Norway and her Laplanders in 1841: with a few hints to the salmon fisher

Front matter

NORWAY, AND HER LAPLANDERS, in 1841. London : rrinted by A. Spottiswoode, New- Street-Square. NORWAY, AND HER LAPLANDERS, in 1841: WITH A FEW HINTS TO THE SALMON FISHER. BY JOHN MILFORD, st. John's college, Cambridge ; AUTHOR OF " OBSERVATIONS ON ITALY," " TENINSULAR SKETCHES," ETC. 11 Of hill and valley, rivers, woods and plains : Now land, now sea, and shores with forests crown'd. Rocks, dens, and caves !" — Milton, B. xi. 1. 110. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. MDCCCXLII- TO WILLIAM NATION, ESQ., THESE PAGES AHE DEDICATED, WITH EVERY FEELING OF REGARD AND ESTEEM, BY HIS OLD FRIEND AND FELLOW COLLEGIAN, JOHN MILFORD. Coaver, Exeter, Aug. 1842. CONTENTS. .

Chapter I

Introduction. — Leave Hull. — Sea-sickness. — Lighthouse. — Rocky coast. — Arrive at Christiansand. — Mr. Peter Frellsen. — Appearance of the streets. — Honesty of the Norwegians. — Wooden houses. — Commodious inn. — Mr. Murch the English consul. — Desolate appearance of the streets — Theatre. — Shakspere in Norway. — Start for Vigeland Companions. — Our equipages. — Beautiful scenery. — Wild fruits. —The Hel Foss. — Timber floats. — Hay-making. — Anti-teetotalists. — Vigeland. — Unsuccessful fishing. — Salmon traps. — Vinesland. — Peasant's hut. — Luxurious dinner. * — Saw mills at Vigeland. — Norwegian hospitality. — Snow-ploughs. — Mode of clearing the roads. — Return to Christiansand. Page 1

Chapter II

Start for Christiania. — Steam-boat. — Lillesand. — Grimstad. — Accident to an English angler. — Arendal. — Calamitous fire. — Romantic scenery. — Oster Risoer. — Juvenile sailors. — Kragerve. — Narrow* channel. — A finish. — Norwegian nobles. A vm CONTENTS. — Baron Vedel. — Fredericksvarn. — Naval school — Laurwig. — Lobsters. — Sannesund. — Large village. — Saltworks at Vallen. — Steam-boat travellers. — Sporting agent. — Norwegian hawks. — Mode of capturing them. — Hawking club in Holland. — Arrive at Christiania. — Large trade in deals. — University. — Appearance of the town. — Palace of the Crown Prince. — Tardy supplies. — Table d'hote. — Wood the staple produce of Norway. — Skill of the native carpenters. — Effects of the new tariff. — Hardiness of the pine. — Majestic foliage. Page 14

Chapter III

Start for Tronjeim. — Our carrioles. — Posting in Norway. — Necessity of an avant-courier. — Force of finkel. — Norse ponies. — French barouche. — Lake Myosen. — High state of cultivation in the province of Aggerhuus. — Rapidity of vegetation. — River Laur. — Sylvan scenery. — Malthus. — Strength of the country for defence. — Kringelen defile. — - Destruction of Colonel Sinclair and 900 Scots. — Cruel perfidy. — Norwegian post-houses. — Difficulty of obtaining provisions Supposed pleasures of " roughing it." — Change of carriages. — Dangerous roads. — Narrow escape. — Largaard. — The Viceroy of Norway. — Mountain pass. — Polite beggar-boy Reach Jerkin. — Change of climate. — Abundance of game. — Height of the mountains. — A hilly stage to Konsvold. — Slow work with the barouche. — Golden plovers. — Inns. — Iron, copper, and silver mines. Page CONTENTS. IX

