Three Years in Europe, 1868 to 1871/Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI.
Norway and Sweden.
Shall we not leave the crowded and dusty streets of London and travel about a little this summer? The thermometer is over 80° in the shade, and the houses are so closely packed and the rooms so small in London, there is such an absolute want of all appliances to keep off the heat, that London at 85° in the shade is more trying than Calcutta 100°. Thousands of Londoners are leaving the town for the country or the seaside, for Scotland or the Continent. The London season is over, the Academy and other annual sights have been seen, the Parliament has been prorogued, educational Institutions have been closed, the shops have nearly finished their great clearance half-price sales. On the other hand, the country is charming in its summer verdure, and shooting will shortly commence. There is a general stampede from London therefore, and by the end of July the great metropolis of England will be emptied of its "Society." It really reminds one of the annual migration of birds!
Well, we too are regular migratory birds,—myself and my two friends hailing also from India,—had we not better stretch our wings also? Shall we not make the best of our visit to Europe,—in the way of travelling? Tried travellers and true, my companions were as enthusiastic in their desire to roam in foreign climes and new scenes as need be. One of them, my brother, was an antiquarian and a poet and a traveller,—all rolled into one! He had visited every classic spot in Nothern India, from Janakpur in Nepal to the hills of Jummu and Kashmir, and had now taken a bolder flight across the seas with the same unabated rage for travelling. The other Mr. B. L. Gupta, had been my friend and companion in my first visit to Europe, we had lived and toiled and won the prize together, we had returned to India together and had worked in the same service, and now we had taken our furlough and meant to do a little globe-trotting together!
Well, then, we resolved unanimously to leave London and do a little travelling;—but, like many a meeting that comes to a unanimous resolution, we found a difficulty in carrying out the resolution. And the difficulty was this, whither shall we go?
America? It is a country well worth a visit! A vast continent, with its magnificent lakes and primeval forests, its boundless prairies and wonderful natural features, its Mississippi, its Niagra, and its young and vigorous civilization! But to see this great country to any purpose, one must study it well,—and that requires more time than we have at our disposal now. We must leave America, therefore, for a prolonged visit on some future occasion.
Shall we go to Italy or France then? Italy and the south of France are best seen in September or even in October. And we may take Austria and Germany too on our way to Italy.
Scotland we have seen. And, besides, it is invaded by shoals of cockneys about this time of the year. Even Ellen's Isle must lose much of its charm under such trying circumstances! Switzerland too we have seen. Let us try something new in its way.
And there is something quite new and attractive in its way! Cook and Son are organizing a grand tour to Christiania, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Moscow,—to the great fair of Nijni Novgorod, and on to the Volga River and the Caspian Sea,—and thence back to Constantinople, to Greece and to Italy. That surely is a wonderful programme, enough to satisfy the most inveterate traveller! To go through the remote villages in the interior of Russia, to steam down the Volga, to walk by the ancient ruins of Athens and Rome,—why, this surely would be the realization of our most cherished dreams!
And yet stop one moment. There is one serious difficulty in the way. The trip will take two months and a half, and I did not wish to leave my family by themselves in London for such a length of time. And the trip will cost each of us £134, which means two thousand Rupees at the present rate of exchange!
I was informed at Messrs Cook and Son's office that they despaired of taking out a party according to the scheme, because they could not get ten people to come forward. Six persons had come forward, and if I and my two friends joined, the party could set out at once,—otherwise the scheme must be dropped. The temptation was very great, but we resisted it. I could not possib]y join it, and so the scheme fell through.
What scheme should we adopt then? What land should we visit? The answer suggested itself as we went over the advertisement of the season. Let us go and see the Land of the Midnight Sun! Let us go and see the wild and rugged coast of Norway, the wooded moutains and magnificent valleys and picturesque fiords and the quaint old timber-built towns of that country. Let us work up our way through the rocks and islands on the west coast to the North Cape where the sun never sets beneath the horizon for over two months! We are yet in time to see the midnight sun on the 29th July. Within two or three days after that the sun will set under the horizon.
The temptation was too great to be resisted. Berths in the steamers were secured by telegram, and on the 22nd July 1886, five hour's journey by rail brought us from London to the great seaport of Hull in Yorkshire with its extensive docks and shipping. We left the Hull by the steamer "Hero" the same night, and saw the lights from the docks streaming over the waters for miles together. The next morning (23rd) we found ourselves in the open sea. The weather was fair, and the sea was not rough, and altogether the day was pleasant.
On the 24th there was a thick fog in the morning, and our steamer went half speed for nearly six hours, whistling every now and then. The weather cleared up, however, in the mid-day, and a bright sun shone above us.
In the afternoon we saw the mountains of Norway from a distance. Days became longer now as we proceeded northwards and the sun set a little before 9 p.m. On the 24th I remained on deck till 10-30 p.m. and there was light enough for one to read a book at that hour.
The next morning, 25th, we found ourselves in the quiet harbour of Allesund, a pretty little port on the western coast of Norway. We did not stop there long, and as soon as we came out to the open sea, we felt the cold north wind blowing full on us. Allesund.The wind had sprung up on the previous day and had made the sea somewhat rough, but it was much worse this morning. The sky was cloudy and the tops of the Norwegian mountains were shrouded with mist. The thermometer in the saloon stood at 58°, but it was much colder on the deck where the strong wind blowing from the Arctic seas feathered the ocean and made it uncomfortably cold. The steamer pitched and rolled a good deal, until we got behind some islands and in still water. Nearly the whole of the west coast of Norway is thus protected by innumerable rocky islands, and the water between the line of islands on one side and the main land on the other, is pretty smooth, and navigation comparatively pleasant. The rocks on both sides are quite bleak and barren, very unlike the wooded mountains in the interior, and in sheltered spots.
We reached Christiansund at about 1 p.m. The town is a quaint and picturesque place along both sides of a creek, and the houses, Christiansund.as in most Norwegian towns, are all of timber and look very clean and picturesque. The 
A Norwegian Fiord
weather continued cloudy, and we could not catch a glimpse of the sun during the whole day. Fine weather for tourists going to see the midnight sun!
In the evening we entered the Fiord of Trondjem also called Drontheim. Cloud and mist still hung on the hill-tops on both sides of us and spread like a canopy over our heads, Trondjem.and a cutting north wind still blew over the sea, accompanied by a little drizzling rain. The Fiord, like numerous other Fiords, in the west coast of Norway, runs from the sea far inland, like a long narrow lake between the mountains on either side. The Fiords are thus better protected from wind and cold than the open coast, and from excellent harbours for vessels; towns and fishing villages spring up on their shores, and there are more farms and sings of cultivation than in the open coast. We reached Trondjem after 10 p.m. and went to the steamer "Capella" destined for the North Cape. She is a fine steamer built in Bergen (in Norway) only six months ago and beautifully fitted. Starting for the North Cape.We weighed anchor soon after midnight;—midnight I can hardly call it for it was neither dark nor night! During the eight days we spent on the "Capella" in going up to the North Cape and returning, we had not a single hour of night,—it was daylight all through! And we tried to get such sleep as we could for a few hours in this daylight!
26th July. A floating tower of Babel this steamer "Capella" with about fifty or sixty tourists belonging to all nationalities of Europe! The American tourists of course predominated in number as they do everywhere, but there were English and Germans and French and Swiss and Norwegians and Swedes and Dutch and Hungarians, all bound for the North Cape to see the midnight sun! The presence of three tourists from far off India in these northern seas struck many on board. A Norwegian, who is an English consul, exchanged cards with us remarking that he had never met, and probably may never again meet people from Calcutta in his own native country!
