File:Sinly Lake (JW Edy plate 15).jpg

This is one of the most beautiful lakes in Norway. It contains a number of floating islands, which perpetually shift their stations with strong winds. They appear like a raft composed of trees of different sizes, and lying in every direction, firmly entangled together by their branches and roots as well as some long rank grass. The age of these islands is unknown, and it is impossible to advance any decided opinion relative to their formation. Pontoppidan, in his Natural History of Norway, chap. 111., sect. 12, and page 92, indeed tells us that "in some of the lakes are also floating islands or parcels of land about 30 or 40 ells in length with trees growing on them, which having been separated from the main land, are driven about as the wind sets, and when close to the shore are shoved off with a pole. They are said to grow, as it were, by the accession of reeds, grass, weeds, and the like substances. Both the Plinys, especially the younger, mention the like curiosities in Italy, which Kircher has also thought worth notice, in his Mundus Subterraneus, lib. v. cap 2, particularly the floating islands on the Lake di Bagni, or Solfatara, four miles from Tivoli; and in my opinion, they are not different from those which I have several times seen in this country, particularly in 1749, on my return from Christiania, when the rams had swelled the river near Nidsund to such a degree, that it overflowed a considerable tract on both sides of the valley, rising above the tops of the middling trees, and carrying away great quantities of earth and wood, some of which floated along side of my boat."

But without intending to attach any discredit to the above account, it cannot admit of a doubt, that much of what is said in histories on the subject of floating islands, is either false, or founded on exaggeration. T am inclined to think, that a floating island is generally no more than the concretion of the lighter and more viscous matter floating on the surface of water in cakes, and with the roots of plants, forming congeries of different sizes, which not being fixed to the shore in any part, are blown about by the winds, and float on the surface. The existence of the floating islands in Lake Sinli must, however, be considered as a very apt illustration of what Seneca, the Plinys, Pomponius and Herodotus have advanced upon the subject.

The inhabitants of this and other parts contiguous to the sea, differ widely, in many respects, from those of the upland; they are less hardy, and live better, at least when they have it in their power. Milk-diet is not so common among them, but their corn is better, and the sea constantly supplies them with excellent fish. They wear better and more clothes, their jackets being often made of good cloth. They are tolerably clean in their linen, especially on Sundays; and their houses, beds, and other furniture evince a degree of neatness not to be found among the inhabitants of the mountainous parts of the country, whom they also surpass in manners. Women and single men are rather showy in their attire, especially when they meet at church or in other places. Sometimes indeed, the older branches of families must suffer for the extravagance of the younger ones in respect of dress. At weddings they furnish better eatables and drinkables than the inhabitants of the upland, and, upon the whole, treat their guests rather in the manner of tradespeople. Their conversation turns upon seafaring people, their own observations while abroad, fisheries, agriculture, and even on the conduct of their superiors.

The condition of the common people on the coast is tolerable, when the price of grain is not exorbitant. They are allowed themselves to purchase grain on board the Danish vessels, but ready money being always required, they are generally obliged to procure grain from the merchants, and in return allow them to mark timber, to be felled for their benefit. Those peasants therefore who possess no woods are frequently embarrassed for grain, which does not generally constitute an article of trade among the merchants of this part of Norway. The condition of the peasantry is moreover greatly deteriorated by the practices of unlicensed hawkers.

But of all the evils under which the common people suffer, the total absence, or at least, a most precarious administration of relief in cases of illness, is particularly to be regretted. In fact, the thinness of population scattered over an extensive tract of country, puts it altogether out of human power, especially on an emergency, to afford medical aid of a proper kind. The natural consequences of this may be readily imagined. Old women and itinerant quacks are chiefly entrusted with the lives of the common people, and generally possess their confidence in a degree which is seldom, if ever, obtained by the skill, learning, humanity or activity of a regularly bred physician. The most common diseases are dysentery, colds, putrid fever, and more particularly Radesyge sibens, or sivens. In ancient times frequent mention is made of leprosy, which proceeded from thickness of blood, occasioned by an immoderate use of fish and salt meat. According to description, leprosy bore a resemblance to the Elephantiasis of the Egyptians, which appears to be like the sivens. The sivens is said to have been introduced into Norway by foreign seamen, and to originate in lues venerea. Being propagated through generations, and combined with scabies maligna et ulcera scorbutica, it is difficult to be cured, and still more difficult to be extirpated, more particularly while the common people persist in an inordinate use of sour and salt victuals accompanied with immoderate libations of gin. The progress of the sivens is likewise greatly promoted by the filthiness of the inhahitants in their linen, clothes and dwellings, and by their culpability in concealing the disease, which might easily admit of a cure, if proper remedies were instantly adopted : the sivens is by some asserted to be peculiar to Norway; but be that as it may, it is a most dreadful disorder, and demands all the care and vigilance which can possibly be exercised. Government has lately directed Professor Horn of Tonsberg to apply his sole attention to the extermination of the sivens, and his exertions have been attended with great success.

That able and learned physician Dr. I. Moeller, of Porsgrund, in Norway, gives the following account of the Radesyge, in answer to some queries of Professor Hensler, of Kiel:

"I have never had an opportunity of seeing or examining the disease called Spedalskhed (leprosy), which only occurs in the province of Bergen, but I have read a manuscript account of it by Dr. Buechner. There are, in fact, two diseases, the Radesyge, and Spedalskhed, which seem to differ only in degree. For our Radesyge is seldom so severe that it can be considered as a species of lepra, but it rather approaches to the lepra græcorum, lepra herpetica, or impetigo auctorum, than to the lepra arabum.

"As the old word rade, means malignant, we have many affections which occur in all countries, and are here called Radesyge. In general, indeed, all diseases of the skin, which are somewhat obstinate, all ill-conditioned sores and eruptions, get this title. But what has rendered our Radesyge so celebrated is, in my opinion, that it is always complicated with scurvy, or is in reality a species of scurvy, for the production of which our climate is very favourable, and because it is therefore always difficult to cure."