Chapter IV

Lower classes of the Norwegians. — Hideous old women. — Hay and corn harvests. — Native dress. — Extreme heat. — Delays in posting. — Value of hay. — Substitute for it. — Steinberg. — View of Tronjeim. — Arrival in the capital. — The cathedral. — Its destruction by fire. — Saxon, Norman, and Moorish architecture. — St. Olaus. — His wise government. — Endeavours to convert his people. — Their rebellion. — His martyrdom — And burial. — His shrine plundered by the Danes. — Loss of the booty. — Service in the cathedral. — Popery and Lutheranism. — Thorvaldsen's statue of Christ. — Bishop Pontoppidan. — Population of Tronjeim. — Its buildings. — Extensive fire. — Difficulty of obtaining lodgings. — Mr. Knudtzon. — Valley of Lerdal. — Gammel* orse cheese Furs. — Advantage of acquaintance with the language Leave Tronjeiui for the Namsen. — Difficulty of travelling. — Arrive at Ekker. — The Namsen. — Successful fishing. — A poacher. — The cobbes. — Mr. Belton's work on Norway. Page 50

Chapter V

Ekker. — Village church. — Services. — Bossuet. — Free-will offerings. — Income ofthe clergyman. — The sabbath in Noway. — Dancing. — The Norwegian females. — A day's shooting. — Scarcity of game. — A mountain dairy. — A handsome shepherdess. — Virtue ofthe Norwegians. — Our houshold. — Provisions. — The moltebeer. — Private distillation allowed by the government. — Its ill effects. — Expences of living Looms. — Manu- X CONTENTS. factures of the country. — A Lapp girl. — Skins Government reward for killing bears and wolves. — Attacks of a bear on the herds. — Expedition against the offender. — Failure, and narrow escape of the assailants. — Anecdote of a bear-hunt. — Beasts of prey. — Destroyed by traps. — The bear killer. Page 74

Chapter VI

Salmon fishing in the Namsen. — Lateness of our arrival. — Superiority of the Namsen over the Scotch and Irish salmon streams. — Method of fishing. — The Fiskum Foss. — Excitement of the sport. — Boatmen. — The fishing stations. — Rapid increase of anglers. — Destruction of the fishing in the Namsen. — New rivers. — Tackle. — Flies. — Necessaries. — Fishing season. — Birds. — Their scarceness in Norway. — The alk. — Wild fruits. — Unpleasant adventure. — Law in Norway. A lawyer's bill. — A Norwegian landowner. — Malthus on Norway. — The soil and climate. — Succession to property. — Pasture lands.— Dearness of hay. Page 92

Chapter VII

Character of the Norwegians Influenced by the climate and scenery around them — Bishop Pontoppidan. — National costume. — La mode de Paris. — Love of dancing among the Norwegians. The gay world A ball. — Unshod figurantes. — The waltz. — Hand-shaking. — Finkel Houses in Norway. — Skill of the natives in carpentering. House at Ekker. — Noise. — Incessant singing. Norwegian native music. — Looms. — Seasons CONTENTS. V Continual intrusion of the Norwegian ladies. — Their curiosity. — Their modesty. — A Lapp. — His costume. — His dog. Page 111

Chapter VIII

Start in search of the Lapps. — Our cavalcade. — Difficult route. — The crops. — Fiskum. — A family circle. — The schoolmaster abroad. — A drunken guide. — Halt for the night. — Magnificent cascade. — Fatal accident. — Grouse. — Wasps' nest. — Halt at Tracken. — Cradle. — Forest roads. — Lapp's hut. — A mishap. — Severe illness. — Jersviken. — Halt for the night. — Curiosity of our hostess. — Signs of the Lapps. — Rorvigen. — Wooden church. Half-yearly services. — Funerals. — Halt. — Bark bread. — Von Buch. — Pontoppidan. — Our host. — Scarceness of soap. — Fox-skins. — Return of our guides. — Near approach to the Lapps. Page 135