The weather continued cloudy and misty, and a cold cutting wind blew from the Polar seas. The thermometer stood at 55°, but the open deck where the wind blew was much colder. We threaded our way the whole day through the creeks and islands which form the principal feature of this west coast. The rocks were barren and bleak, but occasionally in a sheltered spot we found traces of cultivation and isolated farm-houses. These seas are famous for cod and herring which are dried and then exported. The great season for cod-fishing is from December to March or April, while herring is caught later. Timber is the only other important article of export from Norway, and we saw numerous boats laden with timber sailing down towards Christiania and Bergen.
At 5 p.m. we reached Torghatten, which literally means a Market Hat. Torghatten.It a is rock much of the shape of an old Terai Hat, but the peculiarity about it is that there is a hollow right through it from one side to the other, so that one can see the sky on the other side from this side of the hill. We landed and walked up to the hollow. Little Norwegian girls had brought milk and a kind of fruity lemonade for sale, and we found them very refreshing after our walk.
More interesting than the "Market Hat" were the "Seven Sisters of Alsteno," which are seven high peaks in one mountain chain rising 3800 ft. from the sea. Alsteno.Patches of snow rested on these peaks and the bashful sisters were slightly veiled with mist, and looked imposing indeed from their august heights as we passed them at 11 p. m. Many humourous stories are told about them in Norway. "Between which two peaks is the distance the greatest?" You are asked. As the distances between the peaks are pretty equal you take some time to answer the question,—examining the distance between A and B, between B and C, between C and D, and so on to G. At last you guess an answer;—say, the distance between B and C. "No" the Norwegian says in reply "the greatest distance is between A and G i.e., the two peaks at the two extremes." A story is also told that these peaks were proud sisters—and they were so proud that no one could approach them or win them as brides. And so there they still remain, as very proud maidens often do, still waiting to be married.
It was nearly midnight when we went to bed and I could read the smallest type in my guide-book in the twilight! The light began to broaden into daylight soon after midnight. At 2 a.m. we passed Arctic Circle.the Arctic Circle,—and now we were in the Arctic region! "Rather a widish range" from the tropics, in the words of a fellow passenger!
27th July. "What lovely weather!" "What a fine morning!" Such were the words which resounded in our saloon on the morning of the 27th. For the clouds which had obscured the sky for three days had disappeared,—or perhaps we had passed through the cloudy zone,—and a bright sunlight streamed through the windows into our beautiful saloon. I wish I could describe in a few words our daily breakfasts and dinners in the saloon. We dined at 2 p. m. and about fifty to sixty persons from the different countries of Europe sat down together. The continental people are not so reserved and taciturn as the English, and a confused murmur of many voices rose (as at a genuine Hindu feast!) when we sat down to dinner.
To our left a group of robust Germans vociferated in right gutteral accents! In front of us two or three Frenchmen talked and talked so glibly, that all my attempt to follow them was in vain! At some distance were groups of ladies and gentlemen hailing from America, some of whom made themselves heard, and their presence felt, from one end of the room to the other! One spirited young lady hung up an American flag over the spot where she sat.
The Sheriff of London and his wife and niece were of our party; and among the other Our English friends.Englishmen who were on board there were two who were members of Parliament before the election of 1886, but both of whom had lost their seats at that election. One of them was connected with a great firm in the west of England, had made a fine country house for himself with grounds all round, and was now travelling in Norway with his wife. He took an enlightened interest in Indian matters, as many educated Englishmen are beginning to do, and we had long conversations on India which country he expects to visit shortly. The other ex-member of Parliament who was a monied man and a London banker had also studied some Indian questions.
In speaking of the Englishmen on board the "Capella" I must not forget to make some mention of a very clever and very witty and very sarcastic retired solicitor, whose conversation and spicy remarks on various matters gave us infinite amusement during the whole journey. He was a strong conservative, and had settled down in a sea-side town after retiring from his work. Among the other English passengers was an engineer from the Bombay Presidency.
Numerically the Americans were the strongest on board. The raw-boned, globe-trotting Americans with their somewhat free and easy manners and their brag about their free institutions are often ridiculed by English writers, but when one comes to know them, he takes and esteems them. There was Our American friends.one American gentleman among us who was travelling with his wife and two pretty daughters. He was thoroughly courteous and gentleman-like in his manners, had seen various parts of the world, was well read and well informed, and gave us much valuable information on various subjects. His daughters, though very young, were thoroughly up in French and German, and had been travelling and residing in those countries to perfect their knowledge of those tongues. Another American party consisted of a father and son from Chicago. The father was a Swede by birth, but had emigrated to America when young. He was from the ranks, but it is wonderful how little distinction there is in America between the different ranks in society. This grower of flowers and seeds, for such he was, was a thoroughly enlightened and well-informed man, had completed his education by travels, and his son was now in college, spoke several languages, and had vistited several countries of the world. An Indian cannot help feeling humbled when he sees the liberal system of education as it prevails in Europe and in America. While we spend the best part of our school and college days in mastering the difficulties of one European language, in Europe they learn the English, the French and the German as a matter of course, and what is of far greater importance, they perfect their education by travels.
Speaking of travelling there was one old American lady of our party who is probably the most enthusiastic traveller that I have seen. She had travelled all over Europe, even in Spain; and as she candidly said, she would feel miserable if she was not travelling, and would rather die travelling! This I think is carrying it to excess. But every educated man ought to travel to some extent if he can. Travelling opens up our mind, broadens our ideas, enlarges our sympathies, and makes us better fitted to receive new impressions and new incentives to work. For us, who are born and educated in India, it is also of incalculable advantage to see with our own eyes and to study with care the results of modern civilization in Europe and America, and to assimilate what is good in them with our own national progress. And if yet another plea for travelling was necessary, the pleasure of seeing the varied sceneries of the earth in various parts, and the interest one derives in examining the customs and manners of different races and nations would afford a sufficient plea. Why should we, by a senseless and self-imposed disability, preclude ourselves from one of the greatest sources of instruction and pleasure, when all the world around us benefits by it?
I will speak of only one more American party. It was a family party including a young lady who was the affianced bride of a young man who was also travelling with the party. The young lady was open and candid in her manners, often loud in her conversation. Judged by the English standard her ways would scarcely be styled polished, and yet I do not know why that somewhat artificial standard should be applied universally, and why people capable of more joyousness should not openly and candidly enjoy themselves in their own way. However, I am not going to set up as a writer on manners. It is enough to state that I found them extremely nice people at heart. They were open and candid in their conversation, genuine in their sympathies, and wishing well to all, while they desired to enjoy themselves in their own way. I had much pleasure in sketching a plan of tour which the young lady wished to make in India in the following year.
Next to the Americans the Germans were numerically the strongest of our party. Our German friends.Germans have of late developed somewhat suddenly a rage for travelling, and I have met them in large numbers everywhere in the continent. Self-assertion, too, of a somewhat boisterous description is sometimes imputed to them, and I have heard many Englishmen complain that the Franco-Prussian War has spoilt the Germans, and they have grown bumptuous and self-asserting since! Englishmen of all people, however, have the least reason for bringing this charge, as it is identically the same charge that was brought against them two or three generations ago, when they were a great continental power. And if the Germans, having now secured for themselves the first place among the military nations of Europe, are sometimes prone to self-assertion, the failing is natural.
