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THE Kingdom of DENMARK lies East from Scotland and the North of England, at least 300 miles by Sea the nearest Parts. The same is called Denmark, or Danemark, i. e. the Country of the Danes, whose Original you shall hear of afterwards.
The best and greatest Part of it is the Pe∣ninsule called Jutland, otherwise the Cim∣brick Chersonese from its ancient Name Cim∣brica
Chersonesus. The rest does consist of Is∣lands, the principal of which are Seland and Funen.
As to the Country of Schonen, formerly part of Denmark; 'twas by the Roschild Treaty transferred to the Crown of Sweden, and incorporated with it. So that it does not belong to my Subject.
The whole Country is almost surrounded with the Sea, nothing but the South Parts of the Peninsule bordering upon any Land. The Peninsule lies Westward, and the Islands East∣ward. The Ocean goes round about that, as far as the little Belt, which parts it from Fu∣nen. Situate it is betwixt the fifty fourth and fifty ninth Degrees of Northern Latitude, and consequently altogether in the Northern Tem∣perate Zone; the Skau, or Skagen (which is the most Northern Point of Denmark) being no less than eight Degrees and a half distant from the Arctick Circle, where begins the Frigid Zone. Accordingly there the longest day is somewhat above 18 hours; and at Al∣tena, near Hamburg in the South Parts of the Chersonese, not quite 17. In short, this Country lies parallel to all that Tract of Ground which is from Hull in Yorkshire to Dornock in the furthest Parts of Scotland. At 20 Leagues, or 60 miles a Degree, the whole Length in a direct Line comes to about 80 Leagues, or 240 miles.
As the Ocean parts Denmark from Eng∣land and Scotland, so the Baltick parts it from Sweden. This is the Sinus Codanus of the An∣cients, otherwise called Mare Suevicum, and now Mare Balticum, from the name of Baltick, whereby we now call it. The Dutch call it Die Belt, or else Oost Zee, that is the East-Sea.
There are three several Passages into it from the Ocean, all of them under the Com∣mand of the King of Denmark. The gene∣ral, safest, and most usual Passage is the fa∣mous Streight called the Sound, betwixt the East parts of Seland and the West of Scho∣nen in Swethland. Which is so great a Pas∣sage, that there comes often 200, sometimes 300 Sail of Ships, in one day. The same is hardly four miles over, where it is narrowest. The second Passage, or Inlet, lyes West of that, betwixt the Isles of Seland and Fu∣nen. This is some sixteen miles over, from Korsoer to Newburg. And it is called Belt∣sound, or the Great Belt, to distinguish it from Middlefare (or the lesser) Belt. Which is the most Western and narrowest Passage, lying betwixt Funen and Jutland, not above two miles over.
From these three Streights, lying East and West, the Baltick Sea widens it self, and runs a good way East-Northward, till it divides it self into two long Gulfs, one running North, and the other East. The first of which is call∣ed
Bothn-Zee, or the Gulf of Bothnia, from a Province of that name in Sweden; and the other Finnich-Zee, or Finland-Gulf, from ano∣ther Province of that Name belonging like∣wise to Sweden, which Province separates those Gulfs from one another.
Northward, this Sea runs all along Sweden. Southward it washes part of Denmark, the North Parts of Mecklemburg and Pomeren in Germany, Curland in Poland, Livonia and Ingria both belonging to Sweden. So that it may be called the Mediterranean of the North. This Sea has no visible Tide, and swarms in many Places (especially towards the Sea Coasts) with Islets, Shelves, and Rocks, which make the Navigation in those Parts very hazardous. Most commonly in Winter-time 'tis so fro∣zen up, that the Ships are Ice-bound in their Harbours.
About the latter end of January, Anno 1658, the Cold was so intense, and so very violent beyond the memory of Man, that the Sea became a solid Bridge of Ice. Inso∣much that King Charles of Sweden, who look∣ed upon it as a singular Providence that made way to his Greatness, resolved to march out of Jutland into Funen over the Frozen Sea, against the sense of his chief Officers. A pro∣digious, but yet successful Attempt.
Not a Night passed, saith my Histo∣rian, wherein he did not send his Spies in∣to the Island, and his Scouts to discover
the firmness of the Waters. Which being at length reported to be strong enough, save only a small but long Rent of scarce five Foot broad, he gave orders to March. But first he commanded a great quantity of Planks, Posts, Hurds, and the like Materials to be brought thither and laid, to make a Bridge over the said Breach. The Ice breaking, two Troops of Waldecks Regiment fell in, and several other single Troopers were drowned. Which forced the Army to rush on with more vigour, being too far ingaged to retire, and the Danger behind them being greater than that in their Front. In short, they got to Funen, the Inhabitants whereof being thus strangely surprised made little or no Resistance.
This great Success of King Charles pre∣pared him for a second March over Sea, and the very sight of the Ice inflamed his Cou∣rage. To Seland he must go to surprise Co∣penhagen. And, though the nearest Way was over the great Belt, the Island Spro besides lying about half way; yet he thought fit to take another Course. He went from Funen to Lang∣land, and so through Laland and Falster to Seland. By which means he secured all those Islands in his way, and surprised Seland at Warimburg, where no body dreamt of his Coming. From Warimburg, with an Army
not consisting of above 7000. Horse and Foot, he made hast towards Copenhagen. Where I leave him, to proceed in my De∣scription.
By what is said, you may guess of the sharpness of the Air in Denmark. The Coun∣try being but narrow, and the several Parts of it severed from one another by the Inter∣position of the Sea, you cannot expect to hear of any great Rivers. The chief of them you may have an account of in the particular Descriptions we shall make. Mountains of any note I cannot find, in a Country for the part most plain, and little swell'd with Mountains. In North-Jutland indeed there is a very high Mountain called Alberg, in which (as the Inhabitants believe, and report accordingly) are found some Marks and Remainders of the ancient Giants.
In short, Denmark in general is a wholsom, brave, and fertile Country. It produces great plenty of Corn, and has such Pasture-Grounds for the feeding of Oxen, that (according to divers Authors) there are sent every year from hence into Germany above fifty thou∣sand Oxen. On the other side, the green Fo∣rests and Woods feed innumerable Herds of Swine; where they eat their fill of Mast and Acorns, falling from the great Oaks and Beech-trees in abundance. But, besides this vile sort of Cattel, here is likewise a prodigi∣ous
number of Horses and wild Deer, and especially Stags and Elks. Fish cannot be wanted in a Country sufficiently irrigated with Rivers, and so surrounded as it is with the Sea. But it is observable that in South-Jutland the Fields there do interchangeably yield both Fish and Corn. For once in three or four years the Natives let the Pools over∣flow the Land, for the Fish to eat up the Grass, and the Mud which is left behind to inrich the Soil. And then you may think they catch plenty of Fish.
Hist. of the late Wars in Denm. p. 6.