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764 KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
very of the blues, that the officers of the royal navy poffefs prejudices which raife them
much above the profeffion of failors, and make them imagine it unneceflary to learn
the art of feamanfhip in order to prattife it, &c.”’ If this paper-ftainer had read the
ordonnances of the marine, he would have known that there are fchools eftablifhed for
the education of young people in this art; if he had been at any of the fea-ports, he
mutt have feen officers applying themfelves to the theory, and anxioufly defirous of re-
ducing this theory to practice ; if he had taken the trouble to feek for information, he
might have learnt that it is neceffary before a man can become a captain of a merchant
veflel, that he fhould have made at leaft two voyages on board of a king’s fhip, and
obtain fatisfactory credentials from his commanders ; which pre-fuppofes that it is on
board thefe veffels alone that proper difcipline, and a perfect knowledge of the neceflary
fubordination and fervice at fea, can be acquired; and that the officers in the navy are
the competent judges of the merchants’ captaias : had he failed on board veffels truly
commanded by his majefty’s officers, he would not have afirmed that “ every veffel is
obliged to ftrike when a king’s fhip orders her to do fo, by firing a gun and bringing
round the pennant to the maft, at the part it ought to be, according to the rank of the
officer commanding the king’s fhip.”” He would have known that the pennant is hoifted,
and not brought round, and that a merchant veflel is not obliged to ftrike, but to bring
to, in order to receive orders. If he had refided in a fea-port, he might have learnt the
language of a profeflion which, had he poffefled any modefty, he muft have been per-
fuaded is a neceflary acquifition to him who profeffes to give leflons ; he would have
feen how highly the Barts, the Duguai Trouins, and the Caflards are refpeéted : all
thefe great men were entitled to the {tations they held on board the king’s thips; they
had fought in defperate engagements, made many {kilful manceuvres, taken fhips of war
from the enemy ; let any one prefent himfelf after fuch ftriking recommendations, and
certainly he will be received with as much welcome as diftinftion. Notwithftanding the
officers of the royal navy are much above fuch paltry afperfions as thofe lanced from fo
palfied an arm, as that of the traveller to the Malucca iflands, I have not been able to
reftrain the firft boilings of anger which the reading of the faftidious volume of that
monk-errant occafioned me.
During the flay [ made at Berghen I founded, and caufed to be founded, the port,
the road{ted, and the neighbourhood of the town ; refpecting which I fhall fay more in
fucceffion, intending now to give a defcription of the town and territory of Berghen. I
fhall even fay fomething of Denmark, Norway, the Laplanders, the Samoiedes, and other
people of the north of this fecond kingdom, which are but little known, and of whom
many fabulous tales have been related. As I have converfed with and received my in-
formation from perfons of education who have travelled in that country, receiving from
the fountain-head my accounts, I think they will meet with eftimation.
The city of Berghen, formerly Biorginn, capital of the diocefe of that name, is the
largeft and moft confiderable trading city of Norway ; it is fituated at the bottom of a
valley, furrounded and defended by feven large mountains: its fortifications on the fea-
fide do not deferve mention. Formerly there were thirty churches and conyents in
Berghen ; at prefent there are only four parifh churches, three of which are Danifh,
and one German. ‘The churchesare built of ftone, as wellas the houfes of the noble-
men, confuls, and principal merchants. ‘The moft remarkable building is the cuftom-
houfe, at the entrance of the port. There isa Latin fchool founded in 1544, and en-
dowed by Peter the bifhop : its revenues were encreafed by Frederic Hl. and his fuccef-
fors. At this time it maintains twelve ftudents in philofophy, mathematics, hiftory, and
the French language. ‘The marine fchoot was formerly fufficiently numerous, but it is
fallen into decay.
Berghen
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