However that may be, the little colony of Germans on board our steamer certainly signalized themselves by their loud joyness and "obstreperous hilarity!" The saloon rang with their voices at dinner time, and it was amusing to contrast their lively conversation and gesticulations with the quiet talk of phlegmatic Englishmen! And sometimes at evening the sound of German songs, sung in chorus by all who could join, startled the echoes of the Arctic hills! Good-hearted, genuine, honest fellows all of them, and we liked them very much.
Among the Germans there was a Professor of Chemistry from Berlin who had travelled a good deal and had been to Calcutta and to Ceylon. He spoke in raptures about the lovely and enchanting scenery of Ceylon and described it as a paradise on earth. When I told him that his great fellow-countryman Haeckel had also described Ceylon in equally feeling terms, he surprised me by saying that Haeckel was one of his most intimate friends, and had mentioned his name in his work on Ceylon. He was a great admirer of Bismark and talked enthusiastically of the recent organization of the German empire and of the united German people. Bismark, he said, had more sense in his little finger than all the members of the German Parliament had in their heads put together!
The two or three Frenchmen on board were completely put to the shade by the strong German party. Our French friends.One of them belonged to a high family and gave me his Paris address, hoping to see me there, and all of them were extremely polite and elegant in their manners as Frenchmen always are. They were generally taciturn, however, in the presence of the Germans, and on the whole I do not think they much enjoyed the trip in such company! Once or twice a remark escaped them that these Germans were rough and unsympathetic. I could quite understand their subdued feeling,—a feeling which all Frenchmen share and will continue to share till they win back Alsace and Lorraine or cease to be Frenchmen.
There were some Swedes and Norwegians among us, and three Dutch ladies, who generally formed a group of their own; Other friends.and there were one Swiss and one Hungarian and some Austrians I believe,—who all mixed with the German party. Such were our companions during our voyage to the North Cape!
On the morning of the 27th we found ourselves in the quiet town of Bodo; and we left that town for the Lofoden islands, the famous group of islands on the north-western coast of Norway. Lofoden Islands.We rounded several of these beautiful islands and then entered into the Rafter Sund, when a magnificent panorama of hills, valleys and winding creeks burst upon our sight. Never have I witnessed a finer scenery than this wild panorama of fantastic and precipitous rocks and hills, islets and bays, creeks and valleys, which met us at every turn. Snow rested in patches over the hollows and crevices of these hills, glaciers sparkled in some places under the golden beams of the sun, and beauteous rills descended from rock to rock like streaks of sparkling silver. High hills rose precipitously from the sea, while little creeks winded at their foot. Farms and dwelling houses dotted the valleys, and green cultivated fields checkered the birch-covered hill sides. There is nothing like a regular village in the whole Norwegian coast, only scattered farms and houses,—three or four at one place,—and patches of green fields indicated the habitation of man.
When we came out of this beautiful Rafter Sund we saw regular Arctic scenery on all sides of us. A still cold sea, bleak rocks on all sides, snow and glacier resting on the rocks! We gazed and gazed on this wild characteristic scenery until it was past 10 p.m. The sun still lingered among the hill tops when we retired.
28th July. Early this morning we found ourselves in the harbour of the town called Tromso, and after breakfast we went on shore and walked along the Tromsodale (Tromso valley); we saw an encampment of Lapps and reindeer about two miles off. Tromso, and Norwegian Lapland.We were now in Norwegian Lapland, the region which was at one time almost entirely populated by the Lapps. The number of this strange people has however now gone down to only 30,000 i.e. about 18,000 in Norway and 12,000 in Sweden and Russia. When we reached their encampment we were much impressed with what we saw. The Lapps are a very short people scarcely over 5 feet in height, and men and women all clothe themselves in reindeer skins. We went into a Lapp tent built of birch barks and sods of grass, with a hole in the top for the admission of light, and to allow the smoke to escape. A kettle was boiling in the fire, and a couple of babies were sleeping in cradles. And such cradles! The poor babies were tightly encased and wrapped in skin cases of the shape of canoes, so that they could move neither arm nor leg! Their faces only were visible when not covered with cloth.
The Lapps have high cheek-bones like the hill people near Assam, but they are shorter than any people I have yet seen. Reindeer milk is their chief means of subsistence, and reindeer is their sole property. There was a glacial time when this strange animal lived in the south of Europe, but it is extinct now except in Lapland. We saw a herd of them in this encampment. Some of the Lapps speak Norwegian—and they had brought skin purses and boots and horn-spoons and knives (their own manufacture) for sale among the passengers.
Photographing is a mania in Europe, and there are amateur photographers everywhere. When we were coming from Hull to Norway a clergyman photographed us with his wife and child and kindly gave us some copies of the photograph which he printed on board. On the "Capella" one of the ex-members of the Parliament, of whom I have spoken before, photographed us with a number of other passengers. And now here in the Lapp encampment the German Professor photographed all of us with a few of the Lapps and their reindeer also. Some professional photographers of Tromso too had come and took us all, and they told us the copies would be ready for sale by the time we returned from the North Cape.
After dinner we strolled in the town of Tromso, looking at the furs and skins of polar animals exposed for sale, and buying some photographs of the Midnight Sun—as we hardly expected to see it as the weather had turned cloudy and misty again! The museum of Tromso specially interested us. We saw there stuffed specimens of the Polar Bear, the Northern Wolf, the White Fox, the Whale, the Shark, the Walrus, the Grampas, the Eagle, the Seagull, various kinds of Ducks and many other birds seen in the Arctic seas. We left Tromso in the evening. On our way we saw a splendid glacier all along the slope of a high hill.
29th July. Early in the morning we found ourselves in Hammerfest, the most northern town in the world. Hammerfest.There are isolated huts or churches further north, but no town in this high latitude. I need hardly say that this place as well as Tromso and the whole of northern Norway, town and country, hill and dale, are covered with snow in the cold season, and sledges are then about the only means of conveyance. When we went snow rested only in patches on hills, and the thermometer this day was 50° F. at mid-day. We went down at Hammerfest, a place which smelt of fishing and dried fish, and which contains over 2000 inhabitants.
The day was cloudy and misty as before, and after leaving Hammerfest we steamed through Arctic seas and bleak hills to a place called Bird's Rock, because myriads of Seagulls inhabit and whiten its sides. The sound of cannon discharged from our steamer disturbed these birds and we saw clouds of them whirling all round the rock. I never saw such clouds of birds anywhere before, and it is wonderful they have made their habitation in this bleak remote point beyond the habitation of man.
Two hours more brought us to the celebrated North Cape, rising boldly and precipitously out of the sea to a height of nearly a thousand feet. North Cape.Europe terminated here, and the billows of the cold and sublime Arctic Ocean stretched from the foot of this noble hill far, far into those Polar regions which man knoweth not and has not seen! As one gazes and gazes over this sublime and limitless ocean,—beyond the last frontier of human habitation—beyond the last traces of man's handiwork,—he almost feels himself removed from the round of human actions and feelings, and remembers human life but as a troubled dream, and he contemplates this vast earth as a speck in the limitless universe spreading through limitless space and through endless time.
I shall never forget the feeling of enthusiasm and exultation with which, after finishing a substantial supper, we all began our ascent of the North Cape by daylight at 10 p.m. on the 29th July, 1886. One or two passengers only remained in the ship. One of the ex-members of Parliament of whom I have spoken above condemned the attempt as foolish, and with very good reason too, (because he weighed about 18 stone!) and his wife also remained behind. One of my Indian friends also felt too lazy after the supper to attempt the task at first, but he changed his mind suddenly as if moved by an electric impulse, and the impulse carried him on fairly to the top of the North Cape!