Chapter IX

Bad weather. — Lake Limingen. — Scatter hut. — Our guide. — Arrival at a Lapp encampment. — Kind reception. — Lapp tent. — Its contents. — Peter Johansen and family. — A young herdsman. — Reindeer milk. — Venison. — Costume of the ladies. — Lucifer matches. — Finkel. — Habits of the Lapps. — Religious observances. — A night among the Lapps. — Close-packing. — The rein-deer. — Milking. — Leave-taking. — The origin of these children of the mountain. — Their wandering lives. — The moss Its great utility. — The Lapland breed of dogs. — Anecdote. — Von Buch. — The reindeer. — Hospitality of the Lapps.— Von Buch's opinion of MI CONTENTS. them. — Care taken of his reindeer and dogs by the Laplander. — Migrations ofthe Lapps. Page 157

Chapter X

Lake Limingen. — Change of weather. — Narrow escape. — Return to Ekker. — Granite road. — Bivouac. — Troness. — Exorbitant charges. — Honesty of our host. — Englishmen fleeced everywhere. — Troubles of posting in Norway. — Arrive at Ekker. — Tronjeim. — Cathedral. — Christenings. — Hospitality A social priest. — Sunday in Norway. — Lutheran Sabbath. — Madame Hombert. — Environs of Tronjeim Start for Christiansand. — Magnificent scenery. — Island of Heteren Christiansand. — Peasants. — Molde. — Barren country. — Aalesund. — Native simplicity. — Rocky coast. — Fellow passengers. — Wild fowl. — Eider duck Rough weather. — Arrive off Bergen. Page 177

Chapter XI

Superstitions of the Norwegian fishermen. — Bishop Pontoppidan. — His credulity. — His account of the ' sea monsters.' — The merman, his wife and family. — The kraken. — The sea serpent. — Its mode of attacking boats. — Means of eluding its pursuit. — Dimensions ofthe kraken. — A Norwegian priest — His duties and emoluments. — National airs. — Chorus. — Delay in steam-boats. — Bergen Its situation. — Trade in cod fish.— Its houses. — Shops. — An ancient ' Charley.' — Marquis of Waterford. — Cod fishery. — Herrings. — Governors of Bergen. — Their salaries. — Constitution of Norway. — The storthing or national assembly. — Its democratic CONTENTS. X1U tendency. — Its defective machinery. — The royal prerogative. — The system of representation ill de vised. • — Its probable failure in times of difficulty. Page 190

Chapter XII

A country house. — Mr. Carl Konows. — Trade. — Taxes. — Cathedral Sunday Negligence in the observance of the day. — The castle. — A balloon. — Theatres of the town of Bergen. — Costumes. — Quit Bergen. — Scenery. — Stavanger. — Cathedral. The southern extremity of Norway. — Gammel Norge. — The west coast of Norway. — Fellow passengers. — Character of the country. — Revenue. — Poor quality of the soil. — Forests. — Jealousy between Sweden and Norway. — Revenue of Norway. — Its poverty. — Vast property of the king. — Vicissitudes of his life. — The crown prince. — Scenery of Norway. — Manners of its inhabitants. — Christiansand. — The bishop. — Incomes of the clergy. — Their limited numbers, — and consequent onerous duties Jews. — Novel boat. — Cathedral at Christiansand. — Scotch fir Church-yard. — Temperance society. — Route to and from Norway. — Danger of the steamers. — Passports. Page 211

Chapter XIII

Route to Bergen. — Picturesque and rocky scenery. — Vivid colouring of the Norway landscapes. — Burning forest. — Brooten. — Norwegian horses. — Difficulties of the route. — Glacier. — Perilous ascent. — Magnificent view. — Comfortable quarters. — Bear-skin. — Mr. Leigh. — The Sogne Fiord. — Falls Beautiful CONTENTS. scene. — Costumes. — Inn Attacked by banditti. — Bergen. — Luther and John Huss. — Museum. — Old picture. — Start for the Hardanger. — Forests. — Hurricanes. — Various modes of travelling. — Practise as a doctor. — Good intentions. — Glacier of the Folgefonde. — Ascent of the height of Har danger — Provost Hertzberg. — Singular effects of a tempest. — The Voringfoss or waterfall. — Course ofthe river. — Frail bridge. — Phosphoric appearance of the sea. — Comic Tragedy. — A wandering whale. — Whales no longer considered safe anchorage- Page 231

