The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-10-10 00:00:00

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TONN!NGE%.

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A COMMERCIAL ACCOUNT OF THE FORT OF

TONNINGEM.

Niemann, in his Maqael of Me Geerraphy qf Sirs-
liti/steut. recites what has been commensortsted
by his predecessors, relative to Tonningen, which he
continues down to the year 1799. Some latter ac-
counts are to be found in the same author's Provin-
cial Notices.

A few years ago, a narration of travels through
various parts of that Duchy, was published in the
Danish language; I believe the author's name was
Wedel • but I do not remember that it contains any
material addition to what had been said by Niemann,
one has any account.of Tonningen, since the block-
ade of the Elbe, fallen in my way, or in that of any
of my friends there, except t pifture of Tonningen in
The Journal qf the% Elegant World, for the 12th of Ja-
nuary, 1805. But a mere piclure does not answer
the purpose I have in view. Fite following particu-
lars were collected daring a residence there in April
last, 1805.

The proper name of this place in German, is now
Tonning. In more remote periods, it was called
Tonningen; and so it is still named by foreign na-
tions; but in Germany and Denmark this denomi-
nation is considered improper.
The name of Tonninges -is generally supposed to
be derived from Tense; but, for this etymon no one
can assign a sufficient reason ; probably, however,
this word alludes to the tome, ur buoys, with which
the place is amply provided.
Tonniogen, the capital of the province of Eider-
stedt,is sizuatod on the right bank of the river Eider,
six German miles from its mouth. It cannot be said
to stand on a hill, as Niemann asserts: some of the
houses indeed are built upon the dyke, but the rest
occupy a tit marshy plain. It is two German
miles from Husnm, one and a half horn Fridrichs-
stadt, and one from Garding.
It possesses neither any beautiful spots, nor even a
Promenade. The small Castle-square is rarely vi-
sited by the principal inhabitants, the naked banks
of the river oiler no interesting prospetts, nor can the
eye find any objed of anuiserhent to pause on, ex-
cept the various arid ever-changing scenery of the
shipping. .
The atmosphere is humid, cold, and very incon-
stant; fresh sea-breeze/, however, prevent many
disorders, but the nights are raw, and a ple.tsant
summer evening a rarity.
Colds, and other disorders arising from them, are
very prevalent; hut, except these, there are few in-
stances of strangers who continue to reside here any
length of time, being ill. It is otherwise in the sur-
rounding country, which is subjeft to the fatal marsh
sickness, as it is called, or the intermittent fever.—
To sech complaints persons are liable, who come
fronst he high-lands to work at harvest in the marshes.
These hungry strangers generally feast voraciously
on the substantial and heavy food of the low-lands,
and to this caese the above-mentioned disorders are
attributed. They are, however, very rare.
The water for drinking is very bad, nor are there
any springs in these marshy vats. Rain-wat.r,
however, ss collected in cisterns, by almost all the in-
habitants, from the roofs of their houses.

On the 13th of Frbrnary, 1803. when the last
census was taken, the population amounted to 1924,
but since the blockade of the Elbe, the number has
increased tr• at least 4,000.

What Tonningen was, previous to the blockade
of the Elbe, or up to the summer of 1803, may be
sevn in the writers above-mentioned. Almost the
whole of what follows is to be uadastood as subse-
quent to that period. . _

Niemann says, the river is one hundred and fifty
feet broad at 'ronningen ; but this must be an error
of the press ; the true breadth appears to be about
as many fathoms.

The Eider is well furnished with Woo nd bea-
cons, and, except when the ice or heavy storms pre-
vent, several pilot boats are constantly cruising near
its mouth, to bring in such ships as have no Helga.
land pilots on board. The Danish Government
have it in agitation to keep a galiot of pilots (which
is also to be fitted as a beacon-ship) lying before the
mouth of the river. Mr. Lexow, the ship-builder,
has already, at their request, sent in a plan and sec-
tion for the purpose. If this prole-E& b completrd,
of which no one entertains a doubt, it will be of the
highest utility to commerce.
In former years, ships drawing nineteen feet water,
have come here without impediment ; but there are
banks is the Eider, which render it imprudent for
ships so deeply laden to sail up that river. Neither
is the bottom permanent; for, as it-consists partly of
quicksands, it frequently shifts in consequence of
storms, or the breaking up of the ice.
The harbour might have been called spacious, till
the year 1805; but, subsequent to that period, it
can no longer be so charatterised. Since the block-
ade of the Elbe. no -slip that draws more than tea
feet water is suffered to enter the harbour, to avoid
impeding the passage. Larger ships are obliged to
Be at anchor off shore in winter, and in the river in
summer.
The roid is perfectly secure. Formerly small
vessels, during a continuance of storms from the
westward, went half a mile up ; but now large ships
he in periett security in the river, and are not oblig-
ed to run up so high.
All ships are, if possible, unloaded immediately
after their arrival; bat, as it sometimes happens that
too many arrive together, for the custom-house of-
ficers to dispatch at once, the unloading of some of
them is necessarily postponed for a few days. In
these cases, ships loaded with fruit or bringing ma-
nufaanred goods for the furs, have the preference.
In the harbour, order is preserved by an officer
called the flarbiyur-Master, and in the river by the
Commandant of the Guard-Ship, which hu been
stationed here since last rear.
Even were the waricaphtt (the passage of goods
coastwise, to Harnliurg over the Shallows, in small
vessels) not permitted, there could never come any
quantity of merchandise, but what might be present-
ly forwarded ; for there are many good landing
places on the Eider above Tonr.ingen, to which they
_
Ght
nveyeil,