Behold us then all scrambling up the famous North Cape—(famous in our school day Geographies!) by a narrow and somewhat precipitous path winding along the side of that steep hill. The stout Germans took the lead, and the stentorian voice of the German Professor resounded from rock to rock as he shouted to his companions far above him or far below him; and sounds of merry laughter and of stray bits of song disturbed the echoes of the night! The Swiss gentleman, of whom I have also spoken above, was as vigorous at his age—probably over fifty—as a young man of thirty, and soon left me, a very poor mountaineer, far behind. We called him Napoleon, because he kept a beard in the style of Napoleon III., and we used to be considerably amused by the partiality he always manifested for a real good substantial dinner,—reading out day after day the bill of fare with great gusto and self-satisfaction! American parties also came up one after another, and the merry laughter of fair ladies rung in the stillness of that lonesome hill.
At last we were fairly on the top of the hill, after having passed several large patches of snow hanging in crevices. The sun was above the horizon, but it was impossible to see it through the mist which rose and gathered that night, and we could therefore only imagine his solar majesty and know and feel his presence in the broad daylight around us. From the highest part of the North Cape we looked on the vast and limitless Arctic Ocean rolling under our feet. We had come to the end of our travels, we had reached the point where Europe ends, where the habitation of man terminates, and where the great unknown Polar Sea begins. It is impossible to describe the exultation which the tourists felt as these ideas waked in their minds. Groups of Germans sang their national songs until the midnight air re-echoed their voice, and Americans hoisted their national flag,—stripes and stars,—over a stick, and drank to the formation of a universal Republic of Peace! I will not conceal the pain and humiliation which I felt in my inmost soul as I stood on that memorable night among representatives of the free and advancing nations of the earth rejoicing in their national greatness. Champagne was drunk on the top of the hill, and Germans and Frenchmen, Englishmen and Americans, pressed us to share their hospitality. I accepted their offer with thanks on my lips, but I felt within me that I had no place beside them. May we in the course of years progress in civilization and in self-government, in mercantile enterprise and in representative institutions, even as the young English Colonies in Australia are doing year by year. And may our sons' sons when they come to Europe feel that India can take her place among the great advancing countries of the earth. Let us trust to the future, but trust still more to our own honest work and hard endeavour. There is not a race in Europe or in the whole world but has gained its place by hard, severe, unremitted struggle and toil. And if we too, each individual among us, learn to work honestly and truly for our country, we cannot fail.
It was near midnight when we descended, and the descent, along a somewhat steep path moistened by some slight showers, was more trying than the ascent. We effected it, however, came to our steamer, changed our wet clothes, and were at last comfortably in our berths a little after midnight,—of course it was broad daylight still.[1]
I need not say that the sun never appears in these regions in the cold season for more than two months together and that it never sets here in the summer for an equal length of time, from the middle of May to the end of July.
30th July. We now commenced our return voyage south wards. It was cloudy and gloomy the whole day, and rain poured in torrents. The thermometer stood at 48 degrees. I believe, it stood at 78 degrees in London and at 98 degrees in Calcutta about this time of year! We left Hammerfest (the most northern town in the world) early in the morning and in the afternoon we entered into a magnificent fiord called the Lingen Fiord.Lingen Fiord. Like most of the Norwegian fiords it runs from the sea about 20 or 30 miles inland, and seemed like a long winding beautiful lake with magnificent rocks on both sides rising abruptly from the water to a height of thousands of feet. As we steamed through this fiord the scene changed every instant, and new combinations of rocks and valley struck us at every moment. In some places magnificent rocks rose precipitously from the water to a height of three or four thousand feet and towered in the sky—bleak, bold and sublime. In other places the retreating rocks left before us a basin where streamlets collected from all sides. Snow rested in every hollow and crevice in large white masses. Streamlets leapt from crag to crag and descended in silver tresses along the bold rocks at every turn that we took, while in many places large glaciers hung on the slopes of high rocks in their lovely bluish color and superb crystal beauty. Glaciers are streams of ice slowly descending from mountains and hanging on the slopes of those mountains from century to century. The white mass gradually descends, but so slowly that its progress is imperceptible to the eye. But as it descends and the lower parts melt, fresh ice forms in the upper part, and the great mass, therefore, remains the same in hulk. The slow and eternal descent of these hard fields of ice crushes the rocks beneath, and the glacier water, therefore, is mingled with powdered rocks and is whiter than the blue sea-water. It rained the whole afternoon, but the scene before us was so beautiful, so varied and continually changing, and so lovely with its sublime rocks, its beautiful sparkling waterfalls and its fine glaciers, that we gazed on it eagerly during the whole time we were in the fiord, unwearied, unsatiated. We came out to the sea about 11 p. m. and we went to bed after midnight which I need hardly repeat was still light as day.
31st July. We were in Tromso early in the morning and found that the photographers who had taken us at the Lapp encampment a few days ago had brought printed copies of the photograph. Everybody on board bought them, and all the copies brought were soon sold off. Leaving Tromso we steamed the whole day through sheltered creeks, and as we came southwards we saw farms and houses and cultivated fields again. Our whole way seemed to lie through one long continuous lake with fine wooded hills on both sides of us and little clusters of houses at the foot of the hills here and there. In the afternoon we came near the charming Lofoden Isles again, and steamed down leaving those islands to our right and the mainland to our left. I cannot describe how lovely those islands looked in the rays of the setting sun. Some of the peaks which caught the rays of the sun shone like molten gold, while a soft blue color shaded and beautified the entire range of island-rocks in all their fantastic and variegated forms. The sun gradually hid itself behind those mountains after 10 p. m. and the glow of the sunset still rested in the western sky at 11 p.m. when we went to bed. I could not sleep for some hours, the twilight shone through my cabin window; and while I was still trying to compose myself to sleep at about 2 o'clock, I saw the eastern sky all aglow with the beams of the rising sun!
1st August. We came to the famous glacier of Svartsen this morning. This is one of the finest and largest glaciers in Europe, being no less than 80 miles long! Glacier of Svartsen.It is in fact a river of ice hanging on the tops of hills and slowly running into the sea. We landed here and walked over the glacier as far as we could.
A little after 2 p. m. we crossed the Arctic Circle and came back into the temperate zone. In the evenings we saw another pretty fiord, and then we passed by the Seven Sisters which we had visited before on our way up.
2nd August. We reached Trondjem this afternoon after a tour of 8 days in the "Capella." During these 8 days we had travelled 8 degrees, from 63 degrees to 71 degrees north latitude, and back again; and as I have said before, we had not, during all these days, had night's darkness for a single hour.
The town of Trondjem is famous for its ancient Cathedral built in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries of the Christian Era, Return to Trondjem.over the site of St. Olaf's grave. Crowds of pilgrims used to come to this spot in those olden times, and the Kings of Norway used to be buried here. Under the present constitution of Norway (1814) all sovereigns are required to repair here to be crowned in this Cathedral. It is a fine building but has been undergoing restoration since 16 or 17 years past, and the process is likely to go on for 40 or 50 years more. The restorers are wisely preserving all the designs of the olden times, replacing the materials only where necessary.
