retained so much of its native wildness, that the art which appeared
seemed so necessary, it was scarcely perceived. Cattle were grazing
in the shaven meadows; and the lively green on their swelling sides
contrasted with the ripening corn and rye. The corn that grew on
the slopes had not, indeed, the laughing luxuriance of plenty, which
I have seen in more genial climes. A fresh breeze swept across the
grain, parting its slender stalks, but the wheat did not wave its
head with its wonted careless dignity, as if nature had crowned it
the king of plants.

The view, immediately on the left, as we drove down the mountain,
was almost spoilt by the depredations committed on the rocks to make
alum. I do not know the process. I only saw that the rocks looked
red after they had been burnt, and regretted that the operation
should leave a quantity of rubbish to introduce an image of human
industry in the shape of destruction. The situation of Christiania
is certainly uncommonly fine, and I never saw a bay that so forcibly
gave me an idea of a place of safety from the storms of the ocean;
all the surrounding objects were beautiful and even grand. But
neither the rocky mountains, nor the woods that graced them, could
be compared with the sublime prospects I had seen to the westward;
and as for the hills, "capped with ETERNAL snow," Mr. Coxe's
description led me to look for them, but they had flown, for I
looked vainly around for this noble background.

A few months ago the people of Christiania rose, exasperated by the
scarcity and consequent high price of grain. The immediate cause
was the shipping of some, said to be for Moss, but which they
suspected was only a pretext to send it out of the country, and I am
not sure that they were wrong in their conjecture. Such are the