During my travels in Iceland I had of course the opportunity of becoming
acquainted with its inhabitants, their manners and customs. I must
confess that I had formed a higher estimate of the peasants. When we
read in the history of that country that the first inhabitants had
emigrated thither from civilised states; that they had brought knowledge
and religion with them; when we hear of the simple good-hearted people,
and their patriarchal mode of life in the accounts of former travellers,
and which we know that nearly every peasant in Iceland can read and
write, and that at least a Bible, but generally other religions books
also, are found in every cot,--one feels inclined to consider this nation
the best and most civilised in Europe. I deemed their morality
sufficiently secured by the absence of foreign intercourse, by their
isolated position, and the poverty of the country. No large town there
affords opportunity for pomp or gaiety, or for the commission of smaller
or greater sins. Rarely does a foreigner enter the island, whose
remoteness, severe climate, inhospitality, and poverty, are uninviting.
The grandeur and peculiarity of its natural formation alone makes it
interesting, and that does not suffice for the masses.
I therefore expected to find Iceland a real Arcadia in regard to its
inhabitants, and rejoiced at the anticipation of seeing such an Idyllic
life realised. I felt so happy when I set foot on the island that I
could have embraced humanity. But I was soon undeceived.
I have often been impatient at my want of enthusiasm, which must be
great, as I see every thing in a more prosaic form than other travellers.
I do not maintain that my view is _right_, but I at least possess the
virtue of describing facts as I see them, and do not repeat them from the
accounts of others.
I have already described the impoliteness and heartlessness of the
so-called higher classes, and soon lost the good opinion I had formed of
them. I now came to the working classes in the vicinity of Reikjavik.
The saying often applied to the Swiss people, "No money, no Swiss," one
may also apply to the Icelanders. And of this fact I can cite several
examples.
Scarcely had they heard that I, a foreigner, had arrived, than they
frequently came to me, and brought quite common objects, such as can be
found any where in Iceland, and expected me to pay dearly for them. At
first I purchased from charity, or to be rid of their importunities, and
threw the things away again; but I was soon obliged to give this up, as I
should else have been besieged from morning to night. Their anxiety to
gain money without labour annoyed me less than the extortionate prices
with which they tried to impose on a stranger. For a beetle, such as
could be found under every stone, they asked 5 kr. (about 2d.); as much
for a caterpillar, of which thousands were lying on the beach; and for a
common bird's egg, 10 to 20 kr. (4d. to 8d.) Of course, when I declined
buying, they reduced their demand, sometimes to less than half the
original sum; but this was certainly not in consequence of their honesty.
The baker in whose house I lodged also experienced the selfishness of
these people. He had engaged a poor labourer to tar his house, who, when
he had half finished his task, heard of other employment. He did not
even take the trouble to ask the baker to excuse him for a few days; he
went away, and did not return to finish the interrupted work for a whole
week. This conduct was the more inexcusable as his children received
bread, and even butter, twice a week from the baker.
I was fortunate enough to experience similar treatment. Herr Knudson had
engaged a guide for me, with whom I was to take my departure in a few
days. But it happened that the magistrate wished also to take a trip,
and sent for my guide. The latter expected to be better paid by him, and
went; he did not come to me to discharge himself, but merely sent me word
on the eve of my departure, that he was ill, and could therefore not go
with me. I could enumerate many more such examples, which do not much
tend to give a high estimate of Icelandic morality.
I consoled myself with the hope of finding simplicity and honesty in the
more retired districts, and therefore anticipated a twofold pleasure from
my journey into the interior. I found many virtues, but unfortunately so
many faults, that I am no longer inclined to exalt the Icelandic peasants
as examples.
The best of their virtues is their honesty. I could leave my baggage
unguarded any where for hours, and never missed the least article, for
they did not even permit their children to touch any thing. In this
point they are so conscientious, that if a peasant comes from a distance,
and wishes to rest in a cottage, he never fails to knock at the door,
even if it is open. If no one calls "come in," he does not enter. One
might fearlessly sleep with open doors.
Crimes are of such rare occurrence here, that the prison of Reikjavik was
changed into a dwelling-house for the chief warden many years since.