3rd August. We left Trondjem for Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, a distance of 530 miles. For sometime after leaving Trondjem we went along the shores of the beautiful Fiord of Trondjem, From Norway to Sweden by Railway.and then entered into a narrow valley with high pine-covered hills on both sides of us, and with a mountain streamlet winding below. The western coasts of Norway, as I have already mentioned before, is more or less bleak and bare, but in the interior the whole Scandinavian peninsula may be said to be one magnificent forest of pine and fir which constitutes the beauty and the wealth of this kingdom. We threaded our way through these dark pine-covered mountains, until the valley widened itself at Merakar, the last station in Norway. The little town is prettily situated in the valley and on both sides of a meandering stream. Cultivated fields and low hills stretched on all sides and cheered the eye. Above and around them the dark pines shaded the sides of high mountains whose tops were bleak and bare, and were covered with patches of snow. Leaving this beautiful town our train rapidly ascended until we crossed the Kionlen mountains and the frontier between Sweden and Norway, (about 2000 ft. above the sea-level) and reached Storlien, the first station in Sweden.
We had our dinner here, and I must pause for a moment to describe the novel and primitive fashion in which they supply dinners at this Railway stations. There is nothing like ordering things or being attended upon by waiters. There is plenty of good things heaped on the central table, and each must help himself as best he can in the general rush and confusion! One has first to find a plate and spoon and knife and fork, and when he has done that, he helps himself to some soup and then to some meat and potatoes and vegetables. Fruits, cakes and cream there are in profusion on the table,—specially cream which is rich and plentiful in Norway,—and the only difficulty is to get at them in the crowd! When all is done, you go to a counter on one side, pay the price of the dinner and get a ticket, which you hand over to the man waiting outside on leaving the place. I rather liked this kind of arrangement, being specially blessed with a good appetite and a strong partiality for cream!
Leaving Storlien we went through the most beautiful scenery. Dark pine-covered hills stretching in varying forms on every side of us, rushing mountain streams with frequent waterfalls clattering on their stony beds, and here and there a beautiful lake surrounded by hills and reflecting on its bosom the dark woods around. We seemed to be gazing on a perfect picture as we passed through this beautiful country. Population is sparse, and the wooden houses and villages looked quaint and beautiful. We passed Dufed which is about two hours from the beautiful fall of Tannfors. We then passed Are at the foot of the Areskutan mountain, 5380 feet high. There are copper mines here. We then crossed several small lakes and streams and in the afternoon reached the beautiful town of Ostersund situated on the northern bank of the Stor lake. The lake, the island in its midst, and the picturesque town on its bank looked beautiful indeed.
4th August. Our train passed through unending pine forests and wooded hills by night, until we found ourselves at Bollnäs in the morning. Our journey lay the whole day through beautiful scenes, like what we had seen on the previous day. We crossed the Dalelf, the historic frontier of Dalarne, and came to Krylbo, and soon after reached Sala, a town founded by Gustavus Adolphus in 1622 A.D. and famous as the principal silver mine of Sweden. The yield was considerable before, but has decreased to 2,300 ℔s only a year now. Lead-ore and letharage are the minerals chiefly worked here now. The country now began to be more and more flat, and at 3 p. m. we reached Upsala, the historic University town of Sweden. We left the through train here in order to pass a few hours in this celebrated place.
The Cathedral of Upsala was commenced in the thirteenth century and completed in the fifteenth, Upsala.and is a high and imposing building in the Gothic style. Among the objects of interest which we saw in the interior were the sarcophagus of King Erec IX., the Patron Saint of Sweden, who was killed by the Danes in 1160 A.D., and the burial Chapel of Gustavus Vasa, containing marble figures of himself and his two wives, and fresco paintings of scenes from his life. Far more interesting to us were the grave and monument of Charles Linnæus, the father of modern botany, and probably the greatest scientific man that Sweden has produced. The monument is of porphyry with a Bronze medallion on it.
The magnificent new University building of Upsala is one of the finest buildings of its kind in the world. The University of Upsala was founded in the fifteenth century and was richly endowed by Gustavus Adolphus and has about 1700 students. The new University building was commenced in 1877 and has not yet been quite completed. The grand concert hall is decorated in the finest style of workmanship, and the lecture rooms of the different faculties are also exceedingly fine. The stairs are of green Swedish marble, and the ceilings of all the rooms are tastefully decorated with designs in gold.
Not far from the University building is the Carolina Rediviva, a handsome building containing the valuable library of the University, 23,000 volumes. The chief treasure of this library is the famous Code Argenteus, being a translation of the four gospels into Meso-Gothic by Bishop Ulphilas in the 4th century of the Christian era. It is written on 188 leaves of parchment in gold and silver letters on a reddish ground. The value of this work consists in the fact that it is the sole relic of the Gothic language of that age, and antiquarians are exclusively indebted to it for their knowledge of that language. The M.S. was captured in the thirty years' war and was presented by Queen Christiana to Vassius, her librarian, and was purchased from him for 400 crowns by De la Gardie, the Chancellor of the University.
Not far from the library is the castle named Slott, founded by Gustavus Vasa in 1548 but never completed. From the top of this rock we could see at a distance of about two miles the three Kungshogur or Tumuli of the ancient kings, each about 58 ft. in diameter. They are named Thor, Odin and Freyr after the Scandinavian gods. One of them was opened in 1845 and another in 1874 when evidence of their having been thrown up by human hands was found.
We left Upsala at 7-30 p. m. and reached Stockholm at 10 p. m. Some Germans, one Hungarian and one Swiss gentleman had been travelling with us all the way since we came to Norway,—to the North Cape and back again, and now to Stockholm. All continental nations are remarkable for their extreme courtesy to strangers, and I will always bear pleasing recollections of the many acts of courtesy and kindly assistance which these friends rendered to us throughout our journey.
5th August. Stockholm has a population of about 200,000, i. e., about one-fourth Stockholm.the population of Calcutta and Suburbs, and about one-twentieth the population of London. But it is much finer than either of those towns, and is in fact, one of the prettiest towns in the world. Its situation on a cluster of islands at the junction of the Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea gives it a natural advantage in point of beauty which it is difficult to conceive without visiting the place. The Staden and other islands on which the city is built lie in a line, west and east, but the modern town has extended both on the northern bank of the sea called Normalmen, and the southern bank called Sodermalmen.
We were stopping in a hotel on the northern bank, and after breakfast there crossed the fine Norrbro bridge and came to Staden island, and visited the Palace. The Queen's apartments were magnificently fitted up, and so were those of the King's, the Crown Prince's and the Crown Princess's, But finest of all were the state apartments with the fine "grand gallery" 52 yards long, the great banqueting room 45 yards long, and the magnificent ball room.
Not very far from the palace is the celebrated Ridderholm Kyrka, which may be called the Westminister Abbey of Sweden. For centuries this Church has been the burial place of the kings and the most celebrated great men of Sweden. The remains of the great Gustavus Adolphus rest in a sarcophagus of green marble executed in Italy, and facing that is a black marble sarcophagus containing the remains of the greatest of Sweden's warriors and conquerors, King Charles XII. Both these sarcophaguses are surrounded by banners and drums and old relics of the wars fought by these great kings. A lion's skin in brass, with a crown, a sword and a sceptre are placed on the sarcophagus of Charles XII. Many other kings and queens and members of the Swedish royal family are interred here.
