a town of Norway, belonging to Denmark, and celebrated for its silver mines, whose produce has been considerably exaggerated by most of the travellers that have published on this subject. The town, which stretches on both sides the river Lowe, contains about 1000 houses, and including the miners 6000 inhabitants. The mines, which lie about two miles from the town, were first discovered and worked during the reign of Christian IV.; and of their present state the following account is given by Mr Coxe *.

There are 36 mines now working; the deepest where-in Poland, of, called Sagen-Gottes der North, is 652 feet perpen- dicular. The matrix of the ore is the saxum of Lin- naeus. The silver is extracted according to the usual process, either by smelting the ore with lead or by pounding. The pure silver is occasionally found in small grains and in small pieces of different sizes, sel- dom weighing more than four or five pounds. Some- times, indeed, but extremely rare, masses of a consi- derable bulk have been discovered; and one in particu- lar which weighed 400 marks, and was worth 3000 rix-dollars, or 600l. This piece is still preserved in the cabinet of curiosities at Copenhagen. Formerly these mines produced annually 350,000 rixdollars, or 70,000l.; and in 1769, even 79,000l.; at present they feldom yield above from 44,000l. to 50,000l. Former- ly above 4000 men were necessary for working the mines, smelting and preparing the ore; but a few years ago 2400 miners were removed to the cobalt works lately established at Folium, and to other mines; and the number is now reduced to 2500. By these and other reductions, the expense, which was before estimated at 5760l. per month, now amounts to only 4400l. or about 52,800l. per annum. Yet even with this diminution the expenses generally equal, and some- times exceed the profits. Government, therefore, draws no other advantages from these mines, than by giving employment to so many persons, who would otherwise be incapable of gaining their livelihood, and by re- ceiving a certain quantity of specie, which is much wanted in the present exhausted state of the finances in Denmark. For such is the deficiency of specie, that even at Kongfsberg itself change for a bank note is with difficulty obtained. The miners are paid in small bank notes, and the whole expenses are defrayed in paper currency. The value of 13,000 rixdollars, or 2000l. in block silver is annually sent to Copenhagen; the remainder of the ore is coined in the mint at Kongfsberg, and transferred to Copenhagen. The largest piece of money now struck at Kongfsberg is only eight shillings or fourpence.