Small crimes are punished summarily, either in Reikjavik or at the seat
of the Sysselmann. Criminals of a deeper dye are sent to Copenhagen, and
are sentenced and punished there.
My landlord at Reikjavik, the master-baker Bernhoft, told me that only
one crime had been committed in Iceland during the thirteen years that he
had resided there. This was the murder of an illegitimate child
immediately after its birth. The most frequently occurring crime is
cow-stealing.
I was much surprised to find that nearly all the Icelanders can read and
write. The latter quality only was somewhat rarer with the women.
Youths and men often wrote a firm, good hand. I also found books in
every cottage, the Bible always, and frequently poems and stories,
sometimes even in the Danish language.
They also comprehend very quickly; when I opened my map before them, they
soon understood its use and application. Their quickness is doubly
surprising, if we consider that every father instructs his own children,
and sometimes the neighbouring orphans. This is of course only done in
the winter; but as winter lasts eight months in Iceland, it is long
enough.
There is only one school in the whole island, which originally was in
Bessestadt, but has been removed to Reikjavik since 1846. In this school
only youths who can read and write are received, and they are either
educated for priests, and may complete their studies here, or for
doctors, apothecaries, or judges, when they must complete their studies
in Copenhagen.
Besides theology, geometry, geography, history, and several languages,
such as Latin, Danish, and, since 1846, German and also French, are
taught in the school of Reikjavik.
The chief occupation of the Icelandic peasants consists in fishing, which
is most industriously pursued in February, March, and April. Then the
inhabitants of the interior come to the coasting villages and hire
themselves to the dwellers on the beach, the real fishermen, as
assistants, taking a portion of the fish as their wages. Fishing is
attended to at other times also, but then exclusively by the real
fishermen. In the months of July and August many of the latter go into
the interior and assist in the hay-harvest, for which they receive
butter, sheep's wool, and salt lamb. Others ascend the mountains and
gather the Iceland moss, of which they make a decoction, which they drink
mixed with milk, or they grind it to flour, and bake flat cakes of it,
which serve them in place of bread.
The work of the women consists in the preparation of the fish for drying,
smoking, or salting; in tending the cattle, in knitting, sometimes in
gathering moss. In winter both men and women knit and weave.
As regards the hospitality of the Icelanders, {45} I do not think one can
give them so very much credit for it. It is true that priests and
peasants gladly receive any European traveller, and treat him to every
thing in their power; but they know well that the traveller who comes to
their island is neither an adventurer nor a beggar, and will therefore
pay them well. I did not meet one peasant or priest who did not accept
the proffered gift without hesitation. But I must say of the priests
that they were every where obliging and ready to serve me, and satisfied
with the smallest gift; and their charges, when I required horses for my
excursions, were always moderate. I only found the peasant less
interested in districts where a traveller scarcely ever appeared; but in
such places as were more visited, their charges were often exorbitant.
For example, I had to pay 20 to 30 kr. (8d. to 1s.) for being ferried
over a river; and then my guide and I only were rowed in the boat, and
the horses had to swim. The guide who accompanied me on the Hecla also
overcharged me; but he knew that I was forced to take him, as there is no
choice of guides, and one does not give up the ascent for the sake of a
little money.
This conduct shows that the character of the Icelanders does not belong
to the best; and that they take advantage of travellers with as much
shrewdness as the landlords and guides on the continent.
A besetting sin of the Icelanders is their drunkenness. Their poverty
would probably not be so great if they were less devoted to brandy, and
worked more industriously. It is dreadful to see what deep root this
vice has taken. Not only on Sundays, but also on week-days, I met
peasants who were so intoxicated that I was surprised how they could keep
in their saddle. I am, however, happy to say that I never saw a woman in
this degrading condition.
Another of their passions is snuff. They chew and snuff tobacco with the
same infatuation as it is smoked in other countries. But their mode of
taking it is very peculiar. Most of the peasants, and even many of the
priests, have no proper snuff-box, but only a box turned of bone, shaped
like a powder-flask. When they take snuff, they throw back their head,
insert the point of the flask in their nose, and shake a dose of tobacco
into it. They then, with the greatest amiability, offer it to their
neighbour, he to his, and so it goes round till it reaches the owner
again.