Leaving the islands behind we now came to the southern bank of the sea i. e., to Sodermalmen or the southern part of the town. This part of the town is built on high rocks considerably higher than the other parts, and a lift has been constructed for the convenience of the people which in less than a minute raised us to the top of Sodermalmen! The view from this height was splendid. The Baltic with its busy traffic and countless steamers and launches lay at our feet; Staden island with its colossal palace, as well as other islands stretched east and west before us as we looked to the north; and beyond these islands extended the northern portion of the town with the National Museum towering boldly over the other buildings.
We had now roughly surveyed the northern town, the central island, and the southern town. This was a good day's work. But we were so delighted with what we had seen of Stockholm that we rushed out again after dinner to visit parts of the town yet unexplored. Djurgarden island boasts of delightful gardens and places of amusement. The Hasselback restaurant was brilliantly illuminated and fitted up, seats and tables for visitors were placed under trees in a garden, and a band discoursed music to the assembled people. Paris has set the example of these open air cafès which are so pleasant and delightful in summer, and there is not a capital city in Europe now which has not got its open air cafès and places of music. From this place we went to another garden beautifully illuminated with Chinese lanterns from one end to the other and presenting entertainments of various kinds to visitors. There was a stage erected at one end, and we listened there to some beautiful singing.
6th August. The National Museum of Stockholm contains a noble collection of pictures. The picture which struck me most was that of Charles XII. killed at Fredrikshald and borne back from that hostile fortress by his veteran soldiers, some of them wounded and bleeding, over a rocky path all covered with snow. It is done by a Swedish painter. There is also a splendid collection here of pre-historic flint and bronze weapons as also relics of early and mediæval times.
In the afternoon we went in a steamer to a place called Gustavsberg, about 10 miles to the east from Stockholm. Gustavsberg. Glimpses of Swedish life.The Baltic Sea here is not an open sea, but is almost blocked by a thick cluster of rocky islets of every possible shape and form, and covered with luxuriant woods; and during the whole of our voyage, therefore, we seemed to be threading our way through a winding lake, or rather through a succession of lakes embosomed in the midst of wooded hills. Sometimes our way seemed to be almost land-blocked, and the steamer slowly threaded its way between high rocks on both sides; while at other times the passage expanded into a beautiful lake. The scene was lovely, but its loveliness was not owing entirely, or even mainly, to the beauty of the natural scenery. For it was the glimpses of simple and happy rural life amid these primeval woods and hills that shed a charm over the scene. Every here and there quaint and picturesque wooden villas and cottages, lovelier and more picturesque than what I have ever seen even on canvas, peeped from among the green foliage of the unending woods. Green lawns and flowering creepers and neat parterres beautified these sylvan and solitary habitations. As the steamer neared some landing stage, young girls in quaint attires ran from neighbouring villas, old men and prattling children rushed forward with fond greetings, and smiles and signs of kindly recognition were exchanged from those on shore and those on deck. The whole wooded country round Stockholm is thus studded by country villas belonging to the well-to-do people of the town, and numerous steamers ply from Stockholm in various directions. Our steamer stopped frequently, and passengers went down to their villas or came on deck. Often, it seemed to me, the waving of a handkerchief on the landing stage was the signal for the steamer to stop, while groups of children cheered the steamer as she slowly winded along the creeks.
I do not pretend to be a judge of a people's character after a few weeks' residence among them, but there are some remarkable features which even a stranger cannot fail noticing in the Norwegians and the Swedes. The politeness of the Swedes and the Norwegians.The artificiality of civilized life and of social manners almost disappears among these simple people, they seem contented and happy as children! Their face and features are not unlike those of Englishmen,—only there is no pride or reserve in their deportment or expression, in their manners or conversation. And they are so obliging, so really anxious to do a kind act to a stranger! A busy man will leave his office and walk a considerable distance to show the way to a stranger, and he takes off his hat and bows when he is thanked. Nor is this merely outward politeness,—the Swede or the Norwegian is really happy when he can do a little kind act to help one. He always wears a smiling face, and his smile is never assumed, it is the true reflexion of a kindly disposition. Such are my own personal impressions; I learn from books that in the noble qualities of true honesty and integrity the Swedes and Norwegians stand high among the nations of Europe, that thefts are almost unknown here, and crime is rare. An English lady, who has travelled much, informed me, that a stranger is as safe and as free when travelling in Norway and Sweden as he is in England, and in fact freer.
I do not wish to prolong this story of my travels, but it is a pleasure to me to record a few instances of the kind of courtesy which I daily witnessed and received. In Trondjem I wanted to go to a steamer office to get some information, and by mistake went to a wrong office. Without suspecting my mistake I made my enquiries, and the official, nothing shocked at my intrusion, tried to answer them as best he could for several minutes together. At last I learnt that I had come to a wrong office, and then he left the office and accompanied me to the next office to show me the way. At Upsala the great University library was not open when we reached there. But when the persons who had custody of the library learnt that strangers had come to the town and were anxious to see the famous Code Argenteus, they procured the keys from the proper quarters and with an unassuming kindness which I cannot sufficiently admire shewed us through the halls. At Stockholm a gentleman learnt that we wished to go to a certain place. He took us to the gate, explained what we wanted, got our admission, accompanied us to the proper place, and then bowed and took off his hat when we thanked him. Does any one meet with kindlier help and greater courtesy than this in any part of the world? Do we receive greater attention than this when we are travelling in our own country and among our own countrymen?
After a voyage of an hour and half or more we reached Gustavsberg. A proprietor of a porcelain manufactory there shewed us through the manufactory. The earth is got from Cornwall in England, and we saw the different processes by which it was ground and mixed and made into paste. The paste was then shaped as plates or cups, jugs or basins, and then fired on huge ovens. The articles were then painted and glazed and fired again. I was much interested in what I saw. In the evening we returned to Stockholm.
7th August. We saw the Northern Museum which contains a collection of various articles illustrating the life and habits and industries of the people of the different portions of Sweden and Norway, from the Lapps in the North to the people living near the Baltic Sea. We also saw the new National Library of Stockholm recently completed, and the fine statue of Charles Linnæus in front of it. After exploring these and other places in the northern part of the town, and visiting the church which contains the tomb and monument of Descartes the philosopher, we went by steamer to the summer place of the King at Drotningholm. We were as usual led through the different rooms of the palace, but the furniture and paintings looked rather tame and poor in comparison with the gorgeous furniture of the Stockholm palace. A Chinese Pagoda in the Park is a still poorer affair, but the park itself is fine and extensive, and the gardens in front of the palace well laid out.
8th August. This morning we visited the Swedish parliament, the upper house and the lower house, and then left Stockholm for Gottenburg. We went by steamer through the famous Gota canal which runs east and west right through Sweden, and so connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea at Gottenburg.
Leaving Stockholm we entered the Malaren lake, and after a voyage of some hours due west, we suddenly turned to the south, passed through a lock and a bit of artificial canal and came out to the Baltic Sea. Gota Canal.It is not open sea here, but quite an archipelago of small rocky islands, uninhabited and unfit for cultivation or for any vegetation except the hardy but stunted firs and pines which covered and beautified them. We threaded our way through these islands so that for the most part our way seemed to be through a beautiful and winding lake, and it was difficult to believe that we were in the sea. Sometimes, however, the islands almost disappeared and we had a view of the open sea, but soon we entered into a maze of islands again. We left the sea, and turned inland again at night.
