SAILING ALONG THE COAST OF FINMARKEN.--HAMMERFEST, THE MOST NORTHERN
TOWN IN THE WORLD.--SCHOOLS.--FRUHOLMEN, THE MOST NORTHERN LIGHTHOUSE
IN THE WORLD.--AMONG THE SEA LAPPS.--MEN AND WOMEN SAILORS.
Leaving the fishing settlement, the _Ragnild_, which I had rejoined,
sailed along the rugged and dreary shore of Finmarken, the most northern
part of the continent of Europe, passing now and then a solitary
fisherman's house, or a settlement hidden from sight, though the
stranger would never dream that any human being lived in this land of
rocks and desolation.
We next came to Hammerfest, in 70 deg. 40' north latitude, the most northern
town in the world. In its commodious port were English, French, Russian,
German, Swedish, and Norwegian vessels. Hundreds of fishing boats were
there also, waiting for favorable winds to continue their voyage.
Steamers were going and coming from the south.
The population was about three thousand souls. There were warehouses
owned by rich merchants, a church, a comfortable hotel, good schools
where boys and girls can learn French, English, German, Latin and
Greek.
The streets were filled with snow. But though so far north there was not
a particle of ice in the port, on account of the warm Gulf Stream,
though sometimes the thermometer reaches 20 degrees below zero. Often
during the winter the mercury stands for consecutive days above the
freezing point.
After leaving Hammerfest we sailed towards North Cape. Suddenly I heard
one of the sailors on the watch shout, "Light! Light!" "What," said I,
"a lighthouse so far north?"
"Yes," replied the captain, who was standing near me; "it is the most
northern light on the globe. It is the light on the island of Fruholmen,
situated in latitude 71 deg. 5' north." We sailed as far as North Cape, on
the island of Mageroe, rising majestically to a height of nine hundred
and eighty feet above the sea, and in latitude 71 deg. 10'. At the top of
the cape there was evidently a gale, for the snow was flying to a great
height.
As we were sailing along the shore, I saw some strange-looking
weather-beaten logs, covered with barnacles. The captain said to me,
"Some of these logs come probably from the coast of South America, from
the Amazon and Orinoco rivers; the Gulf Stream has brought them here. It
has taken them a long time to reach this place, for they are covered
with barnacles."
Instead of doubling North Cape, we sailed through the narrow Mageroe
Sound which separates the island from the mainland.
[Illustration: "We sailed towards North Cape."]
We had hardly entered the sound when I was astonished by the view that
met my eyes, for now there were fishing settlements coming suddenly into
view, with comfortable, white-painted houses, ships at anchor,
glittering churches shining in the sun, and school buildings.
We sailed across the Porsanger Fjord. Far off was Nordkyn, upon the
summit of which I had stood. The coast looked dreary indeed! We sailed
across Laxe Fjord and doubled Nordkyn.
The following day we entered a fjord and came upon a number of fishing
boats that were returning from the open sea. Some of these boats rowed
towards us, and soon were alongside of our craft, and we engaged in
conversation.
These people appeared very strange; they were dressed like the nomadic
Lapps, with the noteworthy exception, however, that the fur of the
reindeer skin was on the _inside_ of their garments. They were Sea
Lapps.
I looked at the crews of the boats, and was more astonished still, for
some of the boats were partly manned by women, and big girls; other
crews were entirely composed of women with a man for captain. One boat
was entirely manned by women, the captain included. I could not easily
distinguish the men from the women, for the features of the women were
coarse from exposure to the storms of the Arctic Sea. They wore reindeer
trousers like the men, as indeed do the women of the nomadic Lapps. They
rowed quite as well as the men, too. They were distinguishable by their
long shaggy hair. It was of a dark chestnut, with a reddish
tinge--almost black in some. They wore it hanging over their shoulders.
It was indeed a strange sight, and I looked at them with great
curiosity, for I had never seen such people before--women who were
sailors, some captains of boats, going to sea and braving the storms of
the inhospitable ocean.
Captain Petersen said to me: "Almost all these sea Laplanders own their
crafts. Some of these are commanded by the husband, while the wife, the
daughters, sister or hired woman form the crew; the women are very
hardy, and excellent sailors; they pull as hard as strong men, and can
use the oar as long as the men do."
The captain was right--for I could not see any difference between their
rowing and that of the men as they followed us.
When they learned that I had come to see their land and wanted to live
among them, they were glad. They asked my name, and they were told that
I was called Paulus.
Then many of these Sea Lapps said:
"Come, Paulus, and stay a few days with us; we will take good care of
you;" and pointing to a hamlet at a distance, "there we live, and soon
we shall be at home."
Looking towards where they pointed, I saw smoke curling up from
strange-looking dwellings. The settlement was scattered on the brow of
a hill looking down upon the fjord.
As the word went round that I was coming to stay with them, the Sea
Lapps made haste and rowed with all their might; the women were
especially in earnest, for they wanted to prepare their houses for my
reception before I landed. Soon they all were far ahead, and after they
had landed I saw them running as fast as they could towards their homes.
Evidently they were going to announce my arrival to the people who had
remained at home.
Here I parted with the _Ragnild_, which sailed to another fjord for more
fish.