Chapter XIV

Mundheim. — Cairns. — Doubtful origin. — Elves. — The printer's devil. — A heavy fall. — Peasants' houses. — Love of finery. — Red deer. — Scarcity of animals in Norway. — Bils, — Adaptation in colour of the coverings of animals to their haunts. — Night attack Christiania. — Professor of Mineralogy. — A studio. — Museum. — Travellers' fare. — Hut of a jager or hunter. — The Glommen. — The Aurora Borealis. — Salmon fishing. — " Burning the water." — Costume ofthe peasants Norse weddings. — The bride's wardrobe Hereditary ornaments. — The Kors Fiord. — Detention from the weather. — Inhabitants. — Their occupation. — A bride Her dress. — Heavy metal. — Head gear. — Marriage procession. — Mermaidens. — Their nautical accomplishments. — A perilous voyage — Contrary winds. — Disasters at sea. — Rumours at Bergen. — Kind conduct of Mr. Konow. — Hospitable and simple character of the Norwegians. Page CONTENTS. XV

Chapter XV

Quit Christiansand. — The Skagerack. — Arrive at Gottenburgh. — Its houses and streets. — Trade. — Population. — Start for Copenhagen. — Elsinore. — The prison of Cronenberg. — The citadel of Frederikhaven. — Copenhagen. — Beauty and extent of its buildings. — The Amelien Platz. — Public institutions. — The academy of arts. — Works of Thorwaldsen. — His apartments. — Botanic garden. — The palace of Christiansburg. — Museum ot northern antiquities. — Picture gallery. — Museum of natural history. — The church of the Virgin. — Thorwaldsen Statues ofthe Saviour and his Apostles. — Baptismal font. - — Statues of Luther and Melancthon. — Castle of Rosenberg. — Cemetery. — The English ambassador. — Christian VIII. — His popularity. — State visit to the theatre. — His troops. — Characrt^- of the heir apparent. — Kiel Hamburg. — Review of my wanderings. — Wildness of the country. — Simplicity of the inhabitants. — Their affinity to the English. — Provision for paupers. — Pernicious effects of finkel.- Conclusion. Page NORWAY AND ITS LAPPS.

Chapter I

Introduction. — Leave Hull. — Sea-sickness. — Lighthouse. — Rocky coast. — Arrive at Christiansand. — Mr. Peter Frellsen. — Appearance ofthe streets. — Honesty of the Norwegians. — Wooden houses. — Commodious inn. — Mr. Murch the English consul. — Desolate appearance of the streets. — Theatre. — Shakspere in Norway. — Start for Vigeland. — Companions. — Our equipages. — Beautiful scenery. — Wild fruits, — The Hel Foss. — Timber floats. — Hay-making. — Anti-teetotalists, — Vigeland. — Unsuccessful fishing. — Salmon traps. — Vinesland. — Peasant's hut. — Luxurious dinner. — Saw-mills at Vigeland. — Norwegian hospitality. — Snoiv-ploughs. — Mode of clearing the roads. — Return to Christiansand. The motives which induced me to under take an excursion into Norway, the details of which are given in the following narra tive, were of a private and painful nature. h A heavy sorrow, which had preyed on mind and body, had clouded my home with recollections of unhappiness ; and I was anxious by change of scene, and the excitement of travelling, to divert my thoughts from their sad channel, and by constant exercise tore-invigorate my shattered nerves, and unstrung frame : I selected Norway as partaking more of nature fresh and unsophisticated, than those polished and luxurious countries which are more usually resorted to.

The travels of my early youth had led me towards the sunny regions of the south, to Spain, Portugal, and Italy ; I now turned towards the hardy bracing north, in the expectation of finding a per fect contrast, both in the country and its inhabitants, to all I had hitherto seen. I sought the mountain, and the cataract, the river and the fiord ; nor did I omit to take with me my fishing-tackle, hoping to find in the gentle pursuit of honest Izaac Walton additional motives for wandering through the fresh meadows, and amid those grand and lonely scenes in which I knew that Norway abounded. My son, who in a few months was to commence his career at Cambridge, was my companion. Pleasure, instruction, and health would, I felt convinced, result to him from being associated with me in this ex cursion.