9th August. Early in the morning we found ourselves in the beautiful lake Rosen, and by 8 a. m. we reached Berg at the west end of the lake. Lake Rosen to Lake Boren.Here the steamer was to pass through about 15 locks, ascending about 150 ft. within half a mile! It was very interesting to watch the ascent; gate after gate was opened in the front and closed in the rear, and at each step the vessel rose about 10 ft. It took us about two hours before we had passed all these gates. From Berg to Lake Boren our route lay through a beautiful country. The canal was embanked on both sides with high earth-work shaded by rows of beautiful trees which gave the place a park-like appearance. Swedish Peasantry.On both sides of us we could see extensive cultivated fields, with stretches of rye, oats, wheat and barley. Farmers' residences and stables and barn houses dotted the country, while the poorer huts of labourers also appeared in view. The scene was pleasant, and it was a change too after the unending pine forests which we had seen in the more northern parts of the peninsula. Cultivation is practised still more extensively on the more southern parts of Sweden, where the soil is less rocky still, and repays the toil of man. Both in Norway and Sweden the land belongs not to landlords but to farmers who live in their own domains and cultivate them. Small farmers own perhaps a hundred acres, or even less, while larger farms extend over three or four or five hundred acres, up to a thousand acres. The farmer pays the king's taxes, but no rent to any superior holder. He, of course, employs labourers to help him in cultivation, and these labourers are the poorest classes in Norway and Sweden. When they are young and unmarried, they generally let themselves out by the year, live in the farmer's house and take their meals there as members of the family, and get about 200 kronas (i.e., about £11 in English money) the year as wages. But when they get married they build little houses of their own, and often plant out plots of small land with potatoes, and eke out the produce of their land by letting themselves out, say, at 1 krona a day. The Swedes are a patient and hardworking but a poor race, and hence large members of them emigrate annually to America. In fact the largest number of emigrants that America receives are from Germany, Sweden and Ireland. Rye, oats, wheat and barley and potatoes are the principal produce here, as I have stated before; the sea swarms with cod and herring, and the land yields an inexhaustible supply of pine timber. Milk too is plentiful and there is a large export of butter to other countries of Europe. Iron is also largely exported.
About 1 p. m. we came to the picturesque lake Boren, and after we had left it behind we entered another canal. After passing through some more locks we ascended to Motala which is a large manufacturing town situated on the river Motala,—"Motalastrom,"—which was also the name of our steamer. There are large iron works and an engine factory here, and Swedish matches manufactured here are largely exported to India and elsewhere. Vettern Lake.Leaving this place behind we soon came to the fine Vettern lake, the finest of the large lakes of Sweden. The water is exquisitely clear like that of the sea, and the hills Vaberg and Omberg rise on opposite banks to a height of about 580 feet.
We stopped for about two hours at Vadstena, a town on the shores of this lake. Leaving that town we crossed the lake Vettern, and came to the pretty little town of Karlsburg and its fortress, the only fortress in the interior of Sweden. After we left that place, our route lay through a small winding lake surrounded by pine-clad low hills, and dotted with pine-clad islands. All was quiet and still over the dark and solitary forests, as our steamer slowly threaded its way over the still waters sleeping under the beautiful moon. The scene reminded me strongly of the still lonelier scenes I had seen in my own country when travelling by moonlight through the vast solitudes of the Sunderbans. Viken Lake.We then began to ascend again through some locks and at night at last reached the Viken lake, which is the highest sheet of water within our route, being over 300 ft. above the level of the sea.
10th August. We had now passed the highest point, and in the morning we found ourselves descending through a succession of locks until we reached the Venern lake, the largest of the inland lakes of Sweden. Venern Lake.It took us the whole day to go over this spacious lake, specially as we touched at some places of which Lidkoping was the largest. It is a fine town with broad parallel streets and neatly built wooden houses some of which had a fine appearance. Not far from this town we saw the Kinnekulee, one of the most interesting hills of Sweden both geologically and in point of scenery. The hills rise gently in the form of different terraces, each of which generally marks a different geological formation. The rocks consist of granite, sandstone, alum-slate, limestone, clay, slate and lastly trap at the top, which has forced its way in a liquid condition through all the strata below it. With its cliffs and valleys and forests, its pastures, and little villages, Kinnekulee forms a little world of its own, and cherries and apples grow wild here.
11th August. We came to the magnificent waterfalls of Trolhattan this morning. The weather was not propitious as it was pouring in torrents, Trolhattan Falls.and leaving the steamer in this weather at 5 a. m. in the morning was anything but pleasant. But we could not miss that sight after having come so far, and so on we went through wind and rain! And when we came to the falls we were amply repaid for our toil. A vast volume of water, the river Gota, was rushing through a mountain gorge and between walls of rock on both sides covered with pine. It rushed down in about half a dozen different falls, over a rocky bed, and the sight was grand indeed. It is the enormous volume of water that makes these falls so imposing, and in this respect the falls are unsurpassed in Europe.
We came back to our steamer from these falls, and we descended through some more locks to the level of the river Gota below all these falls. We then came down this river until we reached the busy and prosperous commercial town of Gottenburg, the largest and busiest port in the west coast of Sweden.
Gottenburg is a modern town founded by Gustavas Adolphus in 1621. The town has a remarkably pleasing appearance with large cleanly streets and handsome buildings, Gottenburg.and the peculiar form of its canals and streets is due to the Dutch settlers of the period when the city was founded. When the seaports of Europe were closed to English trade in 1806 under the orders of the great Napoleon then supreme in Europe, Gottenburg formed the great depot of English trade in the north, and received a fresh impulse in trade. It has an excellent harbour always crowded with ships, and the port is seldom blocked by ice in winter. The Baltic Sea near Stockholm is on the contrary blocked with ice every winter, and trade becomes well nigh impossible.
At the time that we reached Gottenburg there was an annual fair held in the town, thousands of people come from different parts of Norway and Sweden and also from Holland, were present there. Linen was the principal commodity sold and bought in this fair. We saw the beautiful horticultural garden in this town and also walked through the pleasant avenue which goes all round south and east of the town. We visited also the Lorensburg Park where music and entertainments of various kinds delight the Gottenburgers every evening, and they assemble in large numbers.
12th August. We left Gottenburg by steamer for Christiania this morning, and came down the Gota river to the sea, (5 miles). We then turned northwards and went along the western coast of Sweden. The coast here is lined with clusters of small rocky islands, but unlike the islands in the Baltic Sea on the east coast of Sweden those of the west are almost destitute of all vegetation, and are bleak and perfectly bare. Large masses of rocks rise abruptly from the sea in every conceivable form, and we winded our way through these bleak islets. It is this bleak coast between Gottenburg and Christiania which was one of the principal resorts of the Vikings of old, and the present inhabitants of this coast are, my guide book tells me, "descendants of the ancient Vikings who have left representations of their exploits. * * At many points on the coast there are still remains of ancient castles, tombs, stone-chamber (valar), and monuments (buatastenar) so that this region (Bohuslan) is justly regarded as one of the cradles of the early Sagas of the North."
Besides fishing villages, towns have been erected on this coast, as people come here from all parts of Sweden for sea bathing. Marstrand was the first bathing place we came to, visited annually by about 2000 bathers. The town has a handsome cleanly appearance, and opposite the town rises the fortress of Karlesten, called, I do not know why, the "Gibralter of the North." Leaving Marstrand behind we came to the still busier bathing place Lysekil. The baths are handsome, and there are many beautiful villas in the town.
