Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world: giving an account of the several religions, customs, and riches of each people; the strength and government of each polity and state; the curious and most remarkable things in every region; with other particulars necessary to the understanding history and the interests of princes. Written originally by the Sieur Duval, Geographer in Ordinary to the French King; and made English, and enlarged by Ferrand Spence.

Of Denmark.

THE Danes make the Name of their Coun∣try come from Dan, one of the Successors of Noah. They make all their Kings to descend from him to Christian the Fifth, now Reigning, Grandson of Christian the Fourth, who had the happiness to sway the Scepter above sixty Years. The King of Denmark commands Countries of vast extent, which for the most part are cold, by reason of their Situation towards the North, full of Mountains and Woods, and Ice and Snow. Of this Number are the Kingdom of Norway, Greenland, the Isles of Island and of Fero. Towards the North of America, there be some Lands which bear the Name of New-Denmark: Some Fortresses in Guinea, Kranke∣bar in Coromandel, in the East-Indies, acknow∣ledg subjection to his Majesty of Denmark. What is particularly comprehended under the Name of Denmark, is the best inhabited, the finest and the most fertile. It is an Hereditary Kingdom since the Year 1660. before, it was Elective; the Nobility being now stript of the Prerogative it formerly possessed. The King of Denmark styles himself Count of Oldembourg and Delmenhorst, as the Eighth King of that Fa∣mily, into which the Crown of Denmark came in the Year 1448. by the Election of Christian I. He is now in possession of it, and caused to be built there, in the Year 1681. a new City, with a Sea-Port, under the Name of Christiana. The Opinion of Luther is followed in Denmark since the Reign of King Frederiek, Elected in the Year 1523. There is no great Trade drove

in Denmark, but there is a fine Revenue arising from the Customs which the Merchandizes pay, that pass through the Streight of the Sound, the Key of the Baltick-Sea. This Streight is a Mile in breadth, and the Course which the Ships there steer, with the most safety and conve∣niency, is nearer Cronembourg, than Elsen∣bourg, which belongs to the Crown of Sueden. This Revenue is no longer so considerable, since the Suedes do not pay there now what they did formerly: and it would be less, if the design was brought about, that has been entertain'd, of joyning the Baltick Sea to the Elve, by the Lake of Swerin, if the transportation of Com∣modities be continued by Land from Hambourg to Lubeck, and if the Elector of Brandenbourg brings to perfection the Chanel, which he has begun at Mulras, for the transporting the Mer∣chandizes of Poland and Silesia, from the Oder into the Elve. Ships of ordinary Bulk, which take their way through the Streight of the Belt, cast Anchor before Nibourg, and there pay the Impost. This Streight is broader, but not so deep as that of the Sound, by which means the Sea is there very rough: the great Ships meet with several Islands there, and do not willingly steer their Course that way, which they take more directly and more conveniently through the Sound. The King of Denmark raises also a great Revenue from the Cattel of his Dominions, which afford 'em both very fat and in great plenty. The Germans carry away from thence every Year above fifty thousand Oxen into their own Country; Other Fo∣reigners go into Denmark to buy Horses. Such abundance is there of Deer, that three or four

hundred are sometimes killed, in one Chace alone; the Danes are us'd to salt and barrel 'em up, for the victualling, as they say, the King's Ships: the hunting of those Creatures is com∣monly perform'd in Chariots, or a sort of run∣ning Waggons, by reason these Machines do not fright away the Deer.

The Ports of Denmark are the Peninsula of Jutland, and the Islands near the Streight of the Belt: Schonen was yielded up to the Crown of Sueden by the late Treaties of Peace. Jut∣land was the abode of Cimbres, who have made Conquest in most of the Regions of Europe, and who, before they were defeated by Marius, gave furious Alarums to the Romans. There is somewhat Martial found at this day in the Da∣nish Ladies; they love Hunting, and receive at Table, rather than in their Chambers, those persons who make 'em visits.

In Jutland there be four Diocesses towards the North, Ripen, Arhusen, Alborg, Viborg; two Dutchies towards the South, Sleswick and Holstein. Those who inhabit near the Coast are at small Charges in making their Houses, for that the Wind does often carry there such drifts of Sand, as to constrain 'em to get out at the top of their Houses. Kolding is the place of Custom for the Cattel: Frederic-Ode, which is now called Frederic, for the rendring the termination of it the more different from that of Frederick-Ohrt in Holstein, is in so im∣portant a situation, that Charles Gustavus, King of Sueden, having taken it in the late Wars, had then the means of making his Army pass over the Ice, into all the Neighbouring Islands, and go give the Alarum to Copenhagen; which

was an Action as bold as that never the like was heard of; this Prince made the Cavalry march and lead the Artillery over great Arms of the Sea, where before a Man on foot would have been afraid of venturing himself: True it is, that formerly some Battels have been fought there upon the Ice, but commonly the War was made, in those Parts, by Land in Winter, and by Sea in Summer.