We left Hull on Saturday the 24th of July, and anchored in the harbour of Chris tiansand, nearly the southernmost point of Norway, at two o'clock on the morning of Tuesday the 27th, after a passage of sixty two hours, about ten above the usual average, the wind having been unfavour able. There was not much of it until the last night, when a stiff -breeze arose, and I experienced much more of the swell of the north sea than was agreeable to so bad a sailor. I remained in my berth fifty-six hours out of the sixty-two, and scarcely took any nourishment. Sea-sickness is, however, the best of all physic for those b constitutions which have strength to endure it. The lighthouse, situated on a rock close to the water, and washed by the rolling floods of the German ocean, was dis tinctly seen for some hours before our arrival, and the first sight of it greatly rejoiced me as I lay tossing and rolling in my berth.

The land which we first made in Norway was not so bold as I had been led to expect, less grand certainly than the north of Spain, where the Gallician mountains, like dark clouds, bound the horizon. The coast was, however, strikingly beautiful, being indented with bays, and fringed with small rocky islands, and was picturesque, although bare of vegetation. We could not have beheld this coast at a more favour able moment than during that twilight which immediately precedes sunrise. It was as clear as mid-day, without any glare, soft and beautiful, leaving such an impres sion on the mind as can never be effaced. Till you immediately come upon it, Chris tiansand is concealed from the A'iew by a projecting rock. Shortly after entering the fiord (frith or loch) the water becomes quite smooth and glassy.

The land-locked harbour in front of the town, which is sur rounded by hills partially covered with pines and stunted birch trees, has a very pleas ing appearance. We rowed on shore, and had no sooner set foot upon land before Mr. Peter Frellsen, the landlord of the inn to which we had been recommended, shook us cordially by the hand, and bade us wel come to old Norway (Gammel Norge). As we walked to the inn through the wide and ill-paved streets we were struck at observing many of the windows of the ground-floor wide open, as they had evi dently been all night, and close to one of them was a writing-desk and several smaller articles, which could with perfect ease have been taken away by any person passing by ; a strong proof of that honesty for which the Norwegians are so remarkable. Several magpies were flying about, and settling on the roofs of the houses, as tame b and impudent as a smoked London sparrow.

These birds are respected here, as the stork is in catholic countries. The houses are built entirely of wood, except that in some cases the foundation is of stone ; and most of them have a neat appearance, being kept clean, and well painted : this is the case particularly with the custom house and other public buildings. The accommodations we found at the inn were very tolerable, the proprietor having been in England, and consequently acquainted with the tastes of our country men. He is an obliging and respectable old man, although the charges upon our first landing were higher than we expect to find them as we advance into the interior. We paid our respects to the Enghsh con sul, Mr. Murch, an old Norwegian, who spoke our language well, although it was fifty years since he had been in Great Britain.

The streets of Christiansand run at right angles to each other ; they are of immense length, in consequence of the numerous gardens which intervene between the houses, and have a desolate appearance, few pedes trians being seen, and never more than one or two carrioles, drawn by one horse, passing at the same time. In short, I should say this must be a dull town, although the inhabitants have a theatre to enliven them, in which a company of Danish actors were now playing one of our immortal Shakspere's tragedies, translated into Norse. On Wednesday, 28th July, we set out at nine for Vigeland, a distance often miles (English), in the hope of getting a little fishing, as the steamer does not start for Christiania till the 30th. Our two country men, Captain L and Mr. Charles R , who had been our fellow-passengers from Hull, accompanied us.