I think, indeed, that the Icelanders are second to no nation in
uncleanliness; not even to the Greenlanders, Esquimaux, or Laplanders.
If I were to describe a portion only of what I experienced, my readers
would think me guilty of gross exaggeration; I prefer, therefore, to
leave it to their imagination; merely saying that they cannot conceive
any thing too dirty for Iceland delicacy.
Beside this very estimable quality, they are also insuperably lazy. Not
far from the coast are immense meadows, so marshy that it is dangerous to
cross them. The fault lies less in the soil than the people. If they
would only make ditches, and thus dry the ground, they would have the
most splendid grass. That this would grow abundantly is proved by the
little elevations which rise from above the marshes, and which are
thickly covered with grass, herbage, and wild clover. I also passed
large districts covered with good soil, and some where the soil was mixed
with sand.
I frequently debated with Herr Boge, who has lived in Iceland for forty
years, and is well versed in farming matters, whether it would not be
possible to produce important pasture-grounds and hay-fields with
industry and perseverance. He agreed with me, and thought that even
potato-fields might be reclaimed, if only the people were not so lazy,
preferring to suffer hunger and resign all the comforts of cleanliness
rather than to work. What nature voluntarily gives, they are satisfied
with, and it never occurs to them to force more from her. If a few
German peasants were transported hither, what a different appearance the
country would soon have!
The best soil in Iceland is on the Norderland. There are a few
potato-grounds there, and some little trees, which, without any
cultivation, have reached a height of seven to eight feet. Herr Boge,
established here for thirty years, had planted some mountain-ash and
birch-trees, which had grown to a height of sixteen feet.
In the Norderland, and every where except on the coast, the people live
by breeding cattle. Many a peasant there possesses from two to four
hundred sheep, ten to fifteen cows, and ten to twelve horses. There are
not many who are so rich, but at all events they are better off than the
inhabitants of the sea-coast. The soil there is for the most part bad,
and they are therefore nearly all compelled to have recourse to fishing.
Before quitting Iceland, I must relate a tradition told me by many
Icelanders, not only by peasants, but also by people of the so-called
higher classes, and who all implicitly believe it.
It is asserted that the inhospitable interior is likewise populated, but
by a peculiar race of men, to whom alone the paths through these deserts
are known. These savages have no intercourse with their
fellow-countrymen during the whole year, and only come to one of the
ports in the beginning of July, for one day at the utmost, to buy several
necessaries, for which they pay in money. They then vanish suddenly, and
no one knows in which direction they are gone. No one knows them; they
never bring their wives or children with them, and never reply to the
question whence they come. Their language, also, is said to be more
difficult than that of the other inhabitants of Iceland.
One gentleman, whom I do not wish to name, expressed a wish to have the
command of twenty to twenty-five well-armed soldiers, to search for these
wild men.
The people who maintain that they have seen these children of nature,
assert that they are taller and stronger than other Icelanders; that
their horses' hoofs, instead of being shod earth iron, have shoes of
horn; and that they have much money, which they can only have acquired by
pillage. When I inquired what respectable inhabitants of Iceland had
been robbed by these savages, and when and where, no one could give me an
answer. For my part, I scarcely think that one man, certainly not a
whole race, could live by pillage in Iceland.
DEPARTURE FROM ICELAND.--JOURNEY TO COPENHAGEN.
I had seen all there was to be seen in Iceland, had finished all my
excursions, and awaited with inexpressible impatience the sailing of the
vessel which was destined to bring me nearer my beloved home. But I had
to stay four very long weeks in Reikjavik, my patience being more
exhausted from day to day, and had after this long delay to be satisfied
with the most wretched accommodation.
The delay was the more tantalising, as several ships left the port in the
mean time, and Herr Knudson, with whom I had crossed over from
Copenhagen, invited me to accompany him on his return; but all the
vessels went to England or to Spain, and I did not wish to visit either
of these countries. I was waiting for an opportunity to go to
Scandinavia, to have at least a glance at these picturesque districts.