The wind was blowing strongly from the morning, and when we left Lysekil, we had to pass through a bit of the open sea for about an hour and a half. A rough voyage in the sea of the Vikings.The steamer which was a very small one began to roll uncomfortably. The wind rose higher every moment, and high waves came sweeping across the open sea and dashed against the little boat and sent her spinning along almost on one side! To stand on the deck was impossible,—to sit was difficult without holding fast to the rails! I saw the Captain looking uncomfortable, and the crew were also watching the sea with some anxiety on their face, and I confess that, however much interested in ancient history, I hardly relished the idea of laying my bones with those of the ancient Vikings in the bottom of these bleak seas. I had seen much worse weather and rougher sea before,—but not in such a small boat as this,—and we were all glad therefore when after half an hour of really bad rolling, (such as I would not like to experience again!) we neared land at last and entered a harbour near another seaport town. After some passengers had landed there the Captain hesitated to go out to sen agnin. He took out the steamer to the mouth of the harbour and paused there for a moment. The wind was still rising, the waves were dashing with fury on the rocky coast, and our way lay through a number of rocky islands where navigation is always difficult. The captain thought discretion was the better part of valor and turned the vessel back again into the harbour, and we remained moored there the whole afternoon and the night. The wind whistled through our rigging, and it became worse and worse as the day declined.
However glad we were to stay in the harbour in such weather, we were not without anxiety. For we were to leave Christiania for England the next day (13th August), and had already secured berths in the "Angelo" by telegram from Gottenburg. Should we be able to reach Christiania before the "Angelo" left? If we could not reach Christiania in time, we should have to stop another week in Norway against our previous plans. With such apprehensions we went to bed.
13th August. This was the birth day of one of our party, and happily it turned out a lucky day for us. There is usually a lull in the weather after midnight, and the Captain took advantage of this and left harbour at 3 a. m. A little rolling at 4 a. m. made me conscious in my bed that we were again in the open sea,—but the rolling at that hour of the morning was nothing like what we had experienced the day before. The wind began to rise again as the day advanced, but after mid-day we were entering the Christiania Fiord. The Fiord is over 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 like Gustavas Adolphus and Charles XII., and Sweden created for herself a place and a name in Europe. But Norway remained united to Denmark, and Norwegian heroism displayed itself repeatedly in defending the country against Swedish invaders. Charles XII., the most warlike king of Sweden, died in a vain attempt to take the Norwegian frontier town of Fredrikshald. It was only in the present century, in 1814, that Norway was separated from Denmark. The allied powers who conquered Napoleon coerced Norway into an union with Sweden in 1815. But Norway still has now a separate parliament, a separate language, and a separate administration of her own, and is in every respect a separate country except that Norway and Sweden are under the same king and form one military power in Europe. For the rest, nearly the whole area of the two countries is, as I have said before, one unending pine forest, and population, in spite of the fishing, is sparse. Only about 10,000 spuare miles in Sweden, and only a thousand square miles in Norway are under cultivation, though the area of the two countries is nearly 300,000 square miles. And the population of the two countries does not much exceed five millions, i. e. a little over the population of London!
We saw the King's palace in Christiania, beautifully situated on the top of a hill rising by a gentle slope from the surrounding town, and surrounded by beautiful gardens. In front of the palace is an equestrian statue of Charles XIV., with his motto inscribed on it, meaning—"The people's love is my reward." We saw the Parliament house of Christiania, half Romanesque and half Byzantine in style, and much finer than that of Stockholm, though Christiania cannot as a town be compared for a moment with the capital of Sweden, either in its beauty or in its extent or population. The population of Christiania is only about 125,000. The most interesting things, however, that we saw in Christiania were two old sea-going vessels of the old Vikings supposed to date from the 9th century, which have recently been excavated from the graves of Viking chiefs and have been carefully preserved in two sheds behind the fine University building of Christiania. My antiquarian brother who had read a good deal about these boats and was hunting about for them ever since we reached Christiania, was deeply interested in these ancient relics of a bygone age. For all through the perils of our voyage from Gottenburg he had been dreaming of these Vikings' Boats, and their sight at last cheered his heart and rewarded his toil! We then drove through some principal streets of the town and came on board the "Angelo" which left the harbour at 5 p. m. The last scene that I witnessed in Norway created a deep impression in me. The same steamer which was taking us to England was taking in the 2nd class about 90 emigrants from Sweden and Norway to America. They were to go to Hull in this steamer and thence in another steamer to America. Nearly a thousand persons had assembled on the Quay to bid good-bye to these emigrants. Friends suppressed their sorrow and repeatedly cheered their parting friends, sisters waved their handkerchiefs to their parting brothers, mothers burst out into convulsive sobs as they bade a long, long farewell to their sons whom they might never see any more. Women with swollen eyes came rushing on deck to say good-bye once more to their nearest and dearest relations, and there were some among them who were unable to speak a word and only put the handkerchief to their eyes and sobbed convulsively. The clock struck five, friends and relations, were torn from each other, and the steamer steamed off the quay. Long—long as I could see the shore, I saw handkerchiefs still waving in the far hazy distance, and they spoke of a pang too deep for words. It is a hard world we live in,—toil, hard unremitting toil is our lot, and often the dearest cherished affections and love have to be sacrificed to smooth the path of progress and to fulfil our destiny. It is on such sacrifices as these,—manfully made borne,—that true progress based.
- ↑ I have spoken of my worthy brother who is somewhat of a poet and somewhat of an antiquarian as well as an inveterate traveller! My readers will no doubt be glad to read the following beautiful specimen of his poetry on the Home of the Sun.
I saw thee in my native skies
Where fiercely shines thy summer ray,
I saw thee midst the palm trees rise
And sink in Gunga far away.
I saw Aurora blushing bright
Herald thy rise at early morn,
I saw thy fiery car of light
Sink down at eve midst waving corn.
I wondered where thy home might be,
Thy place of rest at dead of night,
In some green spot, midst wood and tree,
Or in some mountain hid from sight.
I saw thee rising from the sea
And dip into the sea again,
I wondered if your home would be
Within the bosom of the main.
I followed thee from clime to clime,
From fiery tropic to the pole,
And long I watched thy course sublime
From mountains to where billows roll.
I watched thee o'er Himalay rise,
O'er snow-capped peak and dark defile,
I saw thee in the groves of spice,
Embosomed in green Ceylon isle.
And o'er Arabian hills of sand
I saw thee shoot thy fiery ray,
And in the ancient Pharoh's land
I hailed thee, radiant god of day!
Long did I seek, long did I roam—
Alas! I sought and roamed in vain—
I could not find, O Sun! thy home
In the blue sky or earth or main.
'Twas not in south Italian skies
Where brightly shines thy beaming face,
'Twas not where Spanish hills arise
In stately form and matchless grace.
'Twas not in cheerless English heaven,
There have I looked hut looked in vain,
Where the dark cloud by cold winds driven
Incessant pours in tears of rain.
But I have found thy home at last,—
'Tis where the bleak and cheerless sea
Keeps music to the north wind's blast
Far in the world's extremity!
Here standing on Norwegian cliff
That peeps into the icy pole,
And where the wind blows cold and stiff,
And clouds and mists in masses roll.
I view thy home from this wild height
Yon mists and clouds and waves among;
Hail god of day and god of night!
By Rishis as by Sages sung!
Hail deity of the infant earth,
Adored in every distant clime,
Changeless since creation's birth,
Changeless to the end of time!
Rest, rest on yonder icy main
Until it is thy time to rise.
A few short months, and back again
I'll hail thee in our Indian skies.