We travelled in two carrioles, drawn by excellent cream coloured Norse ponies. The man sat b behind, whilst I drove, armed with an English whip. Our friends at home would have been amused at the appearance of our rude equipages. There is a finely wooded pass along the side of the river ; the rocks are clothed with Scotch fir (pinus sylvestris), and every now and then bold masses of granite appear through the foliage, with occasional farm-houses, meadows, and plantations of oak, ash, poplar, willow, alder, and birch on all sides. The wild plants by the side of the road were most of them of the same classes as those in England ; and amongst them were the small campanula, chickweed, millfoil, with rich patches ofthe larger species of St. John's wort. The woods were full of bilberries, wortle-berries, wild strawberries, and raspberries, all at maturity.

Finding the weather too bright for fishing in the middle of the day, we strolled for two miles to the Hel Foss*, a boiling * Waterfall, abyss, where we first saw the timber de scending the rapids. A few yards below the fall the river was blocked up by a quantity of timber, under which, however, a passage was kept by the stream. It was curious to watch a tree float gradually down the river, descend the tremendous foss, dive under the obstruction, and come out on the other side. Men have to get from the banks upon those floating trees, in order to clear the channel, and send the timber to its destination. To accomplish this they clamber down naked and almost perpendicular rocks, and are provided with a long pole with a spike at one end of it. The peasantry were busily engaged in saving their hay, and during the heat of the mid-day sun I saw no less than twenty females enter the house of their employer, who, by way of restorative, gave each of them a glass of finkel*, and this, which is repeated in the evening, he informed me, * Spirit distilled from corn and potatoes. they prefer to every thing else.

As we proceeded on our journey, I afterwards saw the manufacture of this liquid fire at several of the post-houses where we changed horses. We slept at Vigeland, in a small cottage, and were lulled to sleep by the noise of the neighbouring waterfall. Rising the next morning at half past three, we fished for some hours before breakfast, but there was some thing ungenial in the weather, and from this or from some other cause the salmon would not rise ; neither do I believe the fishing here to be very good, as the pool does not extend for more than a quarter of a mile, and the river is netted every even ing. The salmon, when taken, are put into a trap, and kept ready for sale. Eighty pounds were sent from hence to Christian sand on the day of our arrival. My son killed one salmon of four pounds, and missed a much heavier fish, from being a tyro in the art, and striking too hard, in consequence of which he lost his fly and part of his line ; he also took a trout of a pound and a half.

I was less fortunate, and could only boast of a rise from one salmon. I however killed a few small trout in a lake formed by the river Ottran, upon which we rowed for a couple of hours. These fish are of the same dark colour as the water. At one extremity of this lake is another small village, called Vinesland, with a diminitive wooden church. We entered the wretched dwelling of one of the peasants, from whence the smoke was escaping through a large chimney at the top. We returned to Vigeland, and dined on a good-sized and well-flavoured trout. The rye-bread was so sour that I could not eat it, but the coffee and eggs, with the wild strawberries, raspberries, and cream, were delicious. The property at Vigeland belongs to a company, who have here several saw-mills. The wheel which moves the saw is of course turned by water, and the apparatus is very simple ; there are six double and two single wheels, and twenty-two saws altogether.

When any timber is wanted, the agent writes up the country for it, and in the course of a week it is floated down the river, with the owner's mark'upon it. It is stopped close to the mill, where it is placed on wheels, and pushed up to the saws ; the two sides are first cut off, so as to form a slab of the tree; this is then cut into planks, which are sent down an inclined plane, and at the bottom, either arranged, and exposed to the wind, or sent floating down the stream to another station : all the outside slices are thrown away. The agent, who resided on the spot, spoke English, and the civility ofthe female who had the management of the household affairs was very striking. Here we had the first instance of Norwegian hospitality, for aster we had all partaken plentifully of the good things I have enumerated, the worthy lady refused to accept any remuneration whatever.