The Dutchy of Sleswick was the ancient abode of the English: It belongs to the Duke of Holstein, who has his Residence at Gottorp, and holds of the Crown of Denmark. The City of Sleswick has the remains of the Re-in∣trenchments which were made there, at divers times, to hinder entrance into the Peninsula. One of the late Dukes of Holstein, caused Fre∣derickstadt to be built upon the Eider, with de∣sign of setling there the Guild-Trade: He sent, in the Year 1633. for that purpose, a signal Embassie into Russia and Persia; whereof we have both a fine and an exact Relation, drawn up by Olearius, Secretary of the Embassie. Hol∣stein, otherwise Holsatia, belongs to the King of Denmark, and to the Duke of Holstein, who have hitherto done Homage for it to the Empe∣ror, as Fief of the Empire, and have had alter∣nately the administration of Justice, the Session in the Assemblies of the Empire, and in all the Rights of Regality. By the Peace of the Em∣pire with Sueden, Protection is granted the Duke against the King of Denmark, which was of no use to him in the late Wars; and he was only re-established in his Dominions by the Peace of Nimmighen. His Riches consist in the Fishery, and in the Transportation of Swine,

which are fatned in the Woods. Some Lands, in this Country, bring forth for three years together, the three years following they are covered with Water, by the means of Ponds that are made to overflow: The Principal Town is Riel, which is near the Port of Christianpreis, which was Fortified, and, near which, has lately been built the Fortress of Frederick-Ohrt.

The greatest Isles of Denmark are Zealand and Fionia. Copenhagen, in Zealand, is a Town of great Commerce, the usual abode of the King. It has a fine Castle-Royal, good Fortifications, which afforded its Inhabitants the means of re∣pulsing the Suedes in the late Wars. It has also one of the finest Arsenals of Europe, wherein is kept a Celestial Globe, of six foot Diameter, made by Tycho-Brahe, the famous Mathematici∣an, who made curious observations in the Castle of Ʋranibourg, in the Isle of Vren. Ʋranibourg is really the pleasantest Situated in the World. Besides the Prospect they have from thence, of the Royal-City, of the two Coasts of Zealand, and of Schonen, they have a full view of all the Ships which pass and repass the Sound from the one Sea to the other. Roskild is the Mausoleum of the Kings. Elsenour is near the strong Castle of Cronembourg, whose Fortifications have lately been augmented.

The Isle of Fionia is the Appennage of the Prince of Denmark. Its City of Ottensec was the place of holding the General Assemblies of the Kingdom, which, since the Year 1660. are to be held at Copenhagen.

The Isle of Bornholm was yielded to the Crown of Sueden by the last Treaty of Peace; since which, the Danes have given, in Exchange

of that Island, an equivalent, by the Propriety of several Lords in Schonen.

Norway possesses the Western part of the great Peninsula of Scandinovia, whereof Sueden makes the Eastern: A long ledg of Hills, which divide 'em into two, leaving Norway towards the Oce∣an, Sueden towards the Baltick-Sea. From hence they Transport Whale-Oyl, dry'd Fish, called Stock-Fish, abundance of Timber for the building of Ships, for the making of Masts and Sail-Yards. Its Coast, though of a vast extent, has few good Harbours, by reason of the small Islands, Rocks and Shelves, wherewith they are environed. The Gulph of Maclstroon is also said to swallow up the Ships which approach it. What is towards the Pole, is full of Forests and of Mountains, which have some Mines of Iron and of Copper. In the Year 1646. near Opslo, was a Mine of Gold discovered, which gave the Inhabitants occasion to Publish abroad, That they had the Northern-Indies; this advantage lasted but as long as the Mine, which was afterwards quickly at an end, by over-much working.

This Kingdom has five Governments, with as many Castles, Bahus, Aggerhus, Barghenhus, Dron∣them, Vardhus. That of Bahus, with a Castle of the same Name, upon a Rock, was yielded to the Suedes by the late Peace. Berghen is the best City, the Residence of the Vice-roy, with the new For∣tress Bourg, and a Sea-Port, where the Ships do easily touch, and are safe from all Winds, by the means of high Mountains wherewith it is sur∣rounded. The Merchants of the Anseatick Towns have their Magazines. Dronthem, the abode of the ancient Kings of Norway, is very much de∣cayed: It has still the Title of an Arch-Bisho p∣rick,

with the remains of one of the Finest and most Magnificent Churches in the North. Ships are secure in that Harbour, but have occasion for good Pilots to bring 'em in. The other Prin∣cipal Havens, of this Kingdom, are in the We∣stern part. In some Countries of this Region, is Bread made of the flower of Barley and Oats, which they bake between two hollow Flints; this Bread will keep, as they say, thirty or forty years. The Norwegians are little sub∣ject to discourses, of such a constitution, that when they are in a Feaver, a slice of a Gammon of Bacon does 'em more good than a new-laid Egg; the inclination of several of them to Sor∣cery, makes 'em have the reputation of selling Winds to Saylors.

Finmarck, which makes part of Lapland, ad∣vances into the cold Zone, so as the day and night last there seven Months together: The In∣habitants of this Country have nothing in pro∣perty, they accomodate themselves with the first place they like, now in one place, to morrow in another. They live on their Fishing and their Hunting, and only pay the Tribute of some Skins to the King of Denmark; they carry their Fish to sell at Berg. The Castle of Wardhus, with a Burough of three hundred Houses, the most Northern of all our Continent, is in the midst of a small Island, where it serves to exact some Customs, from those who go to Trade by the Ocean, at Arch-Angel in Muscovy. Its Port is in the Western part of the Island, which is se∣parated from the Continent by a Streight of a quarter of a League in breadth, where there is passage for Ships. Its Neighbourhood is not sub∣ject to Ice, so as are the other parts of that Sea.