turesque beauty than any other in the world. Among the most remarkable objects in these scenes are, the farm-houses, which seem to hang upon cultivated spots one above another, till they reach the clouds, cattle, corn sheaves, and labourers appearing actually above the clouds in places seemingly inaccessible. These elevat ed situations are preferred for this reason, that the higher the land is, the more sun it receives.
Not way is so full of rocks and mountains, interspers ed with deep morasses and barren wastes, that it pos sesses a very small portion of soil capable of cultiva tion. There are many valleys, some of which are ex tremely narrow, others of wider extent, and a few so well opened as to resemble plains, paiticularly Jedde ren and Hedemarken. The high valleys are chiefly used for pasture, and the lower for tillage. The southern coast is, upon the whole, the most fertile, and, in some low tracts, clay and sand prevail. It) the higher grounds, the rocky bottom is covered by a thin bed of mould, produceCI by the decotriposition of vegetable substances. On the clay-slate, the soil yields twelve times the amount of the seed, but on the rocky gneiss bottom, it hardly repays the labour bestowed on its cultivation.
'file natural productions of the country are very nu merous, and many of them serve the most useful pur poses. Lichens of various kinds are very abundant; ancl, besides supplying food for the cattle, are collected and sold for purposes of dyeing. There are several medicinal herbs, such as angelica, veronica, gentian, cochlearia, which the inhabitants gather and use as re medies. Cumin frequently covers extensive tracts, and is collected in immense quantities. Nettles are abun• dant, and are made into thread, or sometimes used as rood like spinage. The barberry and sloe are plentiful ; the former of which is often used as a pickle, and the latter made to yield a sort of wine. The wild rose is often seen among the rocky spots, and its fruit is em ployed in different preparations for the table. Juniper berries are collected carefully, and sold to the Dutch. Strawberries, raspberries, ancl several other kinds of berries peculiar to northern countries, are sufficiently abundant. Trees form a prominent feature in Norwe gian vegetation, and often grow to a great size of tim ber. In the southern districts are found the oak, beech, elm, and linden trees; sycamores, alders, aspens, ha zels, and willows. Pines and Scotch firs are spread over the greatest extent, and form a considerable part of the wealth of the country. The birch also is found in most quarters, even of the northern regions, and is applied to a great variety of useful purposes. The outer bark is used as a covering for the houses, or is made to yield an oil for tanning leather ; the inner bark is wrought into nets or baskets. Its wood furnishes the best ashes and charcoal; and, in the spring, a pleasant acid liquor is drawn from the tree, and made into wine. Fruit trees are found wherever the oak will grow, which is only. at a mean temperature of 40° of Fahrenheit. At Christiania, under the 60th degree of latitude, apples, cherries, pears, and apricots, grow in the open air ; but at Drontheim, under 63° 30', apples ripen with difficulty; and no other rruit will come to maturity, although in some favoured spots, even farther north, cherries are raised, and oaks, lime, and ash, are to be seen, Dr. Clarke, however, saw at Drontheim, in the year 1799, apples, pears, plums, and cherries; and strawberries were gathered that season on the 20th day of June. All sorts of garden vegetables are now common in this northern city, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, cucum bers, potatoes, artichokes; and even pinks, carnations, roses, stocks, and many other garden flowers, were ob served in thc garden. Formerly, the towns and cities of Norway were supplied with culinary herbs from Eng land and Holland ; but their recent attention to garden ing has rendered this supply unnecessary.t The rapidity of vegetation on some spots, and in some years, is very extraordinary. Even to the north of Drontheim, two crops of barley have been reaped in the same year ; and it is no uncommon occurrence for this kind of grain to be reaped six weeks after it has been sown.