We, however, at length insisted upon her taking a small coin of the value of a shilling from each of us, for which she was very grateful. Her sister was remarkable for the beauty both of lier face and figure, and would have been considered a fine woman in any country. This day we met with masses ofthe spruce (pinus abies) fir, which we had not seen before, and also observed by the side ofthe road several wooden milestones and snow-ploughs. The latter are made of boards, and form a triangle, with wdiich the snow is cleared away in winter; each farmer having charge of a certain portion of road, and being bound to keep open the communication. In the evening we returned to Christian sand by water, having hired a boat for the purpose. We performed the distance in about two hours, although the river was in some parts so full of floating timber as greatly to impede our passage.

Chapter II

Start for Christiania. — Steam-boat. — Lillesand. — Grimstad. — Accident to an English angler. — Arendal. — Calamitous fire. — Romantic scenery. — Oster Risoer. — Juvenile sailors. — Kragerve. — Narrow channel. — A finish. — Norwegian nobles. — Baron Vedel. — Frederichsvarn. — Naval school. — Laurwig. — Lobsters. — Sannesund. — Large village. — Saltworks at Vallen. — Steam-boat travellers. — Sporting agent. — Norwegian hawks. — Mode qf capturing them. — Hawking club in Holland. — Arrive at Christiania. — Large trade in deals. — University. — Appearance ofthe town. — Palace of the Crown Prince. — Tardy supplies. — Table d'hote. — Wood the staple produce of Norway. — Skill ofthe native carpenters. Effects of the new tariff. — Hardiness of the pine. — Majestic foliage. On Friday the 30th July we lest Christian sand for Christiania in a well-appointed steamer, the Constitucion.

Every thing on board was admirably arranged and beautifully clean, the wines, Sauterne and St. Julien, 2s. 6d. a bottle, were excellent, the dinner well dressed in the French style, and the captain speaking that language. Soon after starting, as we were passing close along the coast, I saw a seal, which I took for a porpoise, until it lifted its dog like head above the water. This is a very intricate navigation. We had a Swedish pilot on board, and sailed between nume rous islands, with sunken rocks on each side of us, over which the sea was breaking. The steamer calls at a number of small places for passengers, and anchors in some snug harbour every night. You can sleep either on board or on shore. The first place at which we stopped was Lillesand, which stands in a creek sheltered from every wind.

There were two or three trading vessels at anchor. On several ofthe rocks by which we passed I remarked a few small cottages, and every now and then a patch of vegetation. These steamers, so convenient for the tourist, were established thirteen years since. They only run during the summer months, and I was informed that they do not as yet answer. The charge for each person from Christiansand to Christiania is about thirty shillings ; this includes his luggage, but not his provisions.* You may now go from Hamburgh almost to the icy cape, at least as far as Hammerfest, by steam. Grimstad, with its snug little harbour, containing a few small craft, was the second village at which we called. Brooms appear just above the water to point out the zigzag course the vessel must pursue, in order to avoid the many Scyllas and Charybdisses in her way.

About a fortnight ago, an English gentle man named L s, killed thirty-seven salmon in one day, at a place about ten miles from Christiansand, belonging to a * A parent and child only pay one and a half fare by this steamer. In many parts of Norway they have this custom of charging two or more members of the same family less than the same number of other per sons ; thus, two pay for one and a half, four for three, and so on. lady, the niece of the English consul, who only gives permission to fish to persons particularly introduced to her. Mr. L having hooked a large salmon, in playing him unfortunately fell over a rock, and dislocated his shoulder, and was compelled in consequence of the accident to return by the steamer to England. Arendal is the largest and prettiest town we halted at, and here many of our passengers landed.

The arrival of the steamer caused much activity, and well-dressed females were seen at every window. There is some little trade at this place, there being iron mines in its neighbourhood. A year since Arendal was much injured by fire, one half of the town being consumed, but it is already rebuilt. It contains several large houses, one in particular, belonging to a gentleman who has also a pretty country seat at the entrance of the harbour. The theatre (for this seems to be considered as a necessary appendage to most towns in Norway) is a prominent wooden building c close to the quay, with a figure of one of the muses over the fi^ade. On leaving Arendal our course for seven miles was up a kind of lake, with well wooded and rocky islands on each side. Some of the country houses belonging to the inhabitants of the town are beautifully situated.