Fasciculus:Town of Mos (JW Edy plate 66).jpg

This view was taken near a favourite cottage retreat, built by the late honourable B. Anker, on the isthmus called Ielon, from which the town of Mos, and his extensive iron-works are to be seen. This town which is very neat and rather extensive, has an elegant church, some very good houses, and is as pleasantly situated as any town in Norway. It is about 60 miles south of Christiania. The bay is prodigiously fine and very capacious, having at all times sufficient depth of water to float ships close to the wharfs, with the peculiar advantage of being never frozen in the hardest winters, from which it claims a preeminence over most others in Norway. A small river from a chain of lakes above, rushes over some rocks at the bridge, forming a beautiful cascade, which distributes its waters to thirty saw-mills between it and the bay; it is seen between the trees in the picture, with the bridge over it, near a mansion belonging to the Ankers, from whence the great iron-work extends to the verge of the water. The numerous saw-mills, and the ships, have attracted a busy and active population to Mos ; the capacious furnace and forges furnish annually some thousands of tons of excellent iron, which being manufactured into cannons, anchors, chains, and other large works, occasions a vast consumption of charcoal, the conveyance of which may be traced by the black complexion of the roads for miles around. The water of this river is greatly esteemed for dying scarlet cloth. The cottage on the foreground is constructed of wood ; by its side is a small murmuring rill; it has a small garden, and near it a farm surrounded with corn-fields and excellent cultivated land. The inhabitants of the town take great pleasure in conducting strangers to this place, to enjoy the beauties of its prospects, and the fine walks and rides through the woods and groves in its vicinity, which are well stocked with game. There are many natural vistas, in which it is very pleasing to observe between the bold projecting hills covered from their summits to the water's edge with dark evergreens, the ships on the bay passing in full sail. The large peninsula of lelon, is joined to Mos, by a long slip or sand, only a few yards broad, which divides the bay from the Fiord below. A little labour would effect a passage for ships through it, over which might be thrown a swinging bridge, to admit carriages, and the harbour would thus be made the mostcomplete in Nor way. The trade in timber would be considerably benefited by the improvement, particularly in hard winters when other ports are frozen. It is said that the Christianians are extremely jealous of the adoption of such a measure, fearing it might eventually injure their interests, if not ruin them.