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200
THREE YEARS IN EUROPE.

forty miles long and as we came higher and higher the scene looked picturesque. On both sides the pine-covered hills were dotted with little farms and villas and patches of cultivated ground at their base, while here and there a little village or a little town slept on the margin of the waters. We passed by Oscarsburg and its little fort, and reached Christiania before 4 p. m. The "Angelo" was to start at 5 p. m. so that we had an hour's time to take a hurried drive through the capital of Norway.

Christiania is a modern town built in 1624 by Christian IV. and named after him. The older town Olso was founded by Harold Hardrada (contemporary of Harold, Christiania.the last Saxon King of England) in 1050 A.D. and became afterwards a depôt of the Hanseatic league and the capital of Norway. It was burnt down in 1567 by the inhabitants to prevent its falling into the hands of the Swedish besiegers, and was again destroyed in 1624 when this modern Christiania was founded. Norway and Sweden were always on hostile terms until the present century. From the commencement of authentic history there were continual wars between the two nations until the famous Margaret, the "Semiramis of the North" united the two countries and Denmark in 1398 A. D. by the union of Kalmar. This however was practically the subjection of Norway and Sweden under Denmark, and Sweden shook off this subjection under the famous Gustavas Vasa in 1523, i.e. 125 years after the union. Gustavas Vasa had illustrious successors