At last there were two sloops which intended to sail towards the end of
July. The better of the two went to Altona; the destination of the other
was Copenhagen. I had intended to travel in the former; but a merchant
of Reikjavik had already engaged the only berth,--for there rarely is
more than one in such a small vessel,--and I deemed myself lucky to
obtain the one in the other ship. Herr Bernhoft thought, indeed, that
the vessel might be too bad for such a long journey, and proposed to
examine it, and report on its condition. But as I had quite determined
to go to Denmark, I requested him to waive the examination, and agree
with the captain about my passage. If, as I anticipated, he found the
vessel too wretched, his warnings might have shaken my resolution, and I
wished to avoid that contingency.
We heard, soon, that a young Danish girl, who had been in service in
Iceland, wished to return by the same vessel. She had been suffering so
much from home-sickness, that she was determined, under any
circumstances, to see her beloved fatherland again. If, thought I to
myself, the home-sickness is powerful enough to make this girl
indifferent to the danger, longing must take its place in my breast and
effect the same result.
Our sloop bore the consolatory name of Haabet (hope), and belonged to the
merchant Fromm, in Copenhagen.
Our departure had been fixed for the 26th of July, and after that day I
scarcely dared to leave my house, being in constant expectation of a
summons on board. Violent storms unfortunately prevented our departure,
and I was not called till the 29th of July, when I had to bid farewell to
Iceland.
This was comparatively easy. Although I had seen many wonderful views,
many new and interesting natural phenomena, I yet longed for my
accustomed fields, in which we do not find magnificent and overpowering
scenes, but lovelier and more cheerful ones. The separation from Herr
Knudson and the family of Bernhoft was more difficult. I owed all the
kindness I had experienced in the island, every good advice and useful
assistance in my travels, only to them. My gratitude to these kind and
good people will not easily fade from my heart.
At noon I was already on board, and had leisure to admire all the gay
flags and streamers with which the French frigate anchoring here had been
decked, to celebrate the anniversary of the July revolution.
I endeavoured to turn my attention as much as possible to exterior
objects, and not to look at our ship, for all that I had involuntarily
seen had not impressed me very favourably. I determined also not to
enter the cabin till we were in the open sea and the pilots had left our
sloop, so that all possibility of return would be gone.
Our crew consisted of captain, steersman, two sailors, and a cabin-boy,
who bore the title of cook; we added that of valet, as he was appointed
to wait on us.
When the pilots had left us, I sought the entrance of the cabin,--the
only, and therefore the common apartment. It consisted of a hole two
feet broad, which gaped at my feet, and in which a perpendicular ladder
of five steps was inserted. I stood before it puzzled to know which
would be the best mode of descent, but knew no other way than to ask our
host the captain. He shewed it me at once, by sitting at the entrance
and letting his feet down. Let the reader imagine such a proceeding with
our long dresses, and, above all, in bad weather, when the ship was
pitched about by storms. But the thought that many other people are
worse off, and can get on, was always the anchor of consolation to which
I held; I argued with myself that I was made of the same stuff as other
human beings, only spoiled and pampered, but that I could bear what they
bore. In consequence of this self-arguing, I sat down at once, tried the
new sliding-ladder, and arrived below in safety.
I had first to accustom my eyes to the darkness which reigned here, the
hatches being constructed to admit the light very sparingly. I soon,
however, saw too much; for all was raggedness, dirt, and disorder. But I
will describe matters in the order in which they occurred to me; for, as
I flatter myself that many of my countrywomen will in spirit make this
journey with me, and as many of them probably never had the opportunity
of being in such a vessel, I wish to describe it to them very accurately.
All who are accustomed to the sea will testify that I have adhered
strictly to the truth. But to return to the sloop. Its age emulated
mine, she being a relic of the last century. At that time little regard
was paid to the convenience of passengers, and the space was all made
available for freight; a fact which cannot surprise us, as the seaman's
life is passed on deck, and the ship was not built for travellers. The
entire length of the cabin from one berth to the other was ten feet; the
breadth was six feet. The latter space was made still narrower by a box
on one side, and by a little table and two little seats on the other, so
that only sufficient space remained to pass through.
At dinner or supper, the ladies--the Danish girl and myself--sat on the
little benches, where we were so squeezed, that we could scarcely move;
the two cavaliers--the captain and the steersman--were obliged to stand
before the table, and eat their meals in that position. The table was so
small that they were obliged to hold their plates in their hands. In
short, every thing shewed the cabin was made only for the crew, not for
the passengers.
The air in this enclosure was also not of the purest; for, besides that
it formed our bed-room, dining-room, and drawing-room, it was also used
as store-room, for in the side cupboards provisions of various kinds were
stored, also oil-colours, and a variety of other matter. I preferred to
sit on the deck, exposed to the cold and the storm, or to be bathed by a
wave, than to be half stifled below. Sometimes, however, I was obliged
to descend, either when rain and storms were too violent, or when the
ship was so tossed by contrary winds that the deck was not safe. The
rolling and pitching of our little vessel was often so terrible, that we
ladies could neither sit nor stand, and were therefore obliged to lie
down in the miserable berths for many a weary day. How I envied my
companion! she could sleep day and night, which I could not. I was
nearly always awake, much to my discomfort; for the hatches and the
entrance were closed during the storm, and an Egyptian darkness, as well
as a stifling atmosphere, filled the cabin.
In regard to food, all passengers, captain and crew, ate of the same
dish. The morning meal consisted of miserable tea, or rather of nauseous
water having the colour of tea. The sailors imbibed theirs without
sugar, but the captain and the steersman took a small piece of candied
sugar, which does not melt so quickly as the refined sugar, in their
mouth, and poured down cup after cup of tea, and ate ship's biscuit and
butter to it.
The dinner fare varied. The first day we had salt meat, which is soaked
the evening before, and boiled the next day in sea-water. It was so
salt, so hard, and so tough, that only a sailor's palate can possibly
enjoy it. Instead of soup, vegetables, and pudding, we had pearl-barley
boiled in water, without salt or butter; to which treacle and vinegar was
added at the dinner-table. All the others considered this a delicacy,
and marvelled at my depraved taste when I declared it to be unpalatable.
The second day brought a piece of bacon, boiled in sea-water, with the
barley repeated. On the third we had cod-fish with peas. Although the
latter were boiled hard and without butter, they were the most eatable of
all the dishes. On the fourth day the bill of fare of the first was
repeated, and the same course followed again. At the end of every dinner
we had black coffee. The supper was like the breakfast,--tea-water,
ship's biscuit and butter.
I wished to have provided myself with some chickens, eggs, and potatoes
in Reikjavik, but I could not obtain any of these luxuries. Very few
chickens are kept--only the higher officials or merchants have them; eggs
of eider-ducks and other birds may often be had, but more are never
collected than are wanted for the daily supply, and then only in spring;
for potatoes the season was not advanced enough. My readers have now a
picture of the luxurious life I led on board the ship. Had I been
fortunate enough to voyage in a better vessel, where the passengers are
more commodiously lodged and better fed, the seasickness would certainly
not have attacked me; but in consequence of the stifling atmosphere of
the cabin and the bad food, I suffered from it the first day. But on the
second I was well again, regained my appetite, and ate salt meat, bacon,
and peas as well as a sailor; the stockfish, the barley, and the coffee
and tea, I left untouched.
A real sailor never drinks water; and this observation of mine was
confirmed by our captain and steersman: instead of beer or wine, they
took tea, and, except at meals, cold tea.
On Sunday evenings we had a grand supper, for the captain had eight eggs,
which he had brought from Denmark, boiled for us four people. The crew
had a few glasses of punch-essence mixed in their tea.
As my readers are now acquainted with the varied bill of fare in such a
ship, I will say a few words of the table-linen. This consisted only of
an old sailcloth, which was spread over the table, and looked so dirty
and greasy that I thought it would be much better and more agreeable to
leave the table uncovered. But I soon repented the unwise thought, and
discovered how important this cloth was. One morning I saw our valet
treating a piece of sailcloth quite outrageously: he had spread it upon
the deck, stood upon it, and brushed it clean with the ship's broom. I
recognised our tablecloth by the many spots of dirt and grease, and in
the evening found the table bare. But what was the consequence?
Scarcely had the tea-pot been placed on the table than it began to slip
off; had not the watchful captain quickly caught it, it would have fallen
to the ground and bathed our feet with its contents. Nothing could stand
on the polished table, and I sincerely pitied the captain that he had not
another tablecloth.
My readers will imagine that what I have described would have been quite
sufficient to make my stay in the vessel any thing but agreeable; but I
discovered another circumstance, which even made it alarming. This was
nothing less than that our little vessel was constantly letting in a
considerable quantity of water, which had to be pumped out every few
hours. The captain tried to allay my uneasiness by asserting that every
ship admitted water, and ours only leaked a little more because it was so
old. I was obliged to be content with his explanation, as it was now too
late to think of a change. Fortunately we did not meet with any storms,
and therefore incurred less danger.
Our journey lasted twenty days, during twelve of which we saw no land;
the wind drove us too far east to see the Feroe or the Shetland Isles. I
should have cared less for this, had I seen some of the monsters of the
deep instead, but we met with scarcely any of these amiable animals. I
saw the ray of water which a whale emitted from his nostrils, and which
exactly resembled a fountain; the animal itself was unfortunately too far
from our ship for us to see its body. A shark came a little nearer; it
swam round our vessel for a few moments, so that I could easily look at
him: it must have been from sixteen to eighteen feet long.
The so-called flying-fish afforded a pretty sight. The sea was as calm
as a mirror, the evening mild and moonlight; and so we remained on deck
till late, watching the gambols of these animals. As far as we could
see, the water was covered with them. We could recognise the younger
fishes by their higher springs; they seemed to be three to four feet
long, and rose five to six feet above the surface of the sea. Their
leaping looked like an attempt at flying, but their gills did not do them
good service in the trial, and they fell back immediately. The old fish
did not seem to have the same elasticity; they only described a small
arch like the dolphins, and only rose so far above the water that we
could see the middle part of their body.
These fish are not caught; they have little oil, and an unpleasant taste.
On the thirteenth day we again saw land. We had entered the Skagerrak,
and saw the peninsula of Jutland, with the town of Skaggen. The
peninsula looks very dreary from this side; it is flat and covered with
sand.
On the sixteenth day we entered the Cattegat. For some time past we had
always either been becalmed or had had contrary winds, and had been
tossed about in the Skagerrak, the Cattegat, and the Sound for nearly a
week. On some days we scarcely made fifteen to twenty leagues a day. On
such calm days I passed the time with fishing; but the fish were wise
enough not to bite my hook. I was daily anticipating a dinner of
mackerel, but caught only one.
The multitude of vessels sailing into the Cattegat afforded me more
amusement; I counted above seventy. The nearer we approached the
entrance of the Sound, the more imposing was the sight, and the more
closely were the vessels crowded together. Fortunately we were favoured
by a bright moonlight; in a dark or stormy night we should not with the
greatest precaution and skill have been able to avoid a collision.
The inhabitants of more southern regions have no idea of the
extraordinary clearness and brilliancy of a northern moonlight night; it
seems almost as if the moon had borrowed a portion of the sun's lustre.
I have seen splendid nights on the coast of Asia, on the Mediterranean;
but here, on the shores of Scandinavia, they were lighter and brighter.
I remained on deck all night; for it pleased me to watch the forests of
masts crowded together here, and endeavouring simultaneously to gain the
entrance to the Sound. I should now be able to form a tolerable idea of
a fleet, for this number of ships must surely resemble a merchant-fleet.
On the twentieth day of our journey we entered the port of Helsingor.
The Sound dues have to be paid here, or, as the sailor calls it, the ship
must be cleared. This is a very tedious interruption, and the stopping
and restarting of the ship very incommodious. The sails have to be
furled, the anchor cast, the boat lowered, and the captain proceeds on
shore; hours sometimes elapse before he has finished. When he returns to
the ship, the boat has to be hoisted again, the anchor raised, and the
sails unfurled. Sometimes the wind has changed in the mean time; and in
consequence of these formalities, the port of Copenhagen cannot be
reached at the expected time.
If a ship is unfortunate enough to reach Helsingor on a dark night, she
may not enter at all for fear of a collision. She has to anchor in the
Cattegat, and thus suffer two interruptions. If she arrives at Helsingor
in the night before four o'clock, she has to wait, as the custom-house is
not opened till that time.
The skipper is, however, at liberty to proceed direct to Copenhagen, but
this liberty costs five thalers (fifteen shillings). If, however, the
toll may thus be paid in Copenhagen just as easily, the obligation to
stop at Helsingor is only a trick to gain the higher toll; for if a
captain is in haste, or the wind is too favourable to be lost, he
forfeits the five thalers, and sails on to Copenhagen.
Our captain cared neither for time nor trouble; he cleared the ship here,
and so we did not reach Copenhagen until two o'clock in the afternoon.
After my long absence, it seemed so familiar, so beautiful and grand, as
if I had seen nothing so beautiful in my whole life. My readers must
bear in mind, however, where I came from, and how long I had been
imprisoned in a vessel in which I scarcely had space to move. When I put
foot on shore again, I could have imitated Columbus, and prostrated
myself to kiss the earth.
DEPARTURE FROM COPENHAGEN.--CHRISTIANIA.
On the 19th August, the day after my arrival from Iceland, at two o'clock
in the afternoon, I had already embarked again; this time in the fine
royal Norwegian steamer _Christiania_, of 170 horsepower, bound for the
town of Christiania, distant 304 sea-miles from Copenhagen. We had soon
passed through the Sound and arrived safely in the Cattegat, in which we
steered more to the right than on the journey to Iceland; for we not only
intended to see Norway and Sweden, but to cast anchor on the coast.
We could plainly see the fine chain of mountains which bound the Cattegat
on the right, and whose extreme point, the Kulm, runs into the sea like a
long promontory. Lighthouses are erected here, and on the other numerous
dangerous spots of the coast, and their lights shine all around in the
dark night. Some of the lights are movable, and some stationary, and
point out to the sailor which places to avoid.
August 20th.
Bad weather is one of the greatest torments of a traveller, and is more
disagreeable when one passes through districts remarkable for beauty and
originality. Both grievances were united to-day; it rained, almost
incessantly; and yet the passage of the Swedish coast and of the little
fiord to the port of Gottenburg was of peculiar interest. The sea here
was more like a broad stream which is bounded by noble rocks, and
interspersed by small and large rocks and shoals, over which the waters
dashed finely. Near the harbour, some buildings lie partly on and partly
between the rocks; these contain the celebrated royal Swedish
iron-foundry, called the new foundry. Even numerous American ships were
lying here to load this metal. {46}
The steamer remains more than four hours in the port of Gottenburg, and
we had therefore time to go into the town, distant about two miles, and
whose suburbs extend as far as the port. On the landing-quay a captain
lives who has always a carriage and two horses ready to drive travellers
into the town. There are also one-horse vehicles, and even an omnibus.
The former were already engaged; the latter, we were told, drives so
slowly, that nearly the whole time is lost on the road; so I and two
travelling companions hired the captain's carriage. The rain poured in
torrents on our heads; but this did not disturb us much. My two
companions had business to transact, and curiosity attracted me. I did
not at that time know that I should have occasion to visit this pretty
little town again, and would not leave without seeing it.
The suburbs are built entirely of wood, and contain many pretty one-story
houses, surrounded, for the most part, by little gardens. The situation
of the suburbs is very peculiar. Rocks, or little fields and meadows,
often lie between the houses; the rocks even now and then cross the
streets, and had to be blasted to form a road. The view from one of the
hills over which the road to the town lies is truly beautiful.
The town has two large squares: on the smaller one stands the large
church; on the larger one the town-hall, the post-office, and many pretty
houses. In the town every thing is built of bricks. The river Ham flows
through the large square, and increases the traffic by the many ships and
barks running into it from the sea, and bringing provisions, but
principally fuel, to market. Several bridges cross it. A visit to the
well-stocked fish-market is also an interesting feature in a short visit
to this town.
I entered a Swedish house for the first time here. I remarked that the
floor was strewed over with the fine points of the fir-trees, which had
an agreeable odour, a more healthy one probably than any artificial
perfume. I found this custom prevalent all over Sweden and Norway, but
only in hotels and in the dwellings of the poorer classes.
About eleven o'clock in the forenoon we continued our journey. We
steered safely through the many rocks and shoals, and soon reached the
open sea again. We did not stand out far from the shore, and saw several
telegraphs erected on the rocks. We soon lost sight of Denmark on the
left, and arrived at the fortress Friedrichsver towards evening, but
could not see much of it. Here the so-called Scheren begin, which extend
sixty leagues, and form the Christian's Sound. By what I could see in
the dim twilight, the scene was beautiful. Numerous islands, some merely
consisting of bare rocks, others overgrown with slender pines, surrounded
us on all sides. But our pilot understood his business perfectly, and
steered us safely through to Sandesund, spite of the dark night. Here we
anchored, for it would have been too dangerous to proceed. We had to
wait here for the steamer from Bergen, which exchanged passengers with
us. The sea was very rough, and this exchange was therefore extremely
difficult to effect. Neither of the steamers would lower a boat; at last
our steamer gave way, after midnight, and the terrified and wailing
passengers were lowered into it. I pitied them from my heart, but
fortunately no accident happened.
August 21st
I could see the situation of Sandesund better by day; and found it to
consist only of a few houses. The water is so hemmed in here that it
scarcely attains the breadth of a stream; but it soon widens again, and
increases in beauty and variety with every yard. We seemed to ride on a
beautiful lake; for the islands lie so close to the mountains in the
background, that they look like a continent, and the bays they form like
the mouths of rivers. The next moment the scene changes to a succession
of lakes, one coming close on the other; and when the ship appears to be
hemmed in, a new opening is suddenly presented to the eye behind another
island. The islands themselves are of a most varied character: some only
consist of bare rocks, with now and then a pine; some are richly covered
with fields and groves; and the shore presents so many fine scenes, that
one hardly knows where to look in order not to miss any of the beauties
of the scenery. Here are high mountains overgrown from the bottom to the
summit with dark pine-groves; there again lovely hills, with verdant
meadows, fertile fields, pretty farmsteads and yards; and on another side
the mountains separate and form a beautiful perspective of precipices and
valleys. Sometimes I could follow the bend of a bay till it mingled with
the distant clouds; at others we passed the most beautiful valleys,
dotted with little villages and towns. I cannot describe the beauties of
the scenery in adequate terms: my words are too weak, and my knowledge
too insignificant; and I can only give an idea of my emotions, but not
describe them.
Near Walloe the country grows less beautiful; the mountains decrease into
hills, and the water is not studded with islands. The little town itself
is almost concealed behind the hills. A remarkable feature is the long
row of wooden huts and houses adjoining, which all belong to a salt-work
established there.
We entered one of the many little arms of the sea to reach the town of
Moss. Its situation is beautiful, being built amphi-theatrically on a
hillock which leans against a high mountain. A fine building on the
sea-shore, whose portico rests upon pillars, is used for a bathing
institution.
A dock-yard, in which men-of-war are built at the expense of the state,
is situated near the town of Horten, which is also picturesquely placed.
There does not seem to be much work doing here, for I only saw one ship
lying at anchor, and none on the stocks. About eight leagues beyond
Horten a mountain rises in the middle of the sea, and divides it into two
streams, uniting again beyond it, and forming a pretty view.
We did not see Christiania till we were only ten leagues from it. The
town, the suburbs, the fortress, the newly-erected royal palace, the
freemasons' lodge, &c., lie in a semicircle round the port, and are
bounded by fields, meadows, woods, and hills, forming a delightful
_coup-d'oeil_. It seems as if the sea could not part from such a lovely
view, and runs in narrow streams, through hills and plains, to a great
distance beyond the town.
Towards eleven o'clock in the forenoon we reached the port of
Christiania. We had come from Sandesund in seven hours, and had stopped
four times on the way; but the boats with new-comers, with merchandise
and letters, had always been ready, had been received, and we had
proceeded